शं नो मित | Mantra for Removal of Obstacles

This is the invocation to Anuvaka or Lesson one, of a section called 'Shikshavalli' or 'On Contemplation' from the Taittiriya Upanishad. The spiritual quest can be long and hard. There are frequent difficulties and obstacles. The purport of this chant is that we recognize this in advance, and ask for assistance in removing those upcoming impediments. But we at the same time promise that we will make all efforts to focus on the most important task at hand—constantly recognizing the spiritual.

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शं नो मित्र
शं वरुनः।

शं नो भवत्वर्यमा।

शं न इन्द्रो
बृहस्पतिः।

शं नो विष्णुरुरुक्रमः॥

नमो ब्रह्मणे।

नमस्ते वायो।

त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षं
ब्रह्मासि।

त्वामेव प्रत्यक्षं
ब्रह्म वदिष्यामि।

ऋतं वदिष्यामि।

सत्यं वदिष्यामि।

तन्मामवतु।

तद्वक्तारमवतु।

अवतु माम्।

अवतु वक्तारम्॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

Aum

śaṁ no Mitra
śaṁ Varunaḥ

śaṁ no bhavatvaryamā

śaṁ na Indro
Bṛhaspatiḥ

śaṁ no Viṣṇururukramaḥ

namo Brahmaṇe

namaste Vāyo

tvameva pratyakṣaṁ
Brahmāsi

tvāmeva pratyakṣaṁ
Brahma vadiṣyāmi

ṛtaṁ vadiṣyāmi

satyaṁ vadiṣyāmi

tanmāmavatu

tadvaktāramavatu

avatu mām

avatu vaktāram

aum śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ

Aum

May Mitra (the Sun and the giver of energy) be propitious to us; may Varuna (the oceans and waters, which nourish) be propitious to us.

May the blessings of the ancestors be with us.

May Indra (leader of the gods) and may Brhaspati (sublime teacher of the gods) be with us.

May the all-pervading Visnu be with us.

Salutations to Brahman.

Salutations to Vayu (god of wind)

You alone are the
perceptible Brahman (the Creator).

You alone I shall declare as
the perceptible Brahman.

I shall declare you as that which is beneficent.

I shall declare you as that which is true.

May That protect me.

May That protect the speaker.

Please protect me.

Please protect the speaker.

Aum shanti shanti shanti.