What is Om Shanti Shanti Shanti?
“Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” is a Sanskrit mantra comprising the primordial sound Om followed by three repetitions of shanti (peace). The phrase serves as an invocation of threefold peace: peace in the physical body, peace in the mind and speech, and peace in the environment or subtle realm. It appears prominently in Vedic and Upanishadic literature as a closing benediction (shanti patha) intended to remove obstacles (tapa) that arise from these three sources. The triple repetition is neither ornamental nor arbitrary; it corresponds to a cosmological framework in which suffering originates from the body (adhibhautika), the psyche (adhyatmika), and forces beyond individual control (adhidaivika).
In contemporary practice, “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” functions as the ritual close to yoga classes, meditation sessions, and interfaith peace gatherings. It has become one of the most recognizable mantras outside India, alongside Om Namah Shivaya and Om Mani Padme Hum, yet its specific structure—threefold rather than single or sevenfold—encodes a precise philosophical inheritance from the Upanishads.
Origins & Lineage
The phrase derives from the shanti mantra tradition documented in multiple Upanishads, including the Taittiriya Upanishad, Katha Upanishad, and Mandukya Upanishad, composed between approximately 800–200 BCE. Each Upanishad is associated with a particular Veda and opens or closes with a shanti patha—a peace invocation—designed to sanctify the teaching and protect student and teacher from distraction. The Taittiriya Upanishad, part of the Krishna Yajurveda, includes the widely recited “Om, may Mitra be blissful to us…” followed by the triple shanti.
The threefold structure addresses tapa-traya (three sources of affliction): disturbances caused by one’s own body or mind, by other beings, and by divine or cosmic forces such as weather or fate. This triadic framework also appears in Samkhya philosophy and later Advaita Vedanta commentaries by Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE), who systematized the shanti patha tradition in his Upanishadic commentaries.
Buddhist and Jain traditions adopted shanti as a core concept—shanti in Pali corresponds to nibbana (extinguishing of craving)—and the word appears in Jain liturgy and Theravada chanting, though the triple repetition is more characteristically Hindu.
How It’s Practiced
In traditional Vedic recitation, “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” is chanted at a measured pace, with each shanti given equal weight and a slight pause between repetitions. The Om is intoned on a single breath, often with a descending pitch, and the three shantis follow in a rhythmic sequence. Practitioners may chant aloud, whisper (upamsu), or recite mentally (manasika), depending on context.
In modern yoga studios, the phrase typically closes a Hatha, Vinyasa, or Iyengar class. Students sit in lotus or easy pose, hands in prayer position (anjali mudra) or resting on the knees, and the teacher initiates the chant. The group joins, often with eyes closed. The atmosphere shifts from physical exertion to stillness, the mantra functioning as both a cooldown and a ritual seal.
In ashrams and meditation centers—particularly those in the Advaita Vedanta and Integral Yoga lineages—“Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” may conclude a satsang, scripture study, or silent meditation. Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh (1887–1963) and his disciple Swami Satchidananda (1914–2002) emphasized the mantra in their teachings, making it a signature element of the Integral Yoga tradition.
Some practitioners add the phrase to personal meditation practice, repeating it after sitting, or incorporate it into mala bead recitation, though this is less common than mantras like Om Namah Shivaya or the Gayatri.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Today
Contemporary seekers most often encounter “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” in:
- Yoga classes: Nearly ubiquitous in studios teaching classical or Krishnamacharya-lineage styles (Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa).
- Kirtan and mantra music: Artists such as Krishna Das, Deva Premal, and Snatam Kaur have recorded versions, often extending the chant over several minutes with harmonium and tanpura accompaniment.
- Meditation retreats: Vipassana centers, though primarily Buddhist, sometimes include the mantra in opening or closing ceremonies, honoring the shared Indo-Aryan roots of shanti/shanti (Pali).
- Interfaith peace events: The phrase has been adopted as a universal peace prayer, appearing alongside Christian, Islamic, and Indigenous blessings at United Nations observances and Earth Day gatherings.
- Online recordings: Guided meditations on Insight Timer, YouTube, and Spotify frequently feature the mantra, often under tags like “om shanti shanti shanti meaning” or “shanti mantra for peace.”
The proliferation of yoga teacher training programs (200-hour and 500-hour certifications) has standardized the mantra’s role in class sequencing, ensuring its transmission even among teachers with limited Sanskrit knowledge.
Common Misconceptions
It is not a generic “relaxation sound.” While “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti” does induce calm, its function is ritual and cosmological—a formal invocation of peace across three dimensions of existence, not a sonic sedative.
The three repetitions are not interchangeable. Some teachers abbreviate the phrase to a single “Om Shanti,” which loses the threefold structure central to the Upanishadic formula. A single shanti is grammatically correct but represents a different intention.
It is not a “closing prayer” in the Abrahamic sense. The mantra does not petition an external deity; it articulates an aspiration or recognition of peace that already exists, obscured by the three tapas. It is closer to affirmation than supplication.
“Shanti” does not mean “silence.” While the words share a phonetic resemblance, shanti derives from the Sanskrit root śam (to be calm, to cease), indicating cessation of disturbance rather than absence of sound.
How to Begin
For those new to “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti,” begin by listening to a traditional recitation. The “Shanti Mantra” from the Taittiriya Upanishad, available on recordings by T.V. Gopala Krishnan or the Vedic chanting ensembles at the Krishna Yajurveda Patashala, offers the full liturgical context. For a more accessible entry, Deva Premal’s “Shanti Mantra” album presents the phrase in a contemporary devotional setting.
In practice, sit comfortably, spine upright, and begin with a long Om (3–5 seconds), then three measured shantis, each 2–3 seconds, with a brief pause between. Repeat three to nine times, allowing the vibration to settle in the throat and chest. Notice where tension arises—body, mind, or environment—and direct the corresponding shanti toward that source.
For study, consult Eknath Easwaran’s translation of the Upanishads or Swami Sivananda’s “Bliss Divine” for commentary on the shanti patha tradition. Many Iyengar and Integral Yoga studios offer Sanskrit mantra workshops that include instruction on pronunciation, breath pacing, and ritual context.
If attending a yoga class for the first time, simply listen during the closing chant. There is no requirement to vocalize; presence and receptivity are sufficient. Over time, the repetition will naturalize, and the threefold peace will reveal itself not as doctrine but as direct experience.