Verse 1: Ṛg veda 1.189.8
A beautiful and well known mantra, which has been mistranslated with the best of intentions by countless online websites. For those who are keen to know the exact meaning supported by grammar, here it is. This mantra is recited before some atharvan upanishads, for instance praśna and gaṇeśa-atharva-śīrṣa. It appears at Taittireya araṇyaka 1.21.3 and is chanted in countless situations as a śānti mantra.
oṃ
bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devāḥ ।
bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ ।
sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvāgm̐sastanūbhiḥ ।
vyaśema devahitaṃ yadāyuḥ ।
Translation
O devas, may we (always/only) hear what is auspicious with our ears,
O gods/worthy of sacrifice, may we (always/only) see what is auspicious with our eyes; O gods/who are praised, may we reach/attain with steady limbs and bodies the life(span) that has been established by the gods.
padaccheda:
bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śṛṇuyāma devāḥ ।
bhadraṃ paśyema akṣabhiḥ yajatrāḥ।
sthiraiḥ aṅgaiḥ tuṣṭuvām̐saḥ tanubhiḥ ।
vyaśema devahitaṃ yadāyuḥ ।
anvaya:
devāḥ, karṇebhiḥ bhadraṃ śṛṇuyāma । yajatrāḥ, akṣabhiḥ bhadraṃ paśyema । tuṣṭuvām̐saḥ, sthiraiḥ aṅgaiḥ tanubhiḥ (ca ) yad āyuḥ devahitam (asti, tad )vyaśema ।
padaparicaya:
bhadraṃ - auspicious, excellent, good; neut, acc, sing
karṇebhiḥ* - with the ears; masc, inst, pl
śṛṇuyāma - may we hear; 1st person, plural, optative, √śru
devāḥ - (O you) gods, shining ones; masc, vocative, plural
bhadraṃ - auspicious, excellent, good; neut, acc, sing
paśyema - may we see; 1st person, plural, optative, √paś
akṣabhiḥ - with the eyes; neut, inst, pl
yajatrāḥ - (O you) worthy of worship, worthy of sacrifice; masc, vocative, pl
sthiraiḥ - with steady - neut, inst, pl, adj
aṅgaiḥ - with limbs - neut, inst, pl
tuṣṭuvām̐saḥ - (O you who are) praised; masc, vocative, plural, perfect active participle, √stu
tanubhiḥ - with bodies; fem, inst, plural
vyaśema - may we attain, reach, consume, take possession of; 1st person, plural, optative, vi√aś
deva-hitam - placed, put, established by the gods; neut, acc, sing, ppp/adj
yadāyuḥ (yad āyuḥ) - the life(span); neut, acc, sing
(*karṇebhiḥ this conjugated form is Vedic. We would normally use karṇaiḥ)
Verse 2 Ṛg veda 1.189.6
svasti na indro vṛddhaśravāḥ ।
svasti naḥ pūṣā viśvavedāḥ ।
svasti nastārkṣyo ariṣṭanemiḥ ।
svasti no bṛhaspatirdadhātu ॥
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥
padaccheda & anvaya
The verb dadhātu applies to each god:
indraḥ vṛddhaśravāḥ naḥ svasti (dadhātu)।
pūṣā viśvavedāḥ naḥ svasti (dadhātu) ।
tārkṣyaḥ ariṣṭanemiḥ naḥ svasti (dadhātu) ।
bṛhaspatiḥ naḥ svasti dadhātu ॥
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥
Translation:
May Indra (of) exalted fame give us well being; may the omniscient Pūṣā give us well being; may Tārkṣya of indestructible wheel rims give us well being; may Bṛhaspati give us well being. Om, peace, peace, peace.
indraḥ - Indra; masc, nom, sing
vṛddha-śravāḥ - of augmented, exalted, wide fame; masc, nom, sing, adj
naḥ - to us; dative plural, 1st person pronoun; asmad
svasti - welfare, well being, prosperity, luck; fem, acc, sing
pūṣā - Pūṣan, early vedic god; masc, nom, sing
viśvavedāḥ - all knowing, omniscient; masc, nom, sing, adj
naḥ - to us; dative plural, 1st person pronoun; asmad
svasti - welfare, well being, prosperity, luck; fem, acc, sing
tārkṣyaḥ - mythical bird later associated with the sun and Garuḍa
ariṣṭanemiḥ - the felly of whose wheel is un-damaged; epithet of Tārkṣya
naḥ -dative plural, 1st person pronoun; asmad
svasti - welfare, well being, prosperity, luck; fem, acc, sing
bṛhaspatiḥ - Lord of prayer, early Vedic sage; masc, nom, sing
naḥ - to us; dative plural, 1st person pronoun; asmad
svasti welfare, well being, prosperity, luck; fem, acc, sing
dadhātu - may he give; 3rd, person, singular, imperative, √dhā
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥
