Let us pray for peace

There is so much violence in this world. Daily newspapers are full of news about killings of one human being by another human being. People burning with hate killed fellow human beings in Nandigram. Some people even justified these killings. Then Kolkata was rocked by violence. Yesterday hate mongers killed fellow humans in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad. A distraught lover shot dead his ex-girlfriend's mother and uncle before turning the gun on himself.Such waste of precious human life.

Let us pray for peace. Let us do Shanti Paath.

Like Gayatri Mantra, Shantih Paath is also a very important mantra. It may be recited as a part of Shantiprakanam, however, a Yajna typically concludes with Shantih Paath mantra. This mantra is also not chanted for the purpose of material gains, physical or otherwise.

The poignant prayer in the mantra is for peace everywhere in the universe. The prayer is for every thing in the universe, space, earth, water, vegetation, all learned people, all gods and even peace be free from harm and be conducive for peace. As a final part of the mantra, the person chanting the mantra, requests the Lord to grant him or her that peace also.

Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih.