Bhumi Suktam
॥ श्री भूमिसूक्तम् ॥
What is the Bhumi Suktam?
Bhumi Suktam is an 11-verse Vedic hymn to Bhumi Devi, Mother Earth, drawn from the Krishna Yajurveda’s Taittiriya Samhita and Brahmana, chanted during temple abhishekam and land rituals.
The Bhumi Suktam is a short, direct prayer to the earth herself, thanking her for holding up every living thing and asking her to carry away what weighs us down.
Bhumi Suktam Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
Roman transliteration is shown first with the Devanagari beneath. Tap ‘Meaning’ under any verse for a plain-English explanation.
Om bhūmir-bhūmnā dyaur-variṇā’ntarikṣaṃ mahitvā |
upasthe te devyadite’gnimannāda-mannādyāyādadhe
ॐ भूमिर्भूम्ना द्यौर्वरिणाऽन्तरिक्षं महित्वा ।
उपस्थे ते देव्यदितेऽग्निमन्नाद-मन्नाद्यायादधे
Meaning
Earth is great in her abundance, the sky is vast, and the mid-space is magnificent. O Divine Mother Aditi, Earth, in your lap I place Agni, the fire that consumes food, for the sake of nourishment and sustenance.
ā’yaṅgauḥ pṛśnir-akramīd-asanan-mātaram-punaḥ |
pitaraṃ ca prayantsuvaḥ
आऽयङ्गौः पृश्निरक्रमीदसनन्मातरम्पुनः ।
पितरं च प्रयन्त्सुवः
Meaning
The spotted bull, symbolizing the sun or the rain-bearing clouds, moves forward, reaching the mother, Earth, again and advancing toward the father, Heaven.
triṃśaddhāma virājati vāk-pataṅgāya śiśriye |
pratyasya vaha dyubhiḥ
त्रिग्ं-शद्धाम विराजति वाक्पतङ्गाय शिश्रिये ।
प्रत्यस्य वह द्युभिः
Meaning
The divine Speech shines across thirty abodes. It rests upon the radiant flyer, the sun, and carries it forward through the days.
asya prāṇad-apānaty-antaścarati rocanā |
vyakhyan mahiṣaḥ suvaḥ
अस्य प्राणादपानत्यन्तश्चरति रोचना ।
व्यख्यन् महिषः सुवः
Meaning
Through this vital breath, prana and apana, the luminous realms move within. The great bull reveals the heavens.
yattvā kruddhaḥ parovapa-manyunā yadavartyā |
sukalpam-agne tattava punastvo-ddīpayāmasi
यत्त्वा क्रुद्धः परोवपमन्युना यदवर्त्या ।
सुकल्पमग्ने तत्तव पुनस्त्वोद्दीपयामसि
Meaning
O Agni, whenever I, out of ignorance or anger, have cast you away or acted wrongly toward you, we now set that order right and kindle you again.
yatte manyu-paroptasya pṛthivīm-anudadhvase |
ādityā viśve tad-devā vasavaśca samābharan
यत्ते मन्युपरोप्तस्य पृथिवीं अनुदध्वसे ।
आदित्या विश्वे तद्देवा वसवश्च समाभरन्
Meaning
Whatever of your energy was scattered in wrath over the earth, the Adityas, all the gods, and the Vasus have gathered back together.
mano jyotir-juṣatām-ājyaṃ vicchinnaṃ yajñaṃ sam-imaṃ dadhātu |
bṛhaspatis-tanutām-imaṃ no viśve devā iha mādayantām
मनो ज्योतिर्जुषतामाज्यं विच्छिन्नं यज्ञं समिमं दधातु ।
बृहस्पतिस्तनुतामिमं नो विश्वे देवा इह मादयन्ताम्
Meaning
May the light of the mind take pleasure in this offering. May our broken sacrifice be made whole again. May Brihaspati, Lord of Wisdom, extend it, and may all the gods rejoice here with us.
bhūmir-dhenur-dharaṇī loka-dhāriṇī |
uddhṛtā-si varāheṇa kṛṣṇena śata-bāhunā
भूमिर्धेनुर्धरणी लोकधारिणी ।
उद्धृतासि वराहेण कृष्णेन शतबाहुना
Meaning
The earth is a milk-giving cow, the one who sustains life and holds up every world. You were lifted up by the dark Boar, Varaha, who has a hundred arms.
mṛttike hana pāpena mṛttike brahmaṇā hatā |
mṛttike dehi me puṣṭiṃ tvayi sarvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam
मृत्तिके हन पापेन मृत्तिके ब्रह्मणा हता ।
मृत्तिके देहि मे पुष्टिं त्वयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्
Meaning
O sacred clay, take away my sin. O earth, made pure by Brahma, grant me strength and nourishment, for everything in this world rests upon you.
mṛttike pratiṣṭhite sarvaṃ tanme nirṇuda mṛttike |
mṛttike hana pāpena mṛttike brahmaṇā hatā
मृत्तिके प्रतिष्ठिते सर्वं तन्मे निर्णुद मृत्तिके ।
मृत्तिके हन पापेन मृत्तिके ब्रह्मणा हता
Meaning
O earth on whom everything rests, drive away all my illness and sin. O sacred clay, take away my sin, made pure by Brahma.
mṛttike pratiṣṭhite sarvaṃ tanme nirṇuda mṛttike |
tvayā hatena pāpena gacchāmi paramāṃ gatim
मृत्तिके प्रतिष्ठिते सर्वं तन्मे निर्णुद मृत्तिके ।
त्वया हतेन पापेन गच्छामि परमां गतिम्
Meaning
O earth on whom everything rests, drive away all my illness. Once my sin is destroyed through you, I shall reach the highest state.
Closing Invocation
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
Meaning
Om. Peace, peace, peace.
What Does the Bhumi Suktam Mean?
The first seven verses speak in the old Vedic language of sacrifice. They picture earth, sky and the space between as one connected whole, and they ask Agni, the sacred fire, to settle back into balance after any disturbance in the ritual. Verses 6 and 7 describe energy that was scattered in wrath being gathered again by the Adityas, the Vasus and Brihaspati, the idea that whatever has gone wrong in a ritual, or in a life, can still be repaired.
Verse 8 turns the attention squarely to Bhumi Devi. She is called a dhenu, a milk-giving cow, and dharani, the one who holds up every world. The verse recalls Varaha, the boar form of Vishnu, lifting her out of the cosmic waters, a reminder that the ground under our feet was once rescued and is still being cared for.
The final three verses, addressed to mrittike, the sacred clay, are the part most people actually recite day to day. They ask the earth plainly to take away sin and illness and to grant strength, ending with a wish to reach the highest state once that burden is lifted.
How Do You Chant the Bhumi Suktam?
- Bathe and put on clean clothes – before you begin, a plain wash and a fresh set of clothes set the tone for the chant.
- Take a steady seat – sit facing east or north on a clean mat, spine upright, hands relaxed in your lap.
- Mind the Vedic accents – this is a Yajurvedic chant with precise swara intonation, so it helps to listen along with a trained reciter or a good recording before you try it alone.
- Add the water gesture if you wish – after verses 9 to 11, some households sprinkle a few drops of water on the head as a simple gesture of purification.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting the Bhumi Suktam?
Reciting the Bhumi Suktam connects you to the earth that quietly sustains everything, and it carries a few specific benefits people keep coming back to.
- Builds a felt sense of ecological respect: hearing yourself address the earth as a living mother tends to change how you treat soil, water and growing things afterward.
- Eases guilt and mental clutter: verses 9 to 11 are a direct appeal to the earth to take away wrongdoing, and many people use just this portion as a short daily reset.
- Supports steady health and provision: the hymn asks Bhumi Devi for pushti, strength and nourishment, tying physical wellbeing back to the ground we actually stand on.
- Clears the way before construction: it is recited at bhoomi puja, the foundation-laying ceremony, to settle any unease about disturbing the land before building begins.
Where Does the Bhumi Suktam Come From?
The Bhumi Suktam belongs to the Krishna Yajurveda, drawn from the Taittiriya Samhita at 1.5.3 and the Taittiriya Brahmana at 3.1.2. It sits inside a much larger body of ritual verses used in Vedic sacrifice, but this particular set was singled out early on as the earth’s own suktam, distinct from the far longer Prithvi Sukta found in the Atharva Veda.
In Vaishnava temple practice it is one of five hymns, alongside the Purusha, Sri, Nila and Narayana Suktams, chanted during the abhishekam bath of the deity. Bhumi Devi is honored here as the consort of Vishnu, and the hymn’s mention of Varaha ties the text directly to the story of the earth being rescued from the cosmic ocean.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the source of the Bhumi Suktam?
It comes from the Krishna Yajurveda, specifically the Taittiriya Samhita 1.5.3 and the Taittiriya Brahmana 3.1.2.
How is this Yajurveda Bhumi Suktam different from the Atharva Veda's Prithvi Sukta?
This Yajurveda version has 11 verses and centers on worship, ritual repair and the story of Varaha rescuing the earth. The Atharva Veda's Prithvi Sukta runs to 63 verses and spends most of its length on the land, nature and geography themselves.
Why does Verse 8 mention Lord Varaha?
Vishnu is said to have taken the form of the giant boar Varaha to lift Bhumi Devi out of the cosmic ocean, where the demon Hiranyaksha had dragged and hidden her. Verse 8 recalls that rescue directly.
Why do verses 9 to 11 keep repeating the word mrittike?
Mrittike means clay or earth, and Vedic thought treats it as naturally pure. Addressing the clay directly and asking it to take away sin reflects an old belief that contact with sacred earth can absorb what is unclean in a person, body and mind alike.
Is the Bhumi Suktam recited during Vishnu's abhishekam?
Yes. It is one of five suktams, Purusha, Sri, Bhu, Nila and Narayana, chanted together during the grand ceremonial bathing of Vishnu in temple worship.
Can I chant just part of the Bhumi Suktam daily?
Yes. Many people recite only verse 8, the bhumir dhenur dharani verse, each morning as a short way to honor the earth before starting the day.
॥ ॐ धरणीधराय वराहाय नमः ॥