Prithvi Suktam
॥ श्री पृथ्वीसूक्तम् ॥
What is the Prithvi Suktam?
Prithvi Suktam is a 63-verse hymn to Mother Earth (Mata Bhumih) from the Atharva Veda, attributed to Sage Atharvan, that honors the Earth as a conscious, living mother held together by Satya (truth), Rita (cosmic order) and Tapas (penance).
Long before the word ecology existed, a Vedic seer sat down and wrote sixty-three verses thanking the ground under his feet. The Prithvi Suktam, tucked into the twelfth book of the Atharva Veda, treats the Earth not as property but as a mother who feeds every creature, holds every mountain steady and asks only for care in return.
Prithvi Suktam Lyrics (Sanskrit & English)
Roman transliteration is shown first with the Devanagari beneath. Tap ‘Meaning’ under any verse for a plain-English explanation. Many practitioners recite the full 63 verses only on special occasions and keep to the first twelve for daily practice.
satyaṃ bṛhad ṛtam ugraṃ dīkṣā tapo brahma yajñaḥ pṛthivīṃ dhārayanti |
sā no bhūtasya bhavyasya patny-uruṃ lokaṃ pṛthivī naḥ kṛṇotu
सत्यं बृहदृतमुग्रं दीक्षा तपो ब्रह्म यज्ञः पृथिवीं धारयन्ति ।
सा नो भूतस्य भव्यस्य पत्न्युरुं लोकं पृथिवी नः कृणोतु
Meaning
Truth, the great cosmic order, dedication, penance and sacrifice hold the Earth in place. May this Earth, mistress of all that is and all that will be, grant us open space to live.
asaṃbādhaṁ madhyato mānavānāṁ yasyā udvataḥ pravataḥ samaṁ bahu |
nānāvīryā oṣadhīr-yā bibharti pṛthivī naḥ prathatāṁ rādhyatāṁ naḥ
असंबाधं मध्यतो मानवानां यस्या उद्वतः प्रवतः समं बहु ।
नानावीर्या ओषधीर्या बिभर्ति पृथिवी नः प्रथतां राध्यतां नः
Meaning
Free and unconfined, she carries the heights, the slopes and the plains where people live, and bears plants of many strengths. May this Earth spread wide for us and bring us prosperity.
yasyāṁ samudra uta sindhur-āpo yasyām-annaṁ kṛṣṭayaḥ saṁbabhūvuḥ |
yasyām-idaṁ jinvati prāṇad-ejat-sā no bhūmiḥ pūrvapeye dadhātu
यस्यां समुद्र उत सिन्धुरापो यस्यामन्नं कृष्टयः संबभूवुः ।
यस्यामिदं जिन्वति प्राणदेजत्सा नो भूमिः पूर्वपेये दधातु
Meaning
On her rest the oceans and the rivers; on her, farmland and food have come into being; in her, everything that breathes and moves is active. May this Earth give us the foremost place.
yasyāś-catasraḥ pradiśaḥ pṛthivyā yasyām-annaṁ kṛṣṭayaḥ saṁbabhūvuḥ |
yā bibharti bahudhā prāṇad-ejat-sā no bhūmir-goṣv-apy-anne dadhātu
यस्याश्चतस्रः प्रदिशः पृथिव्या यस्यामन्नं कृष्टयः संबभूवुः ।
या बिभर्ति बहुधा प्राणदेजत्सा नो भूमिर्गोष्वप्यन्ने दधातु
Meaning
Hers are the four directions of the world; on her, farmland and food have come into being; she carries everything that breathes and moves. May this Earth establish us in cattle and lasting wealth.
yasyāṁ pūrve pūrvejanā vicakrire yasyāṁ devā asurān abhyavartayan |
gavām-aśvānāṁ vayasaś-ca viṣṭhā bhagaṁ varcaḥ pṛthivī no dadhātu
यस्यां पूर्वे पूर्वजना विचक्रिरे यस्यां देवा असुरान् अभ्यवर्तयन् ।
गवामश्वानां वयसश्च विष्ठा भगं वर्चः पृथिवी नो दधातु
Meaning
On her our ancestors once acted; on her the gods overcame the demons; she is home to cattle, horses and birds. May the Earth grant us good fortune and splendor.
viśvaṁbharā vasudhānī pratiṣṭhā hiraṇyavakṣā jagato niveśanī |
vaiśvānaraṁ bibhratī bhūmir-agnim-indra-ṛṣabhā draviṇe no dadhātu
विश्वंभरा वसुधानी प्रतिष्ठा हिरण्यवक्षा जगतो निवेशनी ।
वैश्वानरं बिभ्रती भूमिरग्निमिन्द्रऋषभा द्रविणे नो दधातु
Meaning
All-sustaining, holder of treasure, a firm foundation, gold at her breast, the resting place of every living thing, carrying the universal fire. May the Earth, guarded by Indra, set us in wealth.
yāṁ rakṣanty-asvapnā viśvadānīm-devā bhūmiṁ pṛthivīm-apramādam |
sā no madhu priyaṁ duhām-atho ukṣatu varcasā
यां रक्षन्त्यस्वप्ना विश्वदानीं देवा भूमिं पृथिवीमप्रमादम् ।
सा नो मधु प्रियं दुहामथो उक्षतु वर्चसा
Meaning
The Earth whom the wakeful gods watch over at every moment. May she yield us sweetness and what we love, and fill us with her splendor.
yā-rṇave’dhi salilam-agra āsīt-yāṁ māyābhir-anvacaran manīṣiṇaḥ |
yasyā hṛdayaṁ parame vyomant-satyenāvṛtam-amṛtaṁ pṛthivyāḥ |
sā no bhūmis-tviṣiṁ balaṁ rāṣṭre dadhātūttame
यार्णवेऽधि सलिलमग्र आसीत्यां मायाभिरन्वचरन् मनीषिणः ।
यस्या हृदयं परमे व्योमन्त्सत्येनावृतममृतं पृथिव्याः ।
सा नो भूमिस्त्विषिं बलं राष्ट्रे दधातूत्तमे
Meaning
She who was once water resting on the cosmic ocean, traced out by wise seers through their insight, whose immortal heart wrapped in truth lives in the highest heaven. May that Earth give us strength, radiance and lasting sovereignty.
yasyām-āpaḥ paricarāḥ samānīr-ahorātre apramādaṁ kṣaranti |
sā no bhūmir-bhūridhārā payo duhām-atho ukṣatu varcasā
यस्यामापः परिचराः समानीरहोरात्रे अप्रमादं क्षरन्ति ।
सा नो भूमिर्भूरिधारा पयो दुहामथो उक्षतु वर्चसा
Meaning
On her the moving waters flow together day and night without pause. May this Earth of many streams give us milk and fill us with her splendor.
yām-aśvināv-amimātāṁ viṣṇur-yasyāṁ vicakrame |
indro yāṁ cakra ātmane’namitrāṁ śacīpatiḥ |
sā no bhūmir-vi sṛjatāṁ mātā putrāya me payaḥ
यामश्विनावमिमातां विष्णुर्यस्यां विचक्रमे ।
इन्द्रो यां चक्र आत्मनेऽनमित्रां शचीपतिः ।
सा नो भूमिर्वि सृजतां माता पुत्राय मे पयः
Meaning
Whom the Ashvins measured out, on whom Vishnu took his strides, whom Indra, lord of power, freed from every enemy for himself. May the Earth pour out her milk for us, as a mother does for her son.
girayas-te parvatā himavanto’raṇyaṁ te pṛthivi syonam-astu |
babhruṁ kṛṣṇāṁ rohiṇīṁ viśvarūpāṁ dhruvāṁ bhūmiṁ pṛthivīm-indraguptām |
ajīto’hato akṣato’dhyaṣṭhāṁ pṛthivīm-aham
गिरयस्ते पर्वता हिमवन्तोऽरण्यं ते पृथिवि स्योनमस्तु ।
बभ्रुं कृष्णां रोहिणीं विश्वरूपां ध्रुवां भूमिं पृथिवीमिन्द्रगुप्ताम् ।
अजीतोऽहतो अक्षतोऽध्यष्ठां पृथिवीमहम्
Meaning
May your hills, your snowy mountains and your forests be gentle toward me, O Earth. On you, brown, black, red and every color, held steady and guarded by Indra, I stand unharmed, unhurt, uninjured.
yat-te madhyaṁ pṛthivi yacca nabhyaṁ yāsta ūrjas-tanvaḥ saṁbabhūvuḥ |
tāsu no dhehy-abhi naḥ pavasva mātā bhūmiḥ putro ahaṁ pṛthivyāḥ parjanyaḥ pitā sa u naḥ pipartu
यत्ते मध्यं पृथिवि यच्च नभ्यं यास्त ऊर्जस्तन्वः संबभूवुः ।
तासु नो धेह्यभि नः पवस्व माता भूमिः पुत्रो अहं पृथिव्याः पर्जन्यः पिता स उ नः पिपर्तु
Meaning
What is your center, O Earth, what is your navel, what strength has risen from your body: place us within it, and purify us. Earth is my mother, I am the son of the Earth; Parjanya, the rain, is my father, and may he protect us.
yasyāṁ vediṁ parigṛhṇanti bhūmyāṁ yasyāṁ yajñaṁ tanvate viśvakarmāṇaḥ |
yasyāṁ mīyante svaravaḥ pṛthivyām-ūrdhvāḥ śukrā āhutyāḥ purastāt |
sā no bhūmir-vardhayad-vardhamānā
यस्यां वेदिं परिगृह्णन्ति भूम्यां यस्यां यज्ञं तन्वते विश्वकर्माणः ।
यस्यां मीयन्ते स्वरवः पृथिव्यामूर्ध्वाः शुक्रा आहुत्याः पुरस्तात् ।
सा नो भूमिर्वर्धयद्वर्धमाना
Meaning
On her they raise the sacrificial altar; on her, workers of every kind perform sacrifice; on her the sacrificial posts stand bright and upright before the offering. May this Earth, ever growing, make us grow with her.
yo no dveṣat-pṛthivi yaḥ pṛtanyād-yo’bhidāsān manasā yo vadhena |
taṃ no bhūme randhaya pūrvakṛtvari
यो नो द्वेषत्पृथिवि यः पृतन्याद्योऽभिदासान् मनसा यो वधेन ।
तं नो भूमे रन्धय पूर्वकृत्वरि
Meaning
Whoever hates us, O Earth, whoever fights us, whoever means us harm in thought or by weapon: subdue that one under us, O Earth who has acted for us since ancient days.
tvaj-jātās-tvayi caranti martyās-tvaṁ bibharṣi dvipadas-tvaṁ catuṣpadaḥ |
taveme pṛthivi pañca mānavā yebhyo jyotir-amṛtaṁ martyebhya udyan-sūryo raśmibhir-ātanoti
त्वज्जातास्त्वयि चरन्ति मर्त्यास्त्वं बिभर्षि द्विपदस्त्वं चतुष्पदः ।
तवेमे पृथिवि पञ्च मानवा येभ्यो ज्योतिरमृतं मर्त्येभ्य उद्यन्त्सूर्यो रश्मिभिरातनोति
Meaning
Mortals born from you walk upon you; you carry both those with two feet and those with four. Yours are the five races of humankind, for whom the rising sun spreads immortal light with its rays.
tā naḥ prajāḥ saṁ duhratāṁ samagrā vāco madhu pṛthivi dhehi mahyam
ता नः प्रजाः सं दुह्रतां समग्रा वाचो मधु पृथिवि धेहि मह्यम्
Meaning
Let all these creatures together yield their gifts to us. Grant us the sweetness of speech, O Earth.
viśvasvaṁ mātaram-oṣadhīnāṁ dhruvāṁ bhūmiṁ pṛthivīṁ dharmaṇā dhṛtām |
śivāṁ syonām-anu carema viśvahā
विश्वस्वं मातरमोषधीनां ध्रुवां भूमिं पृथिवीं धर्मणा धृताम् ।
शिवां स्योनामनु चरेम विश्वहा
Meaning
The mother of every herb, the Earth held firm by cosmic law, gentle and auspicious: may we walk upon her always.
mahat-sadhasthaṁ mahatī babhūvitha mahān vega ejathur-vepathuṣ-te |
mahāṁs-tve-ndro rakṣaty-apramādam |
sā no bhūme pra rocaya hiraṇyasyeva saṁdṛśi mā no dvikṣata kaścana
महत्सधस्थं महाती बभूविथ महान् वेग एजथुर्वेपथुष्टे ।
महांस्त्वेन्द्रो रक्षत्यप्रमादम् ।
सा नो भूमे प्र रोचय हिरण्यस्येव संदृशि मा नो द्विक्षत कश्चन
Meaning
You have grown vast; great is your resting place. Great is the tremor and stirring that moves through you, and mighty Indra keeps watch over you. Make us shine like gold, and let no one hold hatred toward us.
agnir-bhūmyām-oṣadhīṣv-agnim-āpo bibhraty-agnir-aśmasu |
agnir-antaḥ puruṣeṣu goṣv-aśveṣv-agnayaḥ
अग्निर्भूम्यामोषधीष्वग्निमापो बिभ्रत्यग्निरश्मसु ।
अग्निरन्तः पुरुषेषु गोष्वश्वेष्वग्नयः
Meaning
Fire lives in the Earth, in her herbs; the waters carry fire; fire lives in stone; fire lives within people, in cattle, in horses.
agnir-diva ā tapaty-agner-devasyorv-antarikṣam |
agniṁ martāsa indhate havyavāhaṁ ghṛtapriyam
अग्निर्दिव आ तापत्यग्नेर्देवस्योर्वन्तरिक्षम् ।
अग्निं मर्तास इन्धते हव्यवाहं घृतप्रियम्
Meaning
Fire burns down from the sky; the wide space between earth and heaven belongs to Agni. Mortals kindle that fire, the carrier of offerings, the lover of ghee.
agnivāsāḥ pṛthivy-asitajñus-tviṣīmantaṁ saṁśitaṁ mā kṛṇotu
अग्निवासाः पृथिव्यसितज्ञूस्त्विषीमन्तं संशितं मा कृणोतु
Meaning
May the Earth, clothed in fire, make me sharp and bright.
bhūmyāṁ devebhyo dadati yajñaṁ havyam-araṅkṛtam |
bhūmyāṁ manuṣyā jīvanti svadhayānnena martyāḥ |
sā no bhūmiḥ prāṇam-āyur-dadhātu jaradaṣṭiṁ mā pṛthivī kṛṇotu
भूम्यां देवेभ्यो ददति यज्ञं हव्यमरंकृतम् ।
भूम्यां मनुष्या जीवन्ति स्वधयान्नेन मर्त्याः ।
सा नो भूमिः प्राणमायुर्दधातु जरदष्टिं मा पृथिवी कृणोतु
Meaning
On the Earth, people offer the gods a properly prepared sacrifice. On the Earth, mortals live by the strength their food gives them. May this Earth grant us breath and long life, and let old age come to us gently.
yas-te gandhaḥ pṛthivi saṁbabhūva yaṁ bibhraty-oṣadhayo yam-āpaḥ |
yaṁ gandharvā apsarasaś-ca bhejire tena mā surabhiṁ kṛṇu mā no dvikṣata kaścana
यस्ते गन्धः पृथिवि संबभूव यं बिभ्रत्योषधयो यमापः ।
यं गन्धर्वा अप्सरसश्च भेजिरे तेन मा सुरभिं कृणु मा नो द्विक्षत कश्चन
Meaning
Whatever fragrance is yours, O Earth, which the plants and the waters carry, which the Gandharvas and Apsaras hold dear: with that fragrance make me pleasing, and let no one hate us.
yas-te gandhaḥ puṣkaram-āviveśa yaṁ saṁjabhruḥ sūryāyā vivāhe |
amartyāḥ pṛthivi gandham-agre tena mā surabhiṁ kṛṇu mā no dvikṣata kaścana
यस्ते गन्धः पुष्करमाविवेश यं संजभ्रुः सूर्याया विवाहे ।
अमर्त्याः पृथिवि गन्धमग्रे तेन मा सुरभिं कृणु मा नो द्विक्षत कश्चन
Meaning
Whatever fragrance of yours entered the lotus, which the immortals gathered at the wedding of Surya's daughter: with that fragrance make me pleasing, and let no one hate us.
yas-te gandhaḥ puruṣeṣu strīṣu puṁsu bhago ruciḥ |
yo aśveṣu vīreṣu yo mṛgeṣūta hastiṣu |
kanyāyāṁ varco yad-bhūme tenāsmāṁ api saṁ sṛja mā no dvikṣata kaścana
यस्ते गन्धः पुरुषेषु स्त्रीषु पुंसु भगो रुचिः ।
यो अश्वेषु वीरेषु यो मृगेषूत हस्तिषु ।
कन्यायां वर्चो यद्भूमे तेनास्माँ अपि सं सृज मा नो द्विक्षत कश्चन
Meaning
Whatever fragrance of yours lives in men and women, whatever charm and radiance, in horses, heroes, wild creatures and elephants, whatever brightness in a young woman: join us to that, O Earth, and let no one hate us.
śilā bhūmir-aśmā pāṁsuḥ sā bhūmiḥ saṁdhṛtā dhṛtā |
tasyai hiraṇyavakṣase pṛthivyā akaraṁ namaḥ
शिला भूमिरश्मा पांसुः सा भूमिः संधृता धृता ।
तस्यै हिरण्यवक्षसे पृथिव्या अकरं नमः
Meaning
Rock, stone and dust are the Earth; this Earth holds herself together and is held. To that gold-breasted Earth I offer my reverence.
yasyāṁ vṛkṣā vānaspatyā dhruvās-tiṣṭhanti viśvahā |
pṛthivīṁ viśvadhāyasaṁ dhṛtām-achāvadāmasi
यस्यां वृक्षा वानस्पत्या ध्रुवास्तिष्ठन्ति विश्वहा ।
पृथिवीं विश्वधायसं धृतामछावदामसि
Meaning
On her the trees and forest lords stand rooted always. To this all-nourishing, steady Earth we speak with warmth.
udīrāṇā utāsīnās-tiṣṭhantaḥ prakrāmantaḥ |
padbhyāṁ dakṣiṇasavyābhyāṁ mā vyathiṣmahi bhūmyām
उदीराणा उतासीनास्तिष्ठन्तः प्रक्रामन्तः ।
पद्भ्यां दक्षिणसव्याभ्यां मा व्यथिष्महि भूम्याम्
Meaning
Rising, sitting, standing or walking, on our right foot and our left, may we never stumble upon you, O Earth.
vimṛgvarīṁ pṛthivīm-ā vadāmi kṣamāṁ bhūmiṁ brahmaṇā vāvṛdhānām |
ūrjaṁ puṣṭaṁ bibhratīm-annabhāgaṁ ghṛtaṁ tvābhi ni ṣīdema bhūme
विमृग्वरीं पृथिवीमा वदामि क्षमां भूमिं ब्रह्मणा वावृधानाम् ।
ऊर्जं पुष्टं बिभ्रतीमन्नभागं घृतं त्वाभि नि षीदेम भूमे
Meaning
I speak to the patient Earth, who grows through prayer and forgives what wears her down. May we settle upon you, who carry strength, nourishment, plenty and ghee, O Earth.
śuddhā na āpas-tanve kṣarantu yo naḥ sedur-apriye taṁ ni dadhmaḥ |
pavitreṇa pṛthivi motpunāmi
शुद्धा न आपस्तन्वे क्षरन्तु यो नः सेदुरप्रिये तं नि दध्मः ।
पवित्रेण पृथिवि मोत्पुनामि
Meaning
Let pure waters flow for our bodies. Whatever in us is unwelcome, we place upon the one who hates us. I purify myself with what purifies, O Earth.
yāste prācīḥ prdiśo yā udīcīr-yāste bhūme adharād-yāś-ca paścāt |
syonās-tā mahyaṁ carate bhavantu mā ni paptaṁ bhuvane śiśriyāṇaḥ
यास्ते प्राचीः प्रदिशो या उदीचीर्यास्ते भूमे अधराद्याश्च पश्चात् ।
स्योनास्ता मह्यं चरते भवन्तु मा नि पप्तं भुवने शिश्रियाणः
Meaning
Whatever lies east of you, north, south or west, O Earth, let all of it stay gentle to me as I move through it. Let me never fall while resting upon you.
mā naḥ paścān mā purastān nudhiṣṭhā mottarād-adharād-uta |
svasti bhūme no bhava mā vidan paripanthino varīyo yāvaya vadham
मा नः पश्चान् मा पुरस्तान् नुदिष्ठा मोत्तरादधरादुत ।
स्वस्ति भूमे नो भव मा विदन् परिपन्थिनो वरीयो यावया वधम्
Meaning
Do not drive us away, from behind or ahead, from above or below. Be good fortune to us, O Earth; keep robbers from finding us, and turn away every deadly weapon far from us.
yāvat-te’bhi vipaśyāmi bhūme sūryeṇa medinā |
tāvan me cakṣurmā meṣṭ-ottarām-uttarāṁ samām
यावत्तेऽभि विपश्यामि भूमे सूर्येण मेदिना ।
तावन् मे चक्षुर्मा मेष्टोत्तरामुत्तरां समाम्
Meaning
As long as I go on seeing you, O Earth, together with the sun, may my sight not fail me through all the years to come.
yac-chayānaḥ paryāvarte dakṣiṇaṁ sakhyam-abhi bhūme pārśvam-uttānās-tvā pratīcīṁ yat-pṛṣṭībhir-adhiśemahe |
mā hiṁsīs-tatra no bhūme sarvasya pratiśīvari
यच्छयानः पर्यावर्ते दक्षिणं सख्यमभि भूमे पार्श्वमुत्तानास्त्वा प्रतीचीं यत्पृष्टीभिरधिशेमहे ।
मा हिंसीस्तत्र नो भूमे सर्वस्य प्रतिशीवरि
Meaning
Whether lying down, turning to my right side or my left, or resting stretched out on my back: do not let harm come to us in any of these positions, O Earth, protector of all.
yat-te bhūme vikhanāmi kṣipraṁ tad-api rohatu |
mā te marma vimṛgvari mā te hṛdayam-arpipam
यत्ते भूमे विखनामि क्षिप्रं तदपि रोहतु ।
मा ते मर्म विमृग्वरि मा ते हृदयमर्पिपम्
Meaning
Whatever I dig out of you, O Earth, let it grow back quickly. May I never wound your vital places or reach your heart, O gentle one.
grīṣmas-te bhūme varṣāṇi śarad-hemantaḥ śiśiro vasantaḥ |
ṛtavas-te vihitā hāyanīr-ahorātre pṛthivi no duhātām
ग्रीष्मस्ते भूमे वर्षाणि शरद्धेमन्तः शिशिरो वसन्तः ।
ऋतवस्ते विहिता हायनीरहोरात्रे पृथिवि नो दुहाताम्
Meaning
Your summer, your rains, your autumn, winter, the cool season and spring, all your seasons and years laid out in order, your day and your night: let them yield us abundance, O Earth.
yāpa sarpaṁ vijamānā vimṛgvarī yasyām-āsan-n-agnayo ye apsv-antaḥ |
parā dasyūn dadatī devapīyūn indraṁ vṛṇānā pṛthivī na vṛtraṁ śakrāya dadhre vṛṣabhāya vṛṣṇe
याप सर्पं विजमाना विमृग्वरी यस्यामासन्न् अग्नयो ये अप्स्वन्तः ।
परा दस्यून् ददती देवपीयून् इन्द्रं वृणाना पृथिवी न वृत्रं शक्राय दध्रे वृषभाय वृष्णे
Meaning
She who drives away harm and danger, on whom the fires that live within the waters once rested, who turns away those who insult the gods and chooses Indra: this Earth held herself firm for the mighty, generous bull.
yasyāṁ sado-havirdhāne yūpo yasyāṁ nimīyate |
brahmāṇo yasyām-arcanty-ṛgbhiḥ sāmnā yajurvidaḥ |
yujyante yasyām-ṛtvijaḥ somam-indrāya pātave
यस्यां सदोहविर्धाने यूपो यस्यां निमीयते ।
ब्रह्माणो यस्यामर्चन्त्यृग्भिः साम्ना यजुर्विदः युज्यन्ते यस्यामृत्विजः सोममिन्द्राय पातवे
Meaning
On her stands the sacrificial seat and the vessel for offerings; on her the sacrificial post is fixed; on her the priests praise with hymn and chant; on her the officiants gather to offer Indra his soma.
yasyāṁ pūrve bhūtakṛta ṛṣayo gā udānṛcuḥ |
sapta satreṇa vedhaso yajñena tapasā saha
यस्यां पूर्वे भूतकृत ऋषयो गा उदानृचुः ।
सप्त सत्रेण वेधसो यज्ञेन तपसा सह
Meaning
On her the first seers of old, the makers of what exists, called the sacred cattle into being, through sacrifice, discipline and penance carried out together.
sā no bhūmir-ā diśatu yad-dhanaṁ kāmayāmahe |
bhago anuprayuktām-indra etu purogavaḥ
सा नो भूमिरा दिशतु यद्धनं कामयामहे ।
भगो अनुप्रयुङ्क्तामिन्द्र एतु पुरोगवः
Meaning
May this Earth grant us the wealth we long for. May good fortune work with us, and may Indra go before us as our guide.
yasyāṁ gāyanti nṛtyanti bhūmyāṁ martyā vyailabāḥ |
yudhyante yasyām-ākrando yasyāṁ vadati dundubhiḥ |
sā no bhūmiḥ pra ṇudatāṁ sapatnān asapatnaṁ mā pṛthivī kṛṇotu
यस्यां गायन्ति नृत्यन्ति भूम्यां मर्त्या व्यैलबाः ।
युध्यन्ते यस्यामाक्रन्दो यस्यां वदति दुन्दुभिः ।
सा नो भूमिः प्र णुदतां सपत्नान् असपत्नं मा पृथिवी कृणोतु
Meaning
On her people sing and dance and cry out with joy; on her they fight; on her the battle cry and the drum sound out. May this Earth drive our rivals from us, and leave us with none.
yasyām-annaṁ vrīhiyavau yasyā imāḥ pañca kṛṣṭayaḥ |
bhūmyai parjanyapatnyai namo’stu varṣamedase
यस्यामन्नं व्रीहियवौ यस्या इमाः पञ्च कृष्टयः ।
भूम्यै पर्जन्यपत्न्यै नमोऽस्तु वर्षमेदसे
Meaning
On her grow rice and barley; hers are the five races of humankind. To this Earth, wife of Parjanya the rain, fed and ripened by the monsoon, let there be homage.
yasyāḥ puro devakṛtāḥ kṣetre yasyā vikurvate |
prajāpatiḥ pṛthivīṁ viśvagarbhām-āśām-āśāṁ raṇyāṁ naḥ kṛṇotu
यस्याः पुरो देवकृताः क्षेत्रे यस्या विकुर्वते ।
प्रजापतिः पृथिवीं विश्वगर्भामाशामाशां रण्यां नः कृणोतु
Meaning
Whose forts the gods themselves built, in whose fields people prove their courage: may Prajapati make this all-sheltering Earth pleasant for us in every direction.
nidhiṁ bibhratī bahudhā guhā vasu maṇiṁ hiraṇyaṁ pṛthivī dadātu me |
vasūni no vasudā rāsamānā devī dadātu sumanasyamānā
निधिं बिभ्रती बहुधा गुहा वसु मणिं हिरण्यं पृथिवी ददातु मे ।
वसूनि नो वसुदा रासमाना देवी दधातु सुमनस्यमाना
Meaning
Carrying hidden wealth in many forms, gems and gold within her depths, may the Earth give them to me. May this generous, well-wishing goddess grant us her riches freely.
janaṁ bibhratī bahudhā vivācasaṁ nānādharmaṇaṁ pṛthivī yathaukasam |
sahasraṁ dhārā draviṇasya me duhāṁ dhruveva dhenur-anapasphurantī
जनं बिभ्रती बहुधा विवाचसं नानाधर्माणं पृथिवी यथौकसम् ।
सहस्रं धारा द्रविणस्य मे दुहां ध्रुवेव धेनुरनपस्फुरन्ती
Meaning
Carrying people of many tongues and many customs, each in their own home, may the Earth pour out a thousand streams of wealth for me, steady and unfailing as a good milking cow.
yas-te sarpo vṛścikas-tṛṣṭadaṁśmā hemantajabdho bhṛmalo guhā śaye |
krimir-jinvat-pṛthivi yad-yad-ejati prāvṛṣi tan-naḥ sarpan-mopa sṛpadyac-chivaṁ tena no mṛḍ
यस्ते सर्पो वृश्चिकस्तृष्टदंश्मा हेमन्तजब्धो भृमलो गुहा शये ।
क्रिमिर्जिन्वत्पृथिवि यद्यदेजति प्रावृषि तन् नः सर्पन् मोप सृपद्यच्छिवं तेन नो मृड
Meaning
Whatever serpent or scorpion of yours lies hidden and sluggish through the winter cold, whatever creeping thing stirs awake in the rains: keep it from crossing our path, and bless us instead with what is good.
ye te panthāno bahavo janāyanā rathasya vartmānasaś-ca yātave |
yaiḥ saṁcaranty-ubhaye bhadrapāpās-taṁ panthānaṁ jayemān-amitram-ataskaraṁ yac-chivaṁ tena no mṛḍ
ये ते पन्थानो बहवो जनायना रथस्य वर्त्मानसश्च यातवे ।
यैः संचरन्त्युभये भद्रपापास्तं पन्थानं जयेमानमित्रमतस्करं यच्छिवं तेन नो मृड
Meaning
The many roads you carry for travelers, the tracks worn by chariot and cart, walked by good people and by bad alike: let us win safe passage on them, free of enemies and thieves, and grant us what is good.
malvaṁ bibhratī gurubhṛd-bhadrapāpasya nidhanaṁ titikṣuḥ |
varāheṇa pṛthivī saṁvidānā sūkarāya vi jihīte mṛgāya
मल्वं बिभ्रती गुरुभृद्भद्रपापस्य निधनं तितिक्षुः ।
वराहेण पृथिवी संविदाना सूकराय वि जिहीते मृगाय
Meaning
Carrying the weak, bearing the heavy, patient through the death of the good and the bad alike, the Earth, in harmony with the Boar, opens herself gladly to the wild hog.
ye te āraṇyāḥ paśavo mṛgā vane hitāḥ siṁhā vyāghrāḥ puruṣādaś-caranti |
ulaṁ vṛkaṁ pṛthivi duchunām-ita ṛkṣīkāṁ rakṣo apa bādhayāsmat
ये त आरण्याः पशवो मृगा वने हिताः सिंहा व्याघ्राः पुरुषादश्चरन्ति ।
उलं वृकं पृथिवि दुछुनामित ऋक्षीकां रक्षो अप बाधयास्मत्
Meaning
Whatever wild creatures roam you, O Earth, the deer of the forest, the lion, the tiger, the beasts that hunt: keep the jackal, the wolf, misfortune and every harmful spirit far away from us.
ye gandharvā apsaraso ye cārāyāḥ kimīdinaḥ |
piśācān-sarvā rakṣāṁsi tān asmad-bhūme yāvaya
ये गन्धर्वा अप्सरसो ये चारायाः किमीदिनः ।
पिशाचान्त्सर्वा रक्षांसि तान् अस्मद्भूमे यावय
Meaning
The Gandharvas, the Apsaras and every restless or hostile spirit that lives upon you: keep them away from us, O Earth.
yāṁ dvipādaḥ pakṣiṇaḥ saṁpatanti haṁsāḥ suparṇāḥ śakunā vayāṁsi |
yasyāṁ vāto mātariśveyate rajāṁsi kṛṇvañ-cyāvayañ-ca vṛkṣān |
vātasya pravām-upavām-anu vāty-arciḥ
यां द्विपादः पक्षिणः संपतन्ति हंसाः सुपर्णाः शकुना वयांसि ।
यस्यां वातो मातरिश्वेयते रजांसि कृण्वंश्च्यावयंश्च वृक्षान् ।
वातस्य प्रवामुपवामनु वात्यर्चिः
Meaning
On her two-footed birds gather and fly, swans, eagles and every winged creature; on her the wind Matarishvan moves, stirring dust and shaking the trees, and flame follows the wind's own path.
yasyāṁ kṛṣṇam-aruṇaṁ ca saṁhite ahorātre vihite bhūmyām-adhi |
varṣeṇa bhūmiḥ pṛthivī vṛtāvṛtā sā no dadhātu bhadrayā priye dhāmanidhāmani
यस्यां कृष्णमरुणं च संहिते अहोरात्रे विहिते भूम्यामधि ।
वर्षेण भूमिः पृथिवी वृतावृता सा नो दधातु भद्रया प्रिये धामनिधामनि
Meaning
On her the dark night and the ruddy day are set in order, and the broad Earth lies wrapped in rain. Let her set us gently in every home we love.
dyauś-ca ma idaṁ pṛthivī cāntarikṣaṁ ca me vyacaḥ |
agniḥ sūrya āpo medhāṁ viśve devāś-ca saṁ daduḥ
द्यौश्च म इदं पृथिवी चान्तरिक्षं च मे व्यचः ।
अग्निः सूर्य आपो मेधां विश्वे देवाश्च सं ददुः
Meaning
Heaven, this Earth and the space between them have given me their expanse. Fire, sun, water and all the gods together have given me understanding.
aham-asmi sahamāna uttaro nāma bhūmyām |
abhīṣāḍ-asmi viśvāṣāḍ-āśām-āśāṁ viṣāsahiḥ
अहमस्मि सहमान उत्तरो नाम भूम्याम् ।
अभीषाडस्मि विश्वाषाडाशामाशां विषासहिः
Meaning
I stand strong and unbroken, foremost by name upon the Earth: unconquered, all-overcoming, victorious in every direction.
ado yad-devi prathamānā purastād-devair-uktā vyasarpo mahitvam |
ā tvā subhūtam-aviśat-tadānīm-akalpayathāḥ pradiśaś-catasraḥ
अदो यद्देवि प्रथमाना पुरस्ताद्देवैरुक्ता व्यसर्पो महित्वम् ।
आ त्वा सुभूतमविशत्तदानीमककल्पयथाः प्रदिशश्चतस्रः
Meaning
When you first spread yourself forth, O goddess, called into being by the gods, and your greatness unfolded, well-being settled into you and you shaped the four directions.
ye grāmā yad-araṇyaṁ yāḥ sabhā adhi bhūmyām |
ye saṅgrāmāḥ samitayas-teṣu cāru vadema te
ये ग्रामा यदरण्यं याः सभा अधि भूम्याम् ।
ये संग्रामाः समितयस्तेषु चारु वदेम ते
Meaning
Whatever villages, whatever forests, whatever gatherings exist upon you, whatever battles and assemblies take place: in all of them, let us speak what pleases you.
aśva iva rajo dudhuve vi tān janān ya ākṣiyan pṛthivīṁ yād-ajāyata |
mandrāgretvarī bhuvanasya gopā vanaspatīnāṁ gṛbhir-oṣadhīnām
अश्व इव रजो दुधुवे वि तान् जनान् य आक्षियन् पृथिवीं यादजायत ।
मन्द्राग्रेत्वरी भुवनस्य गोपा वनस्पतीनां गृभिरोषधीनाम्
Meaning
As a horse shakes dust from its coat, the Earth once shook off those who lived upon her since her birth. She is the joyful, leading guardian of creation, holder of the trees and every herb.
yad-vadāmi madhumat-tad-vadāmi yad-īkṣe tad-vananti mā |
tviṣīmān asmi jūtimān avānyān hanmi dodhataḥ
यद्वदामि मधुमत्तद्वदामि यदीक्षे तद्वनन्ति मा ।
त्विषीमान् अस्मि जूतिमान् अवान्यान् हन्मि दोधतः
Meaning
Let what I speak be sweet as honey; let what I look upon draw affection toward me. I stand bright and swift, and I strike down whoever comes against us in anger.
śantivā surabhiḥ syonā kīlālodhṇī payasvatī |
bhūmir-adhi bravītu me pṛthivī payasā saha
शन्तिवा सुरभिः स्योना कीलालोध्नी पयस्वती ।
भूमिरधि ब्रवीतु मे पृथिवी पयसा सह
Meaning
Peaceful, fragrant, gentle, rich with sweetness in her udder, full of milk: may the Earth speak good words over me, together with her milk.
yām-anvaicchad-dhaviṣā viśvakarmāntar-arṇave rajasi praviṣṭām |
bhujisyaṁ pātraṁ nihitaṁ guhā yad-āvirbhoge abhavan mātṛmadbhyaḥ
यामन्वैच्छद्धविषा विश्वकर्मान्तरर्णवे रजसि प्रविष्टाम् ।
भुजिष्यं पात्रं निहितं गुहा यदाविर्भोगे अभवन् मातृमद्भ्यः
Meaning
Whom Vishvakarman sought with offerings when she lay hidden within the cosmic ocean's mist: that sheltering vessel, kept secret, came into the open for the good of every living thing.
tvam-asyāvapanī janānām-aditiḥ kāmadughā paprathānā |
yat-ta ūnaṁ tat-ta ā pūrayāti prajāpatiḥ prathamajā ṛtasya
त्वमस्यावपनी जनानामदितिः कामदुघा पप्रथाना ।
यत्त ऊनं तत्त आ पूरयाति प्रजापतिः प्रथमजा ऋतस्य
Meaning
You scatter people across the world, wish-granting and boundless as Aditi herself. Whatever is lacking in you, may Prajapati, firstborn of cosmic order, restore and complete.
upasthās-te anamīvā ayakṣmā asmabhyaṁ santu pṛthivi prasūtāḥ |
dīrghaṁ na āyuḥ pratibudhyamānā vayaṁ tubhyaṁ balihṛtaḥ syāma
उपस्थास्ते अनमीवा अयक्ष्मा अस्मभ्यं सन्तु पृथिवि प्रसूताः ।
दीर्घं न आयुः प्रतिबुध्यमाना वयं तुभ्यं बलिहृतः स्याम
Meaning
May your regions stay free of sickness and wasting disease for us, O Earth. Waking each day to a long life, may we always give back to you what is due.
bhūme mātar-ni dhehi mā bhadrayā supratiṣṭhitam |
saṁvidānā divā kave śriyāṁ mā dhehi bhūtyām
भूमे मातर्नि धेहि मा भद्रया सुप्रतिष्ठितम् ।
संविदाना दिवा कवे श्रियां मा धेहि भूत्याम्
Meaning
O mother Earth, set me down safe and well-founded. In harmony with the heavens, wise one, establish me in fortune and prosperity.
What Does the Prithvi Suktam Mean?
The Prithvi Suktam opens with a claim that still reads as radical: the Earth is held in place not by rock and gravity alone but by Satya (truth), Rita (the order that keeps the seasons, rivers and stars on course), Tapas (disciplined effort) and sacrifice. Sage Atharvan is not writing nature poetry here. He is describing a kind of moral physics, where the planet’s stability depends on how honestly and carefully the beings living on it behave.
Verse after verse widens the picture: the oceans and rivers resting on her, the four directions she holds, the fire hidden in her soil and in every living body, the fragrance she carries into flowers, animals and a bride at her wedding. By the twelfth verse the hymn states its most quoted line, that the Earth is mother and the reciter is her son, and asks rain itself to act as father. The remaining fifty verses turn into a long, specific list of requests: safe footing while walking, protection from what is buried underground, freedom from wild animals and poison, and above all a plea that whatever is dug out of her should grow back.
Read start to finish, the Suktam works less like a prayer for personal gain and more like a long apology paired with a long thank-you, addressed to something the poet clearly believed was alive and listening.
How Do You Chant the Prithvi Suktam?
- Sit in contact with the ground – wear clean clothes and sit directly on a mat of wool or grass rather than on a raised chair, so the recitation stays close to the earth it addresses.
- Settle the breath first – a few rounds of slow, deep breathing before you begin helps steady the heartbeat and quiet the mind.
- State your intention – many hold a small copper vessel of water while forming a short, silent Sankalpa naming what you are asking the Earth for.
- Chant with attention to sound – the Vedic accents (svara) matter in this text. If you have not learned them from a teacher, read the verses slowly and with sincerity rather than guessing at the pitch.
What Are the Benefits of Chanting the Prithvi Suktam?
Practitioners describe four broad effects of regular recitation, each tied closely to the hymn’s own language.
- A settled, grounded mind: the hymn's repeated image of a patient, unmoving Earth is said to calm anxiety and restlessness in the person reciting it.
- Ecological conscience: several verses ask forgiveness for the disturbance that farming, digging and building cause the land, which practitioners treat as a built-in reminder to take only what is needed.
- A sense of provision and security: verses on grain, cattle, gold and hidden treasure are read as an invocation of the Earth's generosity rather than a request for luck.
- Protection associated with the land: the text is traditionally recited before construction and during Bhoomi Puja, in the belief that it settles the ground and wards off disturbance.
Where Does the Prithvi Suktam Come From?
The Prithvi Suktam opens the twelfth Kanda of the Atharva Veda, one of the four Vedas and the one most concerned with everyday life, healing and the natural world rather than fire-altar ritual alone. Tradition credits the hymn to Sage Atharvan, the seer for whom the Veda itself is named.
At sixty-three verses it is unusually long for a single Vedic hymn, and scholars of early Indian literature often point to it as one of the oldest surviving texts anywhere to treat the planet as a being with feelings and claims of her own, rather than as scenery. This Atharvaveda hymn is a separate composition from the much shorter Bhu Suktam of the Yajurveda, the handful of verses many people recite each morning before their feet touch the floor. The two hymns share a subject but not a single line of text, and Bhaktiras carries both under their own names so readers do not confuse one for the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Prithvi Suktam called an ecological hymn?
Because centuries before the word ecology existed, it addresses the Earth directly as a conscious mother rather than as raw material, and several of its verses ask pardon for the disturbance that farming and digging cause her. Verse 12 states its central idea plainly: the Earth is mother, and the speaker is her son.
Is the Prithvi Suktam the same as the Bhumi Suktam?
No. The Prithvi Suktam is a 63-verse Atharva Veda hymn from Kanda 12, Sukta 1. The Bhumi Suktam already on Bhaktiras is a shorter Yajurveda hymn recited daily before Sandhyavandanam. The two share a theme, Mother Earth, but not a single shared verse.
What does verse 19's mention of fire inside the Earth mean?
Verse 19 says fire lives in the soil, in plants, in stone, and inside every animal and person. Read plainly, it points to something the hymn's composers had clearly observed: heat inside the ground, warmth inside a living body, and the latent energy that fire can draw out of wood and stone.
What is the meaning of the Boar reference in verse 48?
It alludes to the Varaha avatar of Vishnu, said to have lifted the Earth out of the cosmic ocean on his tusks after she sank beneath the waters. The verse ties that rescue story to the everyday sight of a wild boar turning up soil.
Do I need to chant all 63 verses every day?
Not necessarily. The full hymn is long, so many practitioners recite it in full only on special occasions such as Bhoomi Puja, and keep to the first twelve verses, which carry the hymn's core grounding and gratitude, for daily practice.
When is the Prithvi Suktam traditionally recited?
At sunrise as a grounding prayer, before tree planting or sowing, and during Griha Pravesh or Bhoomi Puja, the foundation-laying rituals performed before construction begins on a new plot of land.
॥ ॐ माता भूमिः पुत्रोऽहं पृथिव्याः ॥