Prithvi Suktam (Bhumi Sukta)
पृथ्वी सूक्तम् (भूमि सूक्त) in English · English
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✦ Meaning
The Prithvi Suktam, or Bhumi Sukta, is the magnificent hymn to Mother Earth from the Atharvaveda (Kanda 12, Sukta 1), one of the earliest and grandest ecological prayers of humanity. Spanning sixty-three verses, it adores the Earth as the all-bearing mother who holds the oceans, rivers, mountains, food and every living being, and famously declares 'Mata bhumih putro aham prithivyah' — 'The Earth is my mother and I am her child.' It prays for stability, sustenance and splendour, and pledges not to harm her, making it a timeless hymn of reverence for the environment.
Origin & Story
Atharvaveda 12.1 (Bhumi Sukta) · Rishi Atharvan (revealed seer of the Bhumi Sukta) · Vedic period
The Prithvi Suktam is the opening hymn of the twelfth Kanda of the Atharvaveda — a vast and majestic prayer of sixty-three verses dedicated entirely to Bhumi, the Earth. It celebrates the Earth as the cosmic mother upholding the seas, mountains, rivers, plants, peoples and all that breathes, sustained by truth, order, austerity and sacrifice. Among Vedic hymns it stands out for its tender, filial vision of the Earth as mother and its explicit ethic of caring for and not harming her, and is widely cited today as an ancient charter of ecological reverence.
✦ As told in scripture
It is traditionally held that honouring the Earth with the Bhumi Sukta before tilling, building or settling on land pacifies the Earth and removes the faults of a site, so that those who dwell or labour there are blessed with stability, plentiful harvests and freedom from calamity — and that the Earth, treated as a mother, nourishes her devotees in return.
Complete Text with Meaning
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Om Satyaṁ bṛhad ṛtam ugraṁ dīkṣā tapo brahma yajñaḥ pṛthivīṁ dhārayanti Sā no bhūtasya bhavyasya patny uruṁ lokaṁ pṛthivī naḥ kṛṇotu
Meaning:Truth, the vast and mighty cosmic order, sacred vow, austerity, the holy word and sacrifice — these uphold the Earth. May she, the sovereign of what has been and what shall be, make wide room for us.
Yasyāṁ samudra uta sindhur āpo yasyām annaṁ kṛṣṭayaḥ saṁbabhūvuḥ Yasyām idaṁ jinvati prāṇad ejat sā no bhūmiḥ pūrvapeye dadhātu
Meaning:She in whom are the ocean, the rivers and the waters; in whom food and the tilling peoples arose; in whom moves all that breathes and stirs — may that Earth grant us the foremost share.
Yasyāś catasraḥ pradiśaḥ pṛthivyā yasyām annaṁ kṛṣṭayaḥ saṁbabhūvuḥ Yā bibharti bahudhā prāṇad ejat sā no bhūmir goṣv apy anne dadhātu
Meaning:She to whom belong the four quarters, in whom food and the peoples arose, who bears in many forms all that breathes and moves — may that Earth establish us in cattle and in food.
Yāṁ rakṣanty asvapnā viśvadānīṁ devā bhūmiṁ pṛthivīm apramādam Sā no madhu priyaṁ duhām atho ukṣatu varcasā
Meaning:The Earth whom the sleepless gods guard ever-watchfully, without negligence — may she yield for us sweet, beloved nourishment, and sprinkle us with splendour.
Upa sarpa mātaraṁ bhūmim etām uruvyacasaṁ pṛthivīṁ suśevām Ūrṇamradā yuvatir dakṣiṇāvata eṣā tvā pātu nirṛter upasthāt
Meaning:Approach this Mother Earth, the wide-spreading, gracious Earth; soft as wool, a generous maiden — may she guard you from the lap of destruction.
Yat te bhūme vikhanāmi kṣipraṁ tad api rohatu Mā te marma vimṛgvari mā te hṛdayam arpipam
Meaning:Whatever of you, O Earth, I dig up, may it quickly grow again; let me not pierce your vital parts, O cleansing one, nor wound your heart.
Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting पृथ्वी सूक्तम् (भूमि सूक्त)
Invokes the blessings of Mother Earth for stability, nourishment and a firm foundation in life
Cultivates deep reverence for nature and ecological harmony — a Vedic environmental prayer
Traditionally recited at bhumi puja, agriculture and any rite connected with land and soil
Prays for abundant food, cattle, prosperity and protection from calamity
Endows the chanter with splendour (varchas), vigour and well-being
Fosters the attitude of treating the Earth as a mother whom one must not harm
How to Chant पृथ्वी सूक्तम् (भूमि सूक्त)
Recite with reverence and gratitude toward the Earth, ideally during a homa or while honouring Bhumi Devi, with proper Vedic svara if learnt. Begin with 'Om' and close with the Shanti Paath. Reflect on the Earth as a living mother, resolving to live in harmony with nature. It is highly auspicious for ceremonies involving land, building, farming and ecological well-being.
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Read the full पृथ्वी सूक्तम् (भूमि सूक्त) with verse-by-verse meaning, or explore more sacred texts