atharvavedaprithvibhumiearth

𑌪𑍃𑌥𑍍𑌵𑍀 𑌸𑍂𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍍 (𑌭𑍂𑌮𑌿 𑌸𑍂𑌕𑍍𑌤)

Prithvi Suktam (Bhumi Sukta) in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ vedic·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 During bhumi puja, environmental and agricultural rites, Earth-related ceremonies, and daily for peace·📜 Atharvaveda 12.1 (Bhumi Sukta)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

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.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

𑍐 𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌬𑍃𑌹𑌦𑍃𑌤𑌮𑍁𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌦𑍀𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌾 𑌤𑌪𑍋 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌯𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌃 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍀𑌂 𑌧𑌾𑌰𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿। 𑌸𑌾 𑌨𑍋 𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌭𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑌤𑍍𑌨𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌂 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍀 𑌨𑌃 𑌕𑍃𑌣𑍋𑌤𑍁॥

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.

Verse 2

𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌸𑌮𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌰 𑌉𑌤 𑌸𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌧𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌪𑍋 𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌂 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌯𑌃 𑌸𑌂𑌬𑌭𑍂𑌵𑍁𑌃। 𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌜𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌵𑌤𑌿 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌦𑍇𑌜𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌾 𑌨𑍋 𑌭𑍂𑌮𑌿𑌃 𑌪𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌪𑍇𑌯𑍇 𑌦𑌧𑌾𑌤𑍁॥

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.

Verse 3

𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌰𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌦𑌿𑌶𑌃 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾 𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌂 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌯𑌃 𑌸𑌂𑌬𑌭𑍂𑌵𑍁𑌃। 𑌯𑌾 𑌬𑌿𑌭𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌬𑌹𑍁𑌧𑌾 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌦𑍇𑌜𑌤𑍍𑌸𑌾 𑌨𑍋 𑌭𑍂𑌮𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌗𑍋𑌷𑍍𑌵𑌪𑍍𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍇 𑌦𑌧𑌾𑌤𑍁॥

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.

Verse 4

𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌰𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌪𑍍𑌨𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌦𑌾𑌨𑍀𑌂 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾 𑌭𑍂𑌮𑌿𑌂 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍀𑌮𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌾𑌦𑌮𑍍। 𑌸𑌾 𑌨𑍋 𑌮𑌧𑍁 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌂 𑌦𑍁𑌹𑌾𑌮𑌥𑍋 𑌉𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌤𑍁 𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌚𑌸𑌾॥

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.

Verse 5

𑌉𑌪 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌪 𑌮𑌾𑌤𑌰𑌂 𑌭𑍂𑌮𑌿𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌾𑌮𑍍 𑌉𑌰𑍁𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌚𑌸𑌂 𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍀𑌂 𑌸𑍁𑌶𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌮𑍍। 𑌊𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌮𑍍𑌰𑌦𑌾 𑌯𑍁𑌵𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌦𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌣𑌾𑌵𑌤 𑌏𑌷𑌾 𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾 𑌪𑌾𑌤𑍁 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍃𑌤𑍇𑌰𑍁𑌪𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌤𑍍॥

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.

Verse 6

𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌤𑍇 𑌭𑍂𑌮𑍇 𑌵𑌿𑌖𑌨𑌾𑌮𑌿 𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌤𑌦𑌪𑌿 𑌰𑍋𑌹𑌤𑍁। 𑌮𑌾 𑌤𑍇 𑌮𑌰𑍍𑌮 𑌵𑌿𑌮𑍃𑌗𑍍𑌵𑌰𑌿 𑌮𑌾 𑌤𑍇 𑌹𑍃𑌦𑌯𑌮𑌰𑍍𑌪𑌿𑌪𑌮𑍍॥

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.

Verse 7

𑍐 𑌶𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌃 𑌶𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌃 𑌶𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌃॥

Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌸𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌬𑍃𑌹𑌤𑍍 𑌋𑌤𑌮𑍍 𑌉𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌮𑍍🔊satyaṁ bṛhad ṛtam ugramTruth, the vast cosmic order (Ritam), the mighty / awe-inspiring

𑌦𑍀𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌾 𑌤𑌪𑌃🔊dīkṣā tapaḥConsecration (sacred vow) and austerity / penance

𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌯𑌜𑍍𑌞𑌃🔊brahma yajñaḥThe sacred word (Brahman) and sacrifice

𑌪𑍃𑌥𑌿𑌵𑍀𑌂 𑌧𑌾𑌰𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿🔊pṛthivīṁ dhārayantiThese uphold / sustain the Earth

𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌭𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌪𑌤𑍍𑌨𑍀🔊bhūtasya bhavyasya patnīMistress (sovereign) of what has been and what shall be

𑌉𑌰𑍁𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌂 𑌨𑌃 𑌕𑍃𑌣𑍋𑌤𑍁🔊uruṁ lokaṁ naḥ kṛṇotuMay she make wide / spacious room for us

𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌸𑌮𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌃 𑌉𑌤 𑌸𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌧𑍁𑌃 𑌆𑌪𑌃🔊yasyāṁ samudra uta sindhur āpaḥIn whom are the ocean, the rivers and the waters

𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍍 𑌅𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌂 𑌕𑍃𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌯𑌃 𑌸𑌂𑌬𑌭𑍂𑌵𑍁𑌃🔊yasyām annaṁ kṛṣṭayaḥ saṁbabhūvuḥIn whom food and the tilling peoples came to be

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌤𑍍 𑌏𑌜𑌤𑍍🔊prāṇad ejatThat which breathes and moves (all living, moving things)

𑌪𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌪𑍇𑌯𑍇 𑌦𑌧𑌾𑌤𑍁🔊pūrvapeye dadhātuMay she grant us the first / foremost share (of enjoyment)

𑌚𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌰𑌃 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌦𑌿𑌶𑌃🔊catasraḥ pradiśaḥThe four quarters / directions

𑌗𑍋𑌷𑍁 𑌅𑌪𑌿 𑌅𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍇 𑌦𑌧𑌾𑌤𑍁🔊goṣv apy anne dadhātuMay she establish us in cattle and in food (prosperity)

𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌰𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌅𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌪𑍍𑌨𑌾𑌃 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌃🔊yāṁ rakṣanty asvapnā devāḥWhom the sleepless gods ever protect

𑌅𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌾𑌦𑌮𑍍🔊apramādamWithout negligence, ever-watchfully

𑌸𑌾 𑌨𑌃 𑌮𑌧𑍁 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌯𑌂 𑌦𑍁𑌹𑌾𑌮𑍍🔊sā no madhu priyaṁ duhāmMay she yield (milk) for us sweet, beloved nourishment

𑌉𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌤𑍁 𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌚𑌸𑌾🔊ukṣatu varcasāMay she sprinkle / endow us with splendour and vigour

𑌉𑌪 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌪 𑌮𑌾𑌤𑌰𑌂 𑌭𑍂𑌮𑌿𑌮𑍍🔊upa sarpa mātaraṁ bhūmimApproach (take refuge in) this Mother Earth

𑌉𑌰𑍁𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌚𑌸𑌂 𑌸𑍁𑌶𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌮𑍍🔊uruvyacasaṁ suśevāmWide-spreading and most kindly / gracious

𑌯𑌤𑍍 𑌤𑍇 𑌭𑍂𑌮𑍇 𑌵𑌿𑌖𑌨𑌾𑌮𑌿🔊yat te bhūme vikhanāmiWhatever of you, O Earth, I dig up

𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌿𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌤𑌤𑍍 𑌅𑌪𑌿 𑌰𑍋𑌹𑌤𑍁🔊kṣipraṁ tad api rohatuMay that quickly grow / heal over again

𑌮𑌾 𑌤𑍇 𑌮𑌰𑍍𑌮 𑌮𑌾 𑌤𑍇 𑌹𑍃𑌦𑌯𑌮𑍍 𑌅𑌰𑍍𑌪𑌿𑌪𑌮𑍍🔊mā te marma mā te hṛdayam arpipamLet me not pierce your vital parts nor wound your heart

Benefits of Chanting Prithvi Suktam (Bhumi Sukta)

✦

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

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Fosters the attitude of treating the Earth as a mother whom one must not harm

How to Chant Prithvi Suktam (Bhumi Sukta)

Repetitions3times

Best TimeDuring bhumi puja, environmental and agricultural rites, Earth-related ceremonies, and daily for peace

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Prithvi Suktam (Bhumi Sukta) written in the Grantha script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

The Prithvi Suktam, also called the Bhumi Sukta, is the great hymn to the Earth in the Atharvaveda (Kanda 12, Sukta 1). With sixty-three verses, it praises Bhumi Devi as the boundless mother who sustains all life and is regarded as one of the world's earliest hymns to the environment.

It is one of the most celebrated lines of the Atharvaveda (12.1.12), meaning 'The Earth is my mother, and I am her child (son).' It expresses the intimate, filial relationship between humanity and the Earth that the whole hymn embodies.

Because it not only glorifies the Earth but explicitly pledges to protect her — praying that whatever is dug from her may grow again and vowing not to wound her vital parts or her heart. This spirit of reverence and non-harm makes it a timeless environmental prayer.

It is chanted during bhumi puja, foundation-laying, agricultural and environmental ceremonies, and whenever one wishes to honour and seek the blessings of the Earth for stability, sustenance and prosperity.