Verses & mantras for calm (Hindu)

“As a lamp in a windless place flickereth not, to such is likened the Yogî of subdued thought, absorbed in the yoga of the Self.” (Gita 6:19, Besant)

When anxiety blows through, the mind can feel like a flame in the wind. A verse or mantra is one way to give the flame some shelter.

Cleveland Clinic notes that breathing out for longer than you breathe in tells the vagus nerve you are not in danger. It suggests humming, chanting or singing long tones, especially “om.”

Slow breathing can bring on the body’s relaxation response: slower breathing, lower blood pressure and a calmer heart rate.

A 2022 review of 51 studies found that mantra-based meditation led to small-to-moderate reductions in anxiety, stress and depression compared with control groups.

The authors said more high-quality research is needed. It is best seen as one helpful tool among several, alongside other care.

“To those men who worship Me alone thinking of no other, to those ever harmonious, I bring full security.” (Gita 9:22, Besant)

When you feel unsafe, you can say the last words, “I bring full security,” slowly on each out-breath.

“Freed from passion, fear and anger, filled with Me, taking refuge in Me, purified in the fire of wisdom, many have entered into My Being.” (Gita 4:10, Besant)

The word “many” matters. You are not the first to feel afraid, and others have found their way through.

“… come unto Me alone for shelter; sorrow not …” (Gita 18:66, Besant)

Hindu faith & mental health explores this verse in “Grace and a fresh start.” Here, it is simply a short phrase to hold: “come unto Me for shelter.”

The list of divine qualities in chapter 16 begins: “Fearlessness, cleanness of life, steadfastness in the Yoga of wisdom …” (Gita 16:1, Besant) It ends with “Vigour, forgiveness, fortitude …” (Gita 16:3, Besant)

Fearlessness here is something to grow toward, not something you must already have. Each small brave step counts.

“He who knows this Atman, the honey-eater (perceiver and enjoyer of objects), ever near, as the lord of the past and future, fears no more. This verily is That.” (Katha Upanishad 2.1.5, Paramananda)

A few verses later, the Self is described as “of the size of a thumb,” resting in the body, and the one who knows it “fears no more.” (Katha Upanishad 2.1.12, Paramananda)

The learned sage Narada came to his teacher and said: “I have heard from men like you, that he who knows the Self overcomes grief. I am in grief. Do, Sir, help me over this grief of mine.” (Chandogya Upanishad 7.1.3, Müller)

Narada knew many sacred texts, and still he was in grief. He did not hide it. He named it and asked for help.

“As the dweller in the body experienceth in the body childhood, youth, old age, so passeth he on to another body; the steadfast one grieveth not thereat.” (Gita 2:13, Besant)

Many Hindus find comfort in seeing a loved one’s life as one part of a longer journey of the soul.

For Gita 2:20 and 2:22, and for mourning rituals like shraddha, see “Grief, loss and mourning rituals” in Hindu practices for hard times.

“On the same tree man sits grieving, immersed, bewildered by his own impotence (an-îsâ). But when he sees the other lord (îsa) contented and knows his glory, then his grief passes away.” (Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.2, Müller)

The verse admits that we can feel stuck and powerless in grief. It also holds out hope: grief can pass, little by little.

“That by which a mortal perceives, both in dream and in waking, by knowing that great all-pervading Atman the wise man grieves no more.” (Katha Upanishad 2.1.4, Paramananda)

“He who perceives all beings as the Self for him how can there be delusion or grief, when he sees this oneness (everywhere)?” (Isha Upanishad 7, Paramananda)

“He attaineth Peace, into whom all desires flow as rivers flow into the ocean, which is filled with water, but remaineth unmoved—not he who desireth desires.” (Gita 2:70, Besant)

Worried thoughts can be like rivers. You do not have to stop them. Picture yourself as the ocean: they flow in, and you stay.

“He whose mind is free from anxiety amid pains, indifferent amid pleasures, loosed from passion, fear and anger, is called a sage of stable mind.” (Gita 2:56, Besant)

This is a picture to grow toward, not a test you are failing. Gita 2:14, on enduring heat and cold, pleasure and pain, is explained in “Steady in pleasure and pain” in Hindu faith & mental health.

“… for him without concentration there is no peace, and for the unpeaceful how can there be happiness?” (Gita 2:66, Besant)

Resting your attention on one thing, like a verse or the breath, is a small step toward peace. Peace, in turn, makes room for joy.

“As often as the wavering and unsteady mind goeth forth, so often reining it in, let him bring it under the control of the Self.” (Gita 6:26, Besant)

Krishna agrees the mind is “hard to curb and restless; but it may be curbed by constant practice and by dispassion.” (Gita 6:35, Besant) Hindu faith & mental health explores this in “Your mind: friend or enemy?”

“He who knows the bliss of that Brahman, from whence all speech, with the mind, turns away unable to reach it, he fears nothing. He does not distress himself with the thought, Why did I not do what is good? Why did I do what is bad?” (Taittiriya Upanishad 2.9, Müller)

Going over and over past mistakes is called rumination. This verse names that exact loop, and points to a peace beyond it.

“Thy business is with the action only, never with its fruits; so let not the fruit of action be thy motive, nor be thou to inaction attached.” (Gita 2:47, Besant)

“He who acteth, placing all actions in the Eternal, abandoning attachment, is unaffected by sin as a lotus leaf by the waters.” (Gita 5:10, Besant)

A lotus grows in muddy water, yet water rolls off its leaves. You can live in a messy world and still keep a calm place inside.

“… than meditation, renunciation of the fruit of action; on renunciation follows peace.” (Gita 12:12, Besant)

“The harmonised man, having abandoned the fruit of action, attaineth to the eternal Peace …” (Gita 5:12, Besant)

“Whoso forsaketh all desires and goeth onwards free from yearnings, selfless and without egoism—he goeth to Peace.” (Gita 2:71, Besant)

Letting go does not mean not caring. It means caring deeply, doing your part, and not carrying what was never yours to carry.

“Lead me from the unreal to the real! Lead me from darkness to light! Lead me from death to immortality!” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28, Müller)

Three lines, three breaths. In dark seasons of life, this prayer asks simply to be led toward light.

“OM! That (the Invisible-Absolute) is whole; whole is this (the visible phenomenal); from the Invisible Whole comes forth the visible whole. Though the visible whole has come out from that Invisible Whole, yet the Whole remains unaltered. OM! PEACE! PEACE! PEACE!” (Isha Upanishad, Peace Chant, Paramananda)

When you feel broken or not enough, this chant offers another view: you came from the Whole, and something in you is still whole.

“May He (the Supreme Being) protect us both, teacher and taught. May He be pleased with us. May we acquire strength. May our study bring us illumination. May there be no enmity among us. OM! PEACE! PEACE! PEACE!” (Katha Upanishad, Peace Chant, Paramananda)

This prayer is said together. It can be a lovely way to begin a hard conversation with family, or a study session with a friend.

Yama, the teacher, says: “That goal which all the Vedas glorify, which all austerities proclaim … that goal I tell thee briefly—it is Aum.” (Katha Upanishad 1.2.15, Paramananda)

“This is the best Support, This is the highest Support …” (Katha Upanishad 1.2.17, Paramananda)

When everything feels shaky, Om can be the one thing you lean on for a few breaths.

“Om is the bow, the Self is the arrow. Brahman is called its aim. It is to be hit by a man who is not thoughtless …” (Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.4, Müller)

“Meditate on the Self as Om! Hail to you, that you may cross beyond (the sea of) darkness!” (Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.6, Müller)

The image of a bow and arrow is about focus. Chanting Om gathers a scattered mind into one point.

Krishna says: “… of speech I am the one syllable; of sacrifices I am the sacrifice of silent repetitions …” (Gita 10:25, Besant) In Besant’s notes, the one syllable is Om and the silent repetitions are japa.

This means quiet japa is a full spiritual practice. You can do it on a bus, in a waiting room or in bed, and no one needs to know.

Try it

1. Sit upright and relaxed. Rest your hands in your lap.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose.
3. On the out-breath, chant “Aaa-uuu-mmm,” letting the “mmm” hum gently.
4. Notice the vibration in your chest, throat and face.
5. Pause in silence, then repeat 5 to 10 times.

Long, drawn-out tones like “om” help lengthen the out-breath, which signals the body that it is safe.

Try it

1. Choose a mantra or Divine Name that is meaningful to you or your family.
2. Hold your mala, or use your fingers to count.
3. Say the Name once for each bead, slowly, aloud or silently.
4. When your mind wanders, kindly come back to the Name (Gita 6:26).
5. End with a moment of thanks.

Try it

1. Sit or lie down and drop your shoulders.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose for about four counts.
3. Breathe out for about six counts while silently saying a short phrase, like “Lead me from darkness to light.”
4. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
5. Notice your feet on the floor and one thing you can see.

Breathing out longer than you breathe in helps the body relax.

Try it

1. Pick one verse from this guide.
2. Write it slowly by hand, in Sanskrit, English or your family’s language.
3. Notice the feel of the pen and the shape of each letter.
4. Underline the one word that speaks to you most.
5. Keep the card in your wallet, on your mirror or at your shrine.

Try it

1. Light a diya or candle if it is safe, or picture one in your mind.
2. Rest your gaze softly on the flame.
3. Silently say: “As a lamp in a windless place flickereth not.”
4. Each time a thought blows in, notice it and return to the flame.
5. After a few minutes, close your eyes and see the flame inside.

Try it

1. First time: say the verse slowly, just hearing the words.
2. Second time: think about what it means for you today.
3. Third time: say it as a prayer, speaking to the Divine.
4. Pause and notice how you feel.

Try it

1. Name 5 things you can see.
2. Name 4 things you can touch.
3. Name 3 things you can hear.
4. Name 2 things you can smell.
5. Name 1 thing you are grateful for, and end with “Om shanti.”

Isha Upanishad 6 speaks of the one “who sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings.” Noticing the world around you with care can be a quiet way of honoring that.

Try it

1. Wash your face or bathe, noticing the cool water.
2. Light a lamp or face the morning light.
3. Say “Lead me from darkness to light” three times, slowly.
4. Read one verse and pick one word to carry through the day.
5. Name one small action for today, and offer its result (Gita 2:47).

Try it

1. Put your phone away and dim the lights.
2. Name one thing that went well and one thing that was hard.
3. If regret comes up, remember Taittiriya 2.9: you do not have to keep asking “Why did I…?”
4. Chant Om or a Divine Name slowly, 5 to 10 times.
5. Lie down and end with “Om shanti, shanti, shanti.”

Some days you will be too tired or low for any routine. That is okay. A single “Om” while lying in bed still counts.

“In this there is no loss of effort, nor is there transgression. Even a little of this knowledge protects from great fear.” (Gita 2:40, Besant) Small is not nothing.

U.S. crisis lines

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org
• Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741
• Emergency: call 911 if a life is in danger

You can say a short prayer and pick up the phone. Both are part of caring for yourself.

Hindu faith & mental health lists South Asian and Asian therapist directories in “When and where to get help.” Your temple, a pujari or a hospital chaplain may also know of counselors nearby.

When faith and therapy meet explains how to bring your faith into therapy. A therapist does not need to share your faith to respect it.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) is a free directory of checked crisis lines in many countries. You can search by country and by what you need.