Pursue Friendliness
Be devoted to Benevolence (मैत्रीं भजत).
This was composed by Swami Chandrasekharendra Saraswati (of Kanchi Mutt) and was set to music by Sri Vasant Desai. It was rendered for the first time by Smt. M. S. Subbulakshmi at the United Nations on October 23, 1966 on the occasion of the UN day.
मैत्रीं भजत अखिलहृज्जेत्रीम्
आत्मवदेव परानपि पश्यत ।
युद्धं त्यजत स्पर्धां त्यजत
त्यजत परेष्वक्रममाक्रमणम् ॥
जननी पृथिवी कामदुघाऽऽस्ते
जनको देवः सकलदयालुः ।
दाम्यत दत्त दयध्वं जनताः
श्रेयो भूयात् सकलजनानाम् ॥
Meaning of the words
मैत्रीं — friendliness, benevolence; भजत — cultivate, practise, pursue; अखिलहृज्जेत्रीम् — win over the hearts of all (अखिल — all, complete, whole; हृद् — heart; जेत्रि — victorious, triumphant); आत्मवत् — like one’s own self; एव — indeed, alone; परान् — others; अपि — also; पश्यत — see; युद्धं — war, conflict; त्यजत — renounce, shun; स्पर्धां — envy, rivalry, competition; त्यजत — renounce, shun; त्यजत — renounce, shun; परेषु — in others; अक्रमम् — devoid of order, irregular, breach of propriety; आक्रमणम् — invasion, subjugation, stepping upon; जननी — mother; पृथिवी — earth; कामदुघा — yielder of desires; आस्ते — is; जनकः — progenitor, father; देवः — God; सकलदयालुः — all-compassionate (सकल — all; दयालु — compassionate); दाम्यत — be restrained; दत्त — be charitable; दयध्वं — be compassionate; जनताः — O people; श्रेयः — auspiciousness; भूयात् — may there be; सकलजनानाम् — for all people.
Prose form
अखिलहृज्जेत्रीम् मैत्रीं भजत । परान् अपि आत्मवत् एव पश्यत । युद्धं त्यजत । स्पर्धां त्यजत । परेषु अक्रमम् आक्रमणम् त्यजत । जननी पृथिवी कामदुघा आस्ते । देवः जनकः सकलदयालुः । जनताः दाम्यत दत्त दयध्वम् । सकलजनानाम् श्रेयः भूयात् ।
Meaning
Pursue friendliness and be devoted to benevolence,
to win over the hearts of all.
Look upon others as one’s own self.
Shun conflict and war.
Shun envy and rivalry.
Mother earth is the yielder of all our desires.
God, our progenitor (father) is all-compassionate.
O people! Be restrained; be charitable; be compassionate.
May there be auspiciousness for all people of the world.
Notes
- This is a simple and beautiful message addressed to each and everyone on this entire planet, to end conflict, by being friendly and benevolent towards one and all.
- And the way to do this is to look upon others as one’s own self. Oneness and equality form the very foundation of Sanātana Dharma.
- By reminding us that it is Mother Earth, who sustains our lives and bestows us all that we need. Thus, it is our responsibility to sustain Nature and all the beings on this planet. That is the reason we refer to the earth as ‘mother’.
- The Supreme is nothing but the embodiment of compassion. The call here is for each of us ‘have self-restraint’, ‘be charitable’, and ‘be compassionate’.
- The words “Be restrained; be charitable; be compassionate” (दाम्यत दत्त दयध्वं) are from Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad 5.2. For details click on this link.
- There is no greater prayer for ensuring peace and sustenance on this planet!
