bhadram karNEbhih shruNuyAma dEvAH - meaning

One of the most popular mantrAs from the Vedic text is the following:

ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः शृणुयाम देवाः । भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवाग्‍ँसस्तनूभिः । व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ।

This is chanted as a way to protect the chanter to experience the positivity all around them. This is often chanted before any ritual, particularly during Rudra and Ganapathi Atharvashirsham. Here is an attempt to reflect on its meaning:

• ॐ — The omkAra swarupa brahma (the sacred syllable, that represents the cosmic or universal sound that pervades everything)
• भद्रं — auspicious, welfare, prosperity, healthy, excellence, secure
• कर्णेभिः — through the ears 
• शृणुयाम — may we hear
• देवाः — Oh Gods (devAs rule the senses and the sensory perceptions) 
• भद्रं — auspicious, welfare, prosperity, healthy, excellence, secure
• पश्येम — may we see 
• अक्षभिः — with eyes
• यजत्राः — ones worthy of worship
• स्थिरैः — (through) stable, steady, firm
• अङ्गैः — (through) limbs, organs (even the mind) 
• तुष्टुवाग्‍ँसः — having pleased or gratified  
• तनूभिः — through the bodies 
• व्यशेम — may we fill completely, attain, obtain, take possession of, pervade  
• देवहितं — for the welfare of the gods
• यत् आयुः — whatever lifespan is offered to us, as long as we live 

Om! May we hear excellence through our ears, oh dEvAs. May we see excellence through our eyes, those that are worthy of worship. Through stable limbs and organs, may we be gratified. May we fill our lifespan with what is pleasing to the dEvAs (that are worthy of higher planes, heavenly).

स्वस्ति नः इन्द्रो वृद्धश्रवाः ।

स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः ।

स्वस्ति नस्तार्क्ष्यो अरिष्टनेमिः ।

स्वस्ति नो बृहस्पतिर्दधातु ।

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

 

• स्वस्ति नः इन्द्रः वृद्धश्रवाः (दधातु) — May Indra (king of gods; chief of the senses; best amongst everything) who is the vRuddhashrava bestow us with prosperity, fortune, blessings 
• स्वस्ति नः पूषा विश्ववेदाः (दधातु) — May pUshan (the sun god; one who removes obstacles, the protector of the universe; pUShan is the surveyor of all things, who conducts the journey to the next world), the vishvavEda (an epithet of agni), who is all knowing, omniscient bestow us with prosperity, fortune and blessings 
• स्वस्ति नः तार्क्ष्यः अरिष्टनेमिः (दधातु) — May tArkshya (Garuda, the celestial bird), the ariShTanEmi (one of the sons of vinatA, the mother of Garuda; one who has unbroken movement), bestow us with prosperity, fortune and blessings
• स्वस्ति नः बृहस्पतिः (दधातु) — May bṛhaspati (the teacher of the dEvAs; or the planet Jupiter; the Lord of Prayers) bestow us with prosperity, fortune and blessings
• दधातु — may bestow/grant
• ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः — Om, Peace, Peace, Peace (invoked at the physical, mental, and spiritual levels) 

May Indra, the vriddhashravas, the king of dEvAs, bestow us with prosperity, fortune and blessings. May the all knowing pUShan remove the obstacles and bestow us with prosperity, fortune and blessings. May garuDa bestow us with prosperity, fortune and blessings. May brihaspati listen to our prayers and bestow us with prosperity, fortune and blessings. May there be peace, peace, peace.