As parents, we always want our kids to learn good values starting from a very young age. We are also concern about our child’s mental and physical state. To take care of all these parenting aspects the Indian tradition has gifted us with Shlokas. Shlokas can play a very important and vital role in inculcating good values in our kids. Chanting shlokas have numerous benefits not only to kids but also to elders. Most importantly Shlokas for kids helps to train a child’s senses, help them stay connected to their roots, and become emotionally strong.
Chanting these traditional Shlokas also helps the child in improving concentration, reduce anger among children, teach them to be grateful, align their chakras, improves positivity in kids, etc. There are numerous shlokas available, each addressing different situations in a child’s day-to-day activities. Here is a list of 7 prominent shlokas for kids’ daily routine with their meaning.
7 prominent shlokas for kids with their meaning
1. Kardarshanam Shloka
In Sanskrit:
कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मिः करमध्ये सरस्वति ।
करमूले तु गोविन्दःप्रभाते करदर्शनम् ॥
In English:
Karagre Vasate Lakshmi, Karamadhye Saraswati |
Karmule tu Govindah, Prabhate Kardarshanam ||
When to chant:
In the morning when one wakes up.
Meaning:
At the top of the hand resides Goddess Laxmi and in the middle of the hand resides goddess Saraswati. At the base of the hand resides Lord Govind. Hence one should look at the hand in the early morning and contemplate on them. Different forms of this shloka are available.
Benefits:
When we were kids, our mother use to make us chant this Kardarshanam shloka, immediately after getting up and even today we are following the tradition.
This shloka holds both spiritual and material meaning. We pray to Laxmi for wealth. We pray to Saraswati for Knowledge and we pray to Govind for health. All three are needed for a healthy life. The basic idea of palm philosophy is that we believe in our karma. We pray to God to help us do such deeds that can bring wealth, happiness, and knowledge in life. There should be no bad work done with our hands and our hands should always move forward to help others.
In short, through this Shloka, we teach our kids to earn their livelihood by hard work and without being dependent on others.
2. Vakratunda Mahakai
In Sanskrit:
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ।
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा॥
In English:
Vakratunda Mahakaya Surya Koti Samaprabha |
Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva Kaaryeshu Sarvadaa ||
When to chant:
Early morning after taking bath.
Meaning:
O Lord (Ganesha), who has a curved elephant trunk and a huge body, and whose brilliance is equal to billions of suns. May always remove all obstacles from all my endeavors.
Benefits:
This mantra is also called an obstacle destroyer. As per Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesh is the first to be worshiped among all the gods. He is known as the god of prosperity, wisdom and believed to remove all obstacles and bestow happiness. Hence, through this mantra, we tell our kids to pray to Lord Ganesh to remove all the obstacles in their path of success. This Shloka is chanted before we begin a new work /assignment /activity. However, I make my kids chant it daily in the morning to begin the day with positive vibes and by praying to the Lord Ganesha to make his daily activities free from obstacles.
3. Shubham Karoti
In Sanskrit:
शुभं करोति कल्याणमारोग्यं धनसंपदा ।
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥
दीपज्योतिः परब्रह्म दीपज्योतिर्जनार्दनः ।
दीपो हरतु मे पापं दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥
In English:
Shubham Karoti Kalyaannam-Aarogyam Dhana-Sampadaa |
Shatru-Buddhi-Vinaashaaya Diipa-Jyotir-Namostute ||
Diipa-Jyotih Para-Brahma Diipa-Jyotir-Janaardanah |
Diipo Haratu Me Paapam Diipa-Jyotir-Namostute ||
When to chant:
While lightning lamp in the evening.
Meaning:
I pay my Namaskar (salutation) to the light of the lamp which brings auspiciousness, prosperity, good health, an abundance of money and wealth and destruction of intellect’s enemy (inimical feelings).
I pay my Namaskar (salutations) to the light of the lamp which represents the Supreme Brahman, which represents the Janardhana (Sri Vishnu). Let the light of Lamp remove my sins.
Benefits:
Deep signifies light and light signifies knowledge. There is a tradition of lighting the lamp so that we get complete knowledge from God. Be it any puja or the beginning of any spiritual or auspicious ceremony. All auspicious works begin with lighting the lamp.
Just as the light of the lamp always rises upwards, similarly, the human instinct should always rise up. Light removes darkness from one’s mind and life and illuminates it with knowledge. Therefore kids must cultivate the habit of chanting this shloka to pray to the light which is the Supreme Brahman and Janardhana to remove our sins and brings prosperity, knowledge, good health, and bring positivity to life.
4. Study Shloka
In Sanskrit:
सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यं वरदे कामरूपिणि ।
विद्यारम्भं करिष्यामि सिद्धिर्भवतु मे सदा ॥
In English:
Saraswati Namastubhyam Varade Kamarupiṇi |
Vidyarambham Kariṣhyami, Siddhirbhavatu me sada ||
When to chant:
When kids start studying or undertake a new project.
Meaning:
O goddess Saraswati, salutations to you, O Giver of boons, O fulfiller of wishes,
I am going to start studies (i.e. start my process of getting knowledge) , may success be mine, always.
Benefits:
I remember we use to begin our school every day after chanting this Shloka. Even today this shloka is chanted in many schools in India. Through this shloka, the kids pray to Goddess Saraswati (one who is the giver of knowledge and wisdom) to always bestow upon them (kids) the capacity of right understanding. So that all the learning may resolve into knowledge.
Knowledge is a fundamental pursuit of human life, Learning and study provide nourishment and discipline to the human intellect. In the Vedic culture, the study is considered one’s duty. Goddess Saraswati is revered and worshipped as the Mother of Vedas and of learning, music, craft, wisdom, arts, and auspiciousness. Hence through this shloka, kids pray to goddess Saraswati to help them in the process of gaining knowledge.
5. Food Shloka
In Sanskrit:
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविः ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणाहुतम् |
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्म कर्म समाधिना ॥
In English:
Brahmaarpanam Brahma Havih Brahmagnau Brahmanahutam |
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam Brahma Karma Samadhina ||
When to chant:
The shloka is chanted before food.
Meaning:
The act of offering in any yagnya is Brahma (the god or consciousness). The offerings that are offered in the fire of Yadnya are also Brahma. Plus the process of offering into the fire is also the same as Brahma. Thus, the fruits obtained by the yogi living in the Brahmakarma are also the same Brahma.
Benefits:
This Shloka comes from Bhagwat Geeta. The sholka teaches us to respect the food and the body to which we offer the food. When we have our food, we offer this godly food to our godly body. This entire process of having the food is also godlike.
Food gives our body energy and helps our body to stay healthy. This in turn keeps our mind healthy. So we should respect the food, the body and the act of eating. Through this mantra we teach our kids to show gratitude to the body and the food.
Normally, kids eat their food in hurry or many a times they love to eat junk food and when given healthy food they make faces and refuse to eat. Kids also eat food while watching TV and they are so engrossed in the TV that they don’t realize that they have finished the food. So through this shloka, we teach them to respect the food. To be gratefully towards the food and the body. To enjoy the process of eating so that they get full nutrition through the food they eat. Which in turn will lead to a healthy body and healthy mind.
6. Sleep mantra
In Sanskrit:
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु निद्रारूपेण संस्थिता ।
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमोनमः ।।
In English:
Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Nidra Roopen Samsithaha I
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah II
When to chant:
Before sleeping.
Meaning:
O Goddess (Devi), you are omnipresent. You also exist in sleep.
I bow to you. I pay salutation to you thrice. You are the one who is present in all living beings in the form of Sleep (Nidra).
Benefits:
Often when our kids find it difficult to sleep, we as parents ask them to count sheep in mind. This is when sleep shloka can help. There are many sleep shlokas that one can recite. But this particular shloka is my personal favorite because of its simplicity yet powerfulness.
Kids have so many thought processes going on in their mind, making it difficult for them to fall asleep. This shloka helps in getting fast and sound sleep. This shloka is dedicated to the goddess Durga. Ask the kid, to take a few deep breaths before chanting the shloka, and then ask them to start reciting the shloka in mind. Once the rhythm set in. The shloka works miraculously and we fall asleep in 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Gayatri mantra
In Sanskrit:
ॐ भूर्भुवः स्वः
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥
In English:
Om Bhuur-Bhuvah Svah
Tat-Savitur-Varennyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhiimahi
Dhiyo Yo Nah Pracodayaat ||
When to chant:
Twilight hours in both morning and evening.
Meaning:
Om is the universal divine energy. It is the Brahma, the Pranam i.e. vital spiritual energy, the essence of our life existence. It is the sum and substance of all the words that can emanate from the human throat.
Bhuhu means Earth. Bhuvah means Space, Svah means Heaven. All the three words together i.e Bhuur-Bhuvah Svah together are also considered as past, present, and future i.e giving the knowledge of the entire cosmos.
Tat means Lord Brahma. Savitur is one of the names of sun god or creator of the universe. Varennyam means adore. Bhargaha means prevention or ignorance or sins. It also means illumination. Devasya means the Devine God. Dhimahi means we meditate to or think deeply of. Dhiyo means wisdom. Yo means one who is the creator of the universe. Naha means us or ours. Pracodayaat means praying to enlighten.
In short Gayatri mantra means we worship the Lord who is superior in all three worlds. This lord is a store of knowledge and he is the removal of sins and ignorance. May he enlighten us and take us on the path of truth.
Benefits:
This is one of the most powerful mantras. It is believed that even gods chant this mantra. Chanting this mantra can result in amazing benefits especially on the kid’s intelligence. AIIMS had confirmed it through the research of the brain activation by MRI, that chanting Gayatri Mantra over a period of time expands the Prefrontal cortex of the brain. It was conducted on men of 25 -30 years for a period of 9 months and after that, data was studied for 5 years. It was observed that there are remarkable changes in the brain especially in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. The work of this part is to make plans, solve problems, and to be aware.
It was observed that those who were reciting the mantras were releasing a chemical called GABA, lack of this chemical causes sleep deprivation and depression-like diseases.
- Improving memory and concentration – The recitation of the Gayatri mantra may play a role in improving the kid’s memory and concentration. As per one of the papers in the International Journal of Pediatric research a study was conducted on thirty hostel students (15 boys and 15 girls) in the age group of 11-14 years. The students were trained in chanting the Gayatri mantra for a week after which they started chanting the mantra once a day, for five days a week, early in the morning at 6 am under the supervision of a Vedic expert for 10 minutes for16 weeks. Post-intervention values were recorded after 16 weeks and the result showed a significant increase in both spatial and verbal memory scores followed by the chanting of the Gayatri mantra.
- Calms The Mind -The chant of the mantra starts with Om. The enunciation of this sound sends a vibration through your lips, tongue, palate, back of your throat, and skull, which is said to be extremely calming to the mind and helps in the release of relaxing hormones.
- Helps Keep Heart Healthy – As per the results of a study published in the British Medical Journal chanting a mantra significantly slows down a person’s breathing, which helps synchronize and regularize heartbeats, helping it stay healthy.
- Strengthens the mind and keeps depression at bay– According to a study published in the International Journal of Yoga, this mantra chant helps in stimulating the Vagus nerve which is commonly used for the treatment of depression and epilepsy. This mantra also activates the Penial gland to release endorphins and other happy hormones keeping depression at bay.
In Nutshell
Shlokas is the best gift gifted to us by the Indian tradition. Shlokas help the child in improving concentration, reduce anger among children, teach them to be grateful, align their chakras, improves positivity in kids, etc. They help us to keep our kids connected to its roots. As parents we always want our kids to learn good values and be healthy both physically and mentally. To achieve this shlokas is the best tool available.
I have seen a positive change in my kid after chanting these shlokas. Let me know your experience.
Happy chanting!! 🙂
