mantra heard in between sleep and waking

One morning a number of years ago as I was waking up I heard the following chanted by what sounded like a roomful of people:

om deva shanti
shanti deva shanti
shanti shanti shanti

The 'om' lasted throughout all three lines and the words chanted were very rapid and monotone, over and over.

I'm not Hindu, have never been to a Hindu temple, but I studied Hinduism in college and had a Hindu teacher who was very influential in my life.

My question is, do Hindus ever chant for others? Is it possible I heard something like this because on some level I needed to hear it?

In trying to figure all this out I eventually discovered kirtan, which I do use in my life and which calms me and slows me down.

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by pgrundy

My question is, do Hindus ever chant for others? Is it possible I heard something like this because on some level I needed to hear it?

For clarification, what do you mean by 'for others'. In any group bhajan, the vibration rubs off on everyone there, yes. Or did you mean more specifically?

Yes, I would tend to think you needed to hear it.

Originally Posted by Vinayaka

For clarification, what do you mean by 'for others'. In any group bhajan, the vibration rubs off on everyone there, yes. Or did you mean more specifically?

Yes, I would tend to think you needed to hear it.

I was thinking how, in Christianity people pray for the salvation of others, and in Buddhism people pray for the release of others from suffering. Usually compassion is a part of every religion.

I was just trying to understand why I would hear this when I live in the middle of the US and don't attend any religious services.

Thank you for your answer. It has been a good thing in my life, the chant.

[peteyzen]

I would say the chant is for you, not just to hear, but to actually chant and use. It sounds like a gift to me

Thank you peteyzen. That's how I've been using it.

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by pgrundy

I was thinking how, in Christianity people pray for the salvation of others, and in Buddhism people pray for the release of others from suffering. Usually compassion is a part of every religion.

I was just trying to understand why I would hear this when I live in the middle of the US and don't attend any religious services.

Thank you for your answer. It has been a good thing in my life, the chant.

I'm glad its been a good thing for you. But it wouldn't have come from another person intentionally, but from God. Hindus with those kinds of siddhis would never use them randomly like that. Another possibility is you may have tuned into another person's thoughts, in close proximity, particularly if you're tuned into that sort of thing. When we get totally random and unlikely thoughts, that's usually what it is. An example would be in a motel room. Just as you can hear the people next door, you can also sense their thoughts. Of course you might think they are YOUR thoughts, when they're someone elses. So maybe a neighbour was chanting, audibly, or mentally.

[kris]

Originally Posted by pgrundy

My question is, do Hindus ever chant for others?

Following is a prayer from Rg veda which should answer your question.:

Aum sarve bhavantu sukhinaH, sarva santu nirAmayA, sarve bhadrANi pashyantu, mA kaschid dukaH bhAgbhaved (Rg veda)

Om, may all be happy, may all be free from afflictions, may all see the proper course, may no one experience sorrow.

That leads to your second question.

Is it possible I heard something like this because on some level I needed to hear it?

Here is another prayer from RG veda.

A no bhadrA Rtavo yantu vishvataH (Rg veda)

May propitious thoughts come to us from the entire universe.

This tells me that Vedic age people regarded the whole universe as source of thoughts, which I also believe. I think we receive thoughts from the universe to serve its purpose.

Thank you Vinayaka and Kris.

I like to think it came from God or the whole universe. Sometime earlier I had woken up to a whispered word: "satchidananda".

It took me awhile but I was able to look up the meaning, and I also found that there is a teacher with this name.

For me, all of this hangs together, since at the time I was struggling with enormous anxiety and sadness, and trying to make sense of some things that seemed to me not to make sense, and these brief experiences did help to bring me back to myself.

Thank you for your answers.

[kris]

You may want to see fig. 2 on this webpage for the significance of satchidAnanda.

Wow. That is an excellent article and website, and the figures are helpful too. When I was 19 I read part of the Chandogya Upanishad, and parts of others, in English class. My English teacher was a Hindu woman. She was an amazing person and not afraid to use these texts. We also read the Bhagavad Gita.

I would not be surprised to discover I had been a Hindu person in another life. So much is familiar to me that should not be. I was astonished to read about Vishvakarma, as for years I have had this phrase 'make the world' echoing in my memories, even though it means nothing to me. There is a structure of thought in my head that does not belong there, if that makes sense.

So coming the experience of coming back to myself is directly related to satchidananda, literally. Amazing.