Lokāḥ Samastāḥ Sukhino Bhavantu: Meaning, and Why We Call It Modern
Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 19 September 2026
oṃ lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu
May all the worlds be happy.
- Source
- Modern in this exact form; echoes traditional svasti and śānti formulas
- Tradition
- Modern, widely used in contemporary yoga
- Traditional use
- Closing a class or a practice.
- Repetition
- Usually three times.
In short
- The Sanskrit is correct and idiomatic: may all the worlds be happy.
- This exact line is not traceable to a Vedic, Upanishadic or classical yoga text.
- It closely echoes traditional *svasti* and *sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ* formulas, which are genuinely old.
- Being modern is not a flaw — being described as ancient is.
What it means
Lokāḥ samastāḥ — all the worlds, all beings; sukhino bhavantu — may they be happy. Grammatically clean, easy to say, and a good thing to want.
An honest note on origin
You will see it credited to the Vedas, to the Upanishads, and to specific Puranas. We have not found a credible citation for this exact line in any of them, and neither have the scholars who have looked. What is genuinely traditional is the form: Sanskrit liturgy is full of svasti ("well-being") verses and lines like sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ — may all be happy — which appear in traditional collections and are widely recited.
So: real Sanskrit, traditional sentiment, modern popularity, uncertain textual home. That is the whole truth of it, and it is still worth chanting.
How it is used
Three times at the close of a practice or class, often after oṃ. There is no counted form.
Questions & answers
+ Is lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu from the Vedas?
+ Does it matter that it is modern?
Mantra recitation is a contemplative practice, not a treatment for any condition. Nothing here should be read as medical advice.