One of texts of Yoga, is Taittiriya Upanishad that explains beautifully about Thanks Giving. Thanks giving by name, means giving thanks. It is all about feeling gratitude and moving with love, kindness, compassion. It is all about acceptance of nature and forces working in it. It is all about change of consciousness that leads to change of attitude, behavior and personality. It is all about evolving to new plane of consciousness. This what is real yoga leading to awakening, realization and transformation

1. Thanks Giving Day: message from yoga master lived thousands of years ago
One of texts of Yoga, is Taittiriya Upanishad that explains beautifully about Thanks Giving.
Thanks giving by name, means giving thanks. It is all about feeling gratitude and moving with
love, kindness, compassion. It is all about acceptance of nature and forces working in it. It is all
about change of consciousness that leads to change of attitude, behavior and personality. It is
all about evolving to new plane of consciousness. This what is real yoga leading to awakening,
realization and transformation
Reading these verses below awakens ‘real you’ that becomes integral part of the universe and
cosmos in which we live, move and act. My master used to inspire us to become aware and
awaken to nature outside that makes human existence possible. Without sun, moon, air, water,
friends, relations, this world would become a dry place to live. Why not pay gratitude, offer
love and kindness and become one with all of them on this ‘Thanks Giving’ day.
(Note: I have translated the verses keeping in mind the Thanks Giving Day and also keeping in
mind my westerner friends who can easily grasp the essence as how Thanks Giving is part of
Yoga tradition. For more precise definition, understanding, you can contact me at my website.
We are after all citizens of earth. The name of festivals may change from one language to
others, from one country to another but inner aspiration to discover inner peace and happiness
remains the same. We may change the name of water but it does not change the very essence
of water in any culture, civilization and tradition. These verses gives very deep and clear
understanding, how yoga evolved in collectivity and not in isolation as people think. The manner
in which Thanks Giving day is celebrated here, may be different but the essence of it is explained
in the below verses thousands of years ago in yoga texts)
Text in Sanskrit

2. ॐ शं नो मित्रः शं वरुणः ।
शं नो भवत्वर्यिा ।
शं न इन्द्रो ब्रिहस्पम ः ।
शं नो ब्रवष्णुरुरुक्रिः ।
निो िह्मणे । निस् े वार्ो ।
त्विेव प्रत्र्क्षं िह्मामि ।
त्वािेव प्रत्र्क्षि ् िह्म वदिष्र्ामि ।
ॠ ं वदिष्र्ामि । ित्र्ं वदिष्र्ामि ।
न्द्िािव ु ।
द्वक्तारिव ु ।
अव ु िाि ् ।
अव ु वक्तारि ् ।
ॐ शानन्द् ः शानन्द् ः शानन्द् ः ॥
oṃ śaṃ no mitraḥ śaṃ varuṇaḥ |
śaṃ no bhavatvaryamā |
śaṃ na indro brihaspatiḥ |
śaṃ no viṣṇururukramaḥ |
namo brahmaṇe |
namaste vāyo |
tvameva pratyakṣaṃ bhrahmāsi |
tvāmeva pratyakṣam brahma vadiṣyāmi |

3. ṝtaṃ vadiṣyāmi |
satyaṃ vadiṣyāmi |
tanmāmavatu |
tadvaktāramavatu |
avatu mām |
avatu vaktāram |
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||
Text as It and simple translation
OM may Mitra do good to us,
Let all our friends do good to us (we also resolve to do good to all our friends. These friends
include all animate and inanimate beings in and around us).
May Varuna do good to us
Let water do good to us (sustain our body, life and mind and all others around us) on this
Thanks Giving Day
May Aryama do good to us
Let my companion (the dearest friend) do good to us (and we do good to them) on this Thanks
Giving Day
May Indra do good to us, may Brihaspati do good to us
Let god of thunderstorm and rain do good to us (so we also do good to him by preserving water
from pollution and using the water in the most useful manner) on this Thanks Giving Day

4. Let god of wisdom and eloquence do good to us (so we offer ourselves to become wiser and
eloquent in our deeds at all the time in our life) on this Thanks Giving Day
May Vishnu-who has vast coverage-do good to us
Let One and Only one who pervades everywhere and in all beings do good to us (by awakening
to one and one truth and we accept that one truth in all beings to shun violence, enmity and
hatred) on this Thanks Giving Day
Salute O Brahma!
Let the creator do good to us (so we awaken to one creator and discover the same in all beings
is doing good to the creator and all beings in earth) on this Thanks Giving Day
Let us all offer our gratitude to one and only creator of all, on this Thanks Giving Day
Salutations to you O Vayu!
Let us pay gratitude to wind (all forms of air and gas as it keeps us alive) on this Thanks Giving
Day
Only you (Vayu) are the visible Brahman
I say only you (Vayu) are the visible Brahman,
Let us become aware and awaken to wind (as is invisible to naked eye but always felt as breath
or life or existence) on this Thanks Giving Day
As wind is invisible but here it is mentioned wind only is visible indicates that we need to
discover the real self within which is not visible at this moment but after awakening it is the
Seer and the existence

5. I say rta. I say truth,
Let me call this true self as absolute truth who dwells within me and all beings at all the time on
this Thanks Giving Day
May that (truth) protect me
Let this absolute truth protect all of us at every moment in our lives. Without the presence of
this absolute truth, we do not exist. Let this Thanks Giving Day awaken in us the very existence
and the absolute truth
May that (truth) protect teacher
Let this absolute existence also protect all teachers who inspires to tread the path of (selfdiscovery) on this Thanks Giving Day
May it protect me
Let this absolute existence also protect me on this Thanks Giving Day
OM Peace, Peace, Peace
Let there be peace, peace and peace on this Thanks Giving Day