त्वां स्तोमा अवीवृधन्त्वामुक्था शतक्रतो ।
त्वां वर्धन्तु नो गिरः ॥ ८ ॥

Tvam stoma avivrudhan tvam uktha shatakrato |
Tvam vardhantu no girah || 8 ||

Meaning:

त्वां (Tvam) – You, You alone. This is a direct act of self-surrender to God. Spiritually, it signifies turning away from the ego of “I” and returning to the awareness of the Divine.

स्तोमाः (Stomah) – Hymns of praise, collections of glorification. They are the sounds of devotion arising from the heart. Love, gratitude, and devotion within the mind find expression through these words of praise.

अवीवृधन् (Avivrudhan) – May they increase, may they cause to grow. The power of devotion expands the awareness of God within the heart. Through this, a person’s spiritual awakening continues to grow.

त्वां (Tvam) – You, You alone. The repetition signifies the firm resolve that the mind should remain constantly established in God.

उक्थाः (Ukthah) – Words of praise, hymns of wisdom. They are expressions of spiritual knowledge born of contemplation. They represent the manifestation of Divine realization in which knowledge and experience are united.

शतक्रतो (Shatakrato) – O One of countless actions; O Source of all actions. God is the Supreme Power who is the cause of all activity. Action, wisdom, and the order of the universe are all contained within Him.

त्वां (Tvam) – You, You alone. This is the third affirmation that a person should surrender all speech and actions unto God.

वर्धन्तु (Vardhantu) – May they grow, may they increase. It signifies that human speech and actions should become instruments for expressing the glory of God.

नः (Nah) – Our, ours. It signifies the state of surrender in which the individual gives up the feeling of “I” and unites everything with God.

गिरः (Girah) – Words, speech, utterances. Human speech is not merely language; it is the expression of the soul. When words become pure, speech itself becomes meditation.

Explanation:

This mantra is a Divine hymn that profoundly explains the complete spiritual purpose of human life. Although outwardly it appears to be a hymn of praise to God, its inner meaning is concerned with a spiritual way of life in which the human heart, intellect, and actions are united with Divine awareness. This mantra teaches that when a person’s speech, thoughts, and actions are all elevated toward God, life itself becomes a continuous meditation and an unceasing hymn of praise.

The mantra begins with the word त्वां (Tvam), which means “You.” However, this is not an ordinary form of address. It marks the beginning of spiritual surrender, in which a person turns away from ego and moves toward Divine awareness. स्तोमाः (Stomah) refers to the hymns of praise that arise from the feeling of devotion. When the heart is filled with love, gratitude, and devotion, those feelings naturally express themselves as songs of praise. These are not merely words; they are the pure sound arising from the depths of the human heart. अवीवृधन् (Avivrudhan) means, “May these hymns increase the awareness of God.” In other words, devotion expands the Divine Presence within a person. The mind rises above its limited personal desires and attains a broader spiritual awakening.

The next word, उक्थाः (Ukthah), refers to hymns born of wisdom. Through this, the mantra teaches that not only devotion but also knowledge is an essential part of spirituality. When knowledge, contemplation, philosophy, and direct experience unite in realizing the glory of God, the human intellect itself becomes a form of meditation. शतक्रतो (Shatakrato) refers to the Supreme Reality who is the source of all actions. God is the Life-Power that governs the universe; all actions, wisdom, and the cosmic order exist within Him. Through this understanding, a person begins to unite every action with Divine awareness.

The final phrase, वर्धन्तु नः गिरः (Vardhantu Nah Girah), means, “May our words increase Your glory.” Here, गिरः (Girah) refers to human speech, expression, and communication. When a person’s speech becomes pure, it is no longer merely language but becomes the expression of the soul. Words that speak the truth, speech that expresses love, and language that carries Divine awareness all become forms of spiritual living. Thus, the devotion of the heart, the contemplation of the intellect, and the expression through action become united, transforming human life into a continuous flow of Divine consciousness.

The central teaching of this mantra is that human life is not merely a collection of worldly experiences; it is a spiritual journey toward Divine realization. When a person purifies every thought, word, and action and unites them with Divine awareness, life itself becomes an uninterrupted hymn of praise. Then the sense of being a separate individual gradually dissolves, and the person becomes united with the Universal Consciousness. This is the highest spiritual truth revealed by this mantra.

Conclusion:

This mantra profoundly reveals the true spiritual purpose of human life. It teaches that the human heart should become filled with devotion and express itself as स्तोमाः (Stomah), the intellect should rise as उक्थाः (Ukthah), the expression of wisdom, and speech and actions should become गिरः (Girah), pure expressions that carry Divine awareness. When the thoughts, feelings, and actions of a person become united in God, life ceases to be an ordinary worldly existence and is transformed into a continuous spiritual worship.

This mantra clearly teaches that devotion alone is not sufficient; wisdom is also essential. Wisdom alone is not sufficient; actions must also be pure. Pure actions alone are not sufficient; all of them must be united with Divine awareness. When a person realizes that शतक्रतो (Shatakrato), the Supreme Reality, is the source of all actions, all powers, and all wisdom, one gives up ego and begins to recognize oneself as a part of the great Cosmic Order. As a result, one’s speech, thoughts, and actions all acquire a higher spiritual significance.

Therefore, the final message of this mantra is that the completeness of human life is not found in external achievements, but in the unity of devotion, wisdom, pure speech, righteous action, and Divine awareness. When a person purifies the heart, speech, and actions and lives in constant awareness of God, life itself becomes an eternal hymn that manifests Divine Glory.