Question

Are there any Mantras to bring rain?

Answer

The Rishis of vedic times stressed on treating nature and one’s environment with total reverence worthy of worship. So they created hymns in honor of every element of nature. Thus we can find prayers /Mantras for rain in different Hindu scriptures like Vedas and Upanishads.

Here are some of the verses from Fifth Mandala of Rig-Veda which prays for the rain.Here are Sanskrit verses

अछा वद तवसं गीर्भिर आभि सतुहि पर्जन्यं नमसा विवास |
कनिक्रदद वर्षभो जीरदानू रेतो दधात्य ओषधीषु गर्भम || 5.83.1||

achā vada tavasaṃ ghīrbhir ābhi stuhi parjanyaṃ namasā vivāsa |

kanikradad vṛṣabho jīradānū reto dadhāty oṣadhīṣu gharbham ||

SING with these songs thy welcome to the Mighty, with adoration praise and call Parjanya. The Bull, loud roaring, swift to send his bounty, lays in the plants the seed. for germination.

दिवो नो वर्ष्टिम मरुतो ररीध्वम पर पिन्वत वर्ष्णो अश्वस्य धाराः |
अर्वाङ एतेन सतनयित्नुनेह्य अपो निषिञ्चन्न असुरः पिता नः || 5.83.6||

अभि करन्द सतनय गर्भम आ धा उदन्वता परि दीया रथेन |
दर्तिं सु कर्ष विषितं नयञ्चं समा भवन्तूद्वतो निपादाः || 5.83.7||

महान्तं कोशम उद अचा नि षिञ्च सयन्दन्तां कुल्या विषिताः पुरस्तात |
घर्तेन दयावाप्र्थिवी वय उन्धि सुप्रपाणम भवत्व अघ्न्याभ्यः || 5.83.8||

यत पर्जन्य कनिक्रदत सतनयन हंसि दुष्क्र्तः |
परतीदं विश्वम मोदते यत किं च पर्थिव्याम अधि || 5.83.9||

divo no vṛṣṭim maruto rarīdhvam pra pinvata vṛṣṇo aśvasya dhārāḥ |

arvāṅ etena stanayitnunehy apo niṣiñcann asuraḥ pitā naḥ ||

abhi kranda stanaya gharbham ā dhā udanvatā pari dīyā rathena |

dṛtiṃ su karṣa viṣitaṃ nyañcaṃ samā bhavantūdvato nipādāḥ ||

mahāntaṃ kośam ud acā ni ṣiñca syandantāṃ kulyā viṣitāḥ purastāt |

ghṛtena dyāvāpṛthivī vy undhi suprapāṇam bhavatv aghnyābhyaḥ ||

yat parjanya kanikradat stanayan haṃsi duṣkṛtaḥ |

pratīdaṃ viśvam modate yat kiṃ ca pṛthivyām adhi ||

6 : Send down for us the rain of heaven, ye Maruts, and let the Stallion's flood descend in torrents. Come hither with this thunder while thou pourest the waters down, our heavenly Lord and Father.

7 : Thunder and roar: the germ of life deposit. Fly round us on thy chariot water laden. Thine opened water-skin draw with thee downward, and let the hollows and the heights be level.

8: Lift up the mighty vessel, pour down water, and let the liberated streams rush forward.

9: When thou, with thunder and with roar, Parjanya, smitest sinners down, This universe exults thereat, yea, all that is upon the earth.

अद॑र्द॒रुत्स॒मसृ॑जॊ॒ वि खानि॒ त्वम॑र्ण॒वान्ब॑द्बधा॒नाँ अ॑रम्णाः ।
म॒हान्त॑मिन्द्र॒ पर्व॑तं॒ वि यद्वः सृ॒जॊ वि धारा॒ अव॑ दान॒वं ह॑न् ॥ 5.32.1 ||

adardarutsamasRujO vi khAni tvamarNavAnbadbadhAnA~M aramNAH |
mahAntamindra parvataM vi yadvaH sRujO vi dhArA ava dAnavaM han || 5.32.1 ||

Breaking open the cloud You create the channels (for rain)! You strike fast the mammoth cloud! Oh Indra! You cast open the mountain of cloud making the showers, destroying the darkness!

Here is an excerpt from the Chandogya Upanishad in which an insight is offered detailing a more scientific and logical approach to the importance of rain.

आपो वावान्नाद्भूयस्तस्माद्यदा सुवृष्टिर्न भवति व्याधीयन्ते प्राणा अन्नं कनीयो भविष्यतीत्यथ यदा
सुवृष्टिर्भवत्यानन्दिनः प्राणा भवन्त्यन्नं बहु भविष्यतीत्याप एवेमा मूर्ता येयं पृथिवी यदन्तरिक्षं
यद्द्यौर्यत्पर्वता यद्देवमनुष्यायत्पशवश्च वयासि च तृणवनस्पतयः श्वापदान्याकीटपतङ्गपिपीलकमाप
एवेमा मूर्ता अप उपास्स्वेति ॥ ७.१०.१॥

Apo vāvānnād bhūyasyaḥ | tasmād yadā suvṛṣṭir na bhavati vyādhīyante prāṇā annaṃ kanīyo `evemā |mūrtā yeyaṃ pṛthivī yad antarikṣaṃ yad dyaur yat parvatā yad devamanuṣyā yat paśavaś ca vayāṃsi ca tṛṇavanaspatayaḥ śvāpadāny ākīṭapataṅgapipīlakam | āpa evemā mūrtāḥ | apa upāssveti |

“Water is greater than food. Therefore, if there is not sufficient rain, living beings fail from fear that there will be less food. But if there is sufficient rain, they become happy because there will be much food. This water, by assuming different forms, becomes this earth, sky, heaven, mountains, gods and men, cattle, birds, herbs and trees, all beasts down to worms, midges, and ants. Water itself assumes all these forms. Meditate on water”.

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