Om Namah Shivaya lyrics in Sanskrit & English, with meaning
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Panchakshari mantra#
ॐ नमः शिवाय ॥
oṃ namaḥ śivāya ||
ॐ, कल्याणस्वरूप शिव को नमस्कार।
Om, salutations to Shiva — the auspicious one.
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Source — Shri Rudram (Anuvaka 8)#
नमः शम्भवाय च मयोभवाय च
नमः शङ्कराय च मयस्कराय च
नमः शिवाय च शिवतराय च ॥namaḥ śambhavāya ca mayobhavāya ca
namaḥ śaṅkarāya ca mayaskarāya ca
namaḥ śivāya ca śivatarāya ca ||सुख के स्रोत शम्भु और सुखस्वरूप को नमस्कार; कल्याण करने वाले शंकर और आनन्द देने वाले को नमस्कार; मंगलमय शिव और परम मंगलमय को नमस्कार।
Salutations to Shambhu, the source of happiness, and to the one who is happiness itself; salutations to Shankara, the giver of good, and to the one who brings joy; salutations to Shiva, the auspicious, and to the one more auspicious than all.
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Shiva Panchakshara Stotram — verse 1#
नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय
भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय ।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय
तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥nāgendrahārāya trilocanāya
bhasmāṅgarāgāya maheśvarāya |
nityāya śuddhāya digambarāya
tasmai nakārāya namaḥ śivāya ||जो नागराज को हार के रूप में धारण करते हैं, जो त्रिनेत्र हैं, जिनके अंगों पर भस्म का लेप है, जो महेश्वर हैं; जो नित्य, शुद्ध और दिगम्बर हैं — उन "न" अक्षर रूप शिव को नमस्कार।
To him who wears the king of serpents as a garland, the three-eyed one, whose body is smeared with sacred ash, the great Lord; the eternal, the pure, clothed only by the directions — to that Shiva, who is the syllable "Na", salutations. (The stotra, attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, gives one verse to each of the five syllables.)
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Om Namah Shivaya — word by word
| Word | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ॐ | oṃ | The primordial sound, the name of the Supreme; added before the five syllables in most recitation |
| नमः | namaḥ | Salutation, bowing; literally "not mine" — offering oneself |
| शिवाय | śivāya | To Shiva — the auspicious, the benevolent, the pure |
What Om Namah Shivaya means
Om Namah Shivaya means "salutations to Shiva", the auspicious one. The five syllables after Om — na, maḥ, śi, vā, ya — are the Panchakshari, the five-syllable mantra that Shaiva tradition holds to be the heart of the Vedas. With Om it is sometimes called the Shadakshari, the six-syllable form.
Shaiva teachers read the syllables in many layers. In one common reading, the five stand for the five elements — earth, water, fire, air and space — so that the chanter offers the whole of creation back to its source. In Shaiva Siddhanta they stand for Shiva (śi), his grace (vā), the soul (ya), the binding power that hides the truth (na) and the impurity that clings to the soul (maḥ): when "śi" is placed first, grace overcomes bondage.
At its simplest the mantra is an act of surrender: "namaḥ" can be read as "na mama" — "not mine". To chant it is to let go of the sense of "I" and "mine" before the one who is pure goodness. That is why it is loved by householders and ascetics alike, and why the Shiva Purana and the Tamil Tirumurai praise it as the simplest and greatest of mantras.
How to chant Om Namah Shivaya
- WhenAny time; especially at dawn, on Mondays, at Pradosh and in the month of Shravan
- Count108 times on a mala, or 11, 21 or 1,008
- MalaRudraksha is traditional
- FacingEast or north
- Prepare. Wash, sit on a clean mat with the spine straight, and if you can, light a lamp before a Shivalinga or an image of Shiva.
- Settle. Take a few slow breaths and bring to mind Shiva as pure, still consciousness, or his form on Kailash.
- Chant. Chant "Om Namah Shivaya" aloud, softly, or in the mind, with attention on each syllable. Silent (manasika) japa is considered the most powerful.
- Keep count. Move one bead of the rudraksha mala with each repetition, without crossing the head bead (meru).
- Offer. At the end, sit in silence for a minute and offer the japa to Shiva. If you are at a temple, offer water or bel leaves to the linga.
The Panchakshari is widely chanted without formal initiation. Some traditions give the mantra with Om (Shadakshari) only through a guru — follow your family or teacher.
Where Om Namah Shivaya comes from
The words come from the Shri Rudram, the great hymn to Rudra-Shiva in the Taittiriya Samhita of the Krishna Yajurveda (4.5), where the eighth anuvaka sits at the centre of the hymn and includes "namaḥ śivāya ca śivatarāya ca" — "salutations to the auspicious one and to the one more auspicious". Tradition sees the Panchakshari as the jewel at the centre of the Rudram, as the Rudram is at the centre of the Yajurveda.
The Shiva Purana, the Tamil Shaiva saints of the Tirumurai and the Shaiva Siddhanta philosophers all exalt the five syllables, and the Shiva Panchakshara Stotram, attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, gives one verse to each syllable. Today it is the most widely chanted Shiva mantra, from temple processions to the Kanwar Yatra.
About Om Namah Shivaya
The Panchakshari — Shiva's five-syllable mantra, from the Shri Rudram of the Yajurveda — with its meaning word by word, the Panchakshara Stotram verse, and how to chant it. It comes from the Krishna Yajurveda (Shri Rudram), Vedic. The text is in Sanskrit.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Om Namah Shivaya?
Om Namah Shivaya comes from the Krishna Yajurveda (Shri Rudram) (Vedic).
Where can I read Om Namah Shivaya lyrics in English?
This page has the full Om Namah Shivaya in Sanskrit (Devanagari) with the English transliteration under every verse, and the meaning of each verse in Hindi and English. Use the Chant and Meaning buttons above the verses to show only what you need.
ॐ नमः शिवाय का अर्थ क्या है?
इस पेज पर ॐ नमः शिवाय के हर पद के नीचे उसका सरल हिंदी अर्थ और अंग्रेज़ी अर्थ दिया गया है।
How many verses are there in Om Namah Shivaya?
Om Namah Shivaya has 3 verses as given on this page.
In which language is Om Namah Shivaya?
Om Namah Shivaya is in Sanskrit. This page gives the original text in Devanagari with Roman transliteration and meaning in Hindi and English.
How long does it take to recite Om Namah Shivaya?
A full recitation takes about 3 min.
To whom is Om Namah Shivaya dedicated?
Om Namah Shivaya is dedicated to Shiva. The Panchakshari — Shiva's five-syllable mantra, from the Shri Rudram of the Yajurveda — with its meaning word by word, the Panchakshara Stotram verse, and how to chant it.
What is the meaning of Om Namah Shivaya?
"Om, salutations to Shiva" — the auspicious one. "Namaḥ" means bowing or offering oneself, and "Śivāya" means "to Shiva".
Why is it called Panchakshari?
Because "Namaḥ Śivāya" has five syllables (pancha akshara): na, maḥ, śi, vā, ya. With Om added in front it is sometimes called the Shadakshari, the six-syllable mantra.
Can anyone chant Om Namah Shivaya?
Yes. It is chanted by people of every background without special initiation. Some traditions prefer that the form with Om be received from a guru; follow your own tradition.
How many times should Om Namah Shivaya be chanted?
A mala of 108 is the usual count. On Mondays, Maha Shivaratri or in Shravan many chant 1,008 times. Attention matters more than number.
Where does Om Namah Shivaya come from?
From the Shri Rudram in the Krishna Yajurveda (Taittiriya Samhita 4.5.8), which includes "namaḥ śivāya ca śivatarāya ca".
