Nirvana Shatakam lyrics in Sanskrit & English, with meaning
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Shloka 1#
मनोबुद्ध्यहङ्कारचित्तानि नाहं
न च श्रोत्रजिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे ।
न च व्योमभूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥manobuddhyahaṅkāracittāni nāhaṃ
na ca śrotrajihve na ca ghrāṇanetre |
na ca vyomabhūmirna tejo na vāyuḥ
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham ||मैं न मन हूँ, न बुद्धि, न अहंकार, न चित्त; न कान, न जीभ, न नाक, न आँखें। मैं न आकाश हूँ, न पृथ्वी, न अग्नि, न वायु। मैं चिदानन्दरूप हूँ — मैं शिव हूँ, मैं शिव हूँ।
I am not the mind, the intellect, the ego or the memory; not the ears or the tongue, not the nose or the eyes. I am not space or earth, not fire or air. I am consciousness and bliss — I am Shiva, I am Shiva.
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Shloka 2#
न च प्राणसंज्ञो न वै पञ्चवायुः
न वा सप्तधातुर्न वा पञ्चकोशः ।
न वाक्पाणिपादं न चोपस्थपायू
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥na ca prāṇasaṃjño na vai pañcavāyuḥ
na vā saptadhāturna vā pañcakośaḥ |
na vākpāṇipādaṃ na copasthapāyū
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham ||मैं न प्राण हूँ, न पाँच वायु; न सात धातुएँ, न पाँच कोश। मैं न वाणी हूँ, न हाथ, न पैर, न अन्य कर्मेन्द्रियाँ। मैं चिदानन्दरूप शिव हूँ।
I am not the life-breath, nor the five vital airs; not the seven tissues of the body, nor its five sheaths. I am not speech, hands or feet, nor the organs of excretion and procreation. I am consciousness and bliss — I am Shiva.
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Shloka 3#
न मे द्वेषरागौ न मे लोभमोहौ
मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः ।
न धर्मो न चार्थो न कामो न मोक्षः
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥na me dveṣarāgau na me lobhamohau
mado naiva me naiva mātsaryabhāvaḥ |
na dharmo na cārtho na kāmo na mokṣaḥ
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham ||मुझमें न द्वेष है न राग, न लोभ न मोह; न मद है, न ईर्ष्या। मैं न धर्म हूँ, न अर्थ, न काम, न मोक्ष। मैं चिदानन्दरूप शिव हूँ।
I have no hatred or attachment, no greed or delusion; no pride and no envy. I am not even the four aims of life — dharma, wealth, desire or liberation. I am consciousness and bliss — I am Shiva.
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Shloka 4#
न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दुःखं
न मन्त्रो न तीर्थं न वेदा न यज्ञाः ।
अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥na puṇyaṃ na pāpaṃ na saukhyaṃ na duḥkhaṃ
na mantro na tīrthaṃ na vedā na yajñāḥ |
ahaṃ bhojanaṃ naiva bhojyaṃ na bhoktā
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham ||मैं न पुण्य हूँ न पाप, न सुख न दुःख; न मन्त्र, न तीर्थ, न वेद, न यज्ञ। मैं न भोजन हूँ, न भोज्य, न भोक्ता। मैं चिदानन्दरूप शिव हूँ।
I am not merit or sin, pleasure or pain; not mantra, pilgrimage, Veda or sacrifice. I am not the act of eating, nor the food, nor the one who eats. I am consciousness and bliss — I am Shiva.
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Shloka 5#
न मृत्युर्न शङ्का न मे जातिभेदः
पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्म ।
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्यः
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥na mṛtyurna śaṅkā na me jātibhedaḥ
pitā naiva me naiva mātā na janma |
na bandhurna mitraṃ gururnaiva śiṣyaḥ
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham ||मुझे न मृत्यु है न भय, न जाति का भेद; न मेरा पिता है, न माता, न जन्म। न बन्धु है, न मित्र, न गुरु, न शिष्य। मैं चिदानन्दरूप शिव हूँ।
I have no death and no fear, no distinction of birth; no father, no mother, for I was never born. I have no kinsman or friend, no teacher and no disciple. I am consciousness and bliss — I am Shiva.
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Shloka 6#
अहं निर्विकल्पो निराकाररूपो
विभुर्व्याप्य सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् ।
सदा मे समत्वं न मुक्तिर्न बन्धः
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ahaṃ nirvikalpo nirākārarūpo
vibhurvyāpya sarvatra sarvendriyāṇām |
sadā me samatvaṃ na muktirna bandhaḥ
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham ||मैं निर्विकल्प और निराकार हूँ। सर्वव्यापी होकर मैं सब इन्द्रियों में और सर्वत्र स्थित हूँ। मैं सदा सम हूँ; मेरे लिए न मुक्ति है, न बन्धन। मैं चिदानन्दरूप शिव हूँ, मैं शिव हूँ।
I am free of all change and without form. All-pervading, I abide everywhere, beyond all the senses. I am always the same; for me there is neither liberation nor bondage. I am consciousness and bliss — I am Shiva, I am Shiva.
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What Nirvana Shatakam means
Each verse of the Nirvana Shatakam names things we usually take ourselves to be — the body, the senses, the emotions, even our religious duties and goals — and sets them aside with "na", "not this". What remains when everything changeable is set aside is the self, which the refrain names: chidananda-rupa, consciousness and bliss, identical with Shiva.
It is a teaching hymn more than a prayer of request. Reciting it slowly is a way of practising the Advaita method of neti neti ("not this, not this").
How to chant Nirvana Shatakam
- WhenDaily meditation, Mahashivratri, Mondays, or before quiet sitting
- TimeAbout 3 minutes
- StyleOften sung slowly; the refrain is repeated by everyone
- Sit still. Sit upright and take a few slow breaths before you begin.
- Recite with attention. At each "na" let go of what is named; rest on the refrain "Shivoham".
- Sit in silence. After the sixth verse remain silent for a minute or two.
There is no fixed count or ritual for this hymn; it is used for reflection.
Where Nirvana Shatakam comes from
The hymn is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. According to the hagiographies, when the young Shankara met his guru Govindapada on the banks of the Narmada and was asked who he was, he replied with these verses. It is also called Atma Shatakam.
About Nirvana Shatakam
Six verses of pure Advaita, also called Atma Shatakam. Tradition says the boy Shankara gave this answer when his guru Govindapada asked "Who are you?" — I am not the body, mind or senses; I am consciousness and bliss, I am Shiva. It was composed by Adi Shankaracharya, 8th century CE. The text is in Sanskrit.
Sanskrit text: Sanskrit Wikisource. Transliteration and meanings by The Hindu Book.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote Nirvana Shatakam?
Nirvana Shatakam was composed by Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE).
Where can I read Nirvana Shatakam lyrics in English?
This page has the full Nirvana Shatakam 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.
निर्वाणषट्कम् का अर्थ क्या है?
इस पेज पर निर्वाणषट्कम् के हर पद के नीचे उसका सरल हिंदी अर्थ और अंग्रेज़ी अर्थ दिया गया है।
How many verses are there in Nirvana Shatakam?
Nirvana Shatakam has 6 verses as given on this page.
In which language is Nirvana Shatakam?
Nirvana Shatakam 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 Nirvana Shatakam?
A full recitation takes about 3 min.
To whom is Nirvana Shatakam dedicated?
Nirvana Shatakam is dedicated to Shiva. Six verses of pure Advaita, also called Atma Shatakam. Tradition says the boy Shankara gave this answer when his guru Govindapada asked "Who are you?" — I am not the body, mind or senses; I am consciousness and bliss, I am Shiva.
What does "Shivoham" mean?
Shivo'ham — "I am Shiva". In Advaita the true self (atman) is the same as the supreme reality, here named Shiva.
Who wrote Nirvana Shatakam?
It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (8th century).
