Shiva Panchakshara Stotram — The Hymn of the Five Holy Syllables
Composed by Adi Shankaracharya, this meditation structures each stanza upon one of the five syllables of the primordial mantra — NA, MA, SHI, VA, YA. Contemplating these verses unlocks the five elements and cosmic actions of Shiva.
शिवपञ्चाक्षरस्तोत्रम् — Shiva Panchakshara Stotram
Composed by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya
The Five Syllables of Liberation
The five-syllable mantra न मः शि वा य (Na-Ma-Shi-Va-Ya) constitutes the heart of the Shri Rudram in the Krishna Yajurveda. Each syllable commands an elemental dominion:
- न (Na): Earth (Prithvi) & Concealment (Tirobhava)
- म (Ma): Water (Jala) & Preservation (Sthiti)
- शि (Shi): Fire (Agni) & Dissolution (Samhara)
- वा (Va): Air (Vayu) & Cosmic Creation (Srishti)
- य (Ya): Space/Ether (Akasha) & Supreme Grace (Anugraha)
Verse 1 — Syllable “NA” (न)
नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय
भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय ।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय
तस्मै 'न'काराय नमः शिवाय ॥ १ ॥Meaning:
To Him who wears the king of serpents as a garland; who has three cosmic eyes; who is smeared with holy ash; who is the Supreme Lord; who is eternal, ever-pure, and whose garment is space itself — to Him who is embodied in the syllable ‘NA’, salutations unto Shiva!
Verse 2 — Syllable “MA” (म)
मन्दाकिनीसलिलचन्दनचर्चिताय
नन्दीश्वरप्रमथनाथमहेश्वराय ।
मन्दारमुख्यबहुपुष्पसुपूजिताय
तस्मै 'म'काराय नमः शिवाय ॥ २ ॥Meaning:
To Him who is consecrated with the sacred waters of Mandakini Ganga and anointed with sandalwood; who is the cherished guardian of Nandi and master of the Pramatha hosts; who is lovingly worshiped with Mandara and celestial blossoms — to Him who is embodied in the syllable ‘MA’, salutations unto Shiva!
Verse 3 — Syllable “SHI” (शि)
शिवाय गौरीवदनाब्जवृन्द-
सूर्याय दक्षाध्वरनाशकाय ।
श्रीनीलकण्ठाय वृषध्वजाय
तस्मै 'शि'काराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ३ ॥Meaning:
To Him who is auspiciousness itself; who acts like the radiant morning sun causing the lotus face of Goddess Gauri to bloom with joy; who extinguished the ego of Daksha’s sacrifice; who has a blue throat and bears the bull Nandi on his flag — to Him who is embodied in the syllable ‘SHI’, salutations unto Shiva!
Verse 4 — Syllable “VA” (वा)
वसिष्ठकुम्भोद्भवगौतमार्य-
मुनीन्द्रदेवार्चितशेखराय ।
चन्द्रार्कवैश्वानरलोचनाय
तस्मै 'वा'काराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ४ ॥Meaning:
To Him whose crest is worshiped by Vashishta, Agastya, Gautama, and all great sages and devas; whose three eyes are the moon, sun, and fire — to Him who is embodied in the syllable ‘VA’, salutations unto Shiva!
Verse 5 — Syllable “YA” (य)
यज्ञस्वरूपाय जटाधराय
पिनाकहस्ताय सनातनाय ।
दिव्याय देवाय दिगम्बराय
तस्मै 'य'काराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ५ ॥Meaning:
To Him who is the embodiment of all sacred sacrifice (Yajna); who has matted locks; who wields the Pinaka bow; who is ancient and eternal; divine, transcendent, and sky-clad — to Him who is embodied in the syllable ‘YA’, salutations unto Shiva!
फलश्रुति — Phala Shruti
पञ्चाक्षरमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेच्छिवसन्निधौ ।
शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते ॥Meaning:
Whoever recites this sacred Panchakshara Stotra near Lord Shiva or meditates upon it daily attains the divine abode of Shiva, reveling in eternal bliss and harmony with the Supreme.