ॐ
The Panchakshara Mantra from the Taittiriya Samhita of the Krishna Yajurveda
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om
The primordial sound; the vibration from which all creation emerges
Om is not a word — it is the sound of existence itself. The Mandukya Upanishad devotes 12 verses to Om alone. It represents the three states of consciousness: waking (A), dreaming (U), and deep sleep (M), with the silence that follows representing the fourth state — turiya.
Namaḥ
I bow; I offer; I surrender
From the root nam — to bow. Namaḥ is more than a greeting: it is the dissolution of the false ego before the infinite. The Vishnu Sahasranama notes that the deepest meaning of namaḥ is na + ma = "not mine" — an act of releasing the claim of doership.
Shivāya
To Shiva; for the auspicious one; toward the benevolent
Shiva (शिव) from the root shiv — auspicious, kind, benevolent. The dative suffix -āya means "to" or "for." Together: "I bow to that which is eternally auspicious." Shiva is not merely destruction — the Shaiva Agamas describe Shiva as the five cosmic functions: creation (srishti), preservation (sthiti), dissolution (samhara), concealment (tirodhana), and liberation (anugraha).
The Shaiva tradition teaches that the five syllables of Namah Shivaya correspond to the five elements (Panchamahabhutas) that compose all creation. To chant the mantra is to honour and harmonise with the entire fabric of the universe.
| Syllable | Element | Inner Meaning | Chakra |
|---|---|---|---|
| न — Na | Prithvi (Earth) | Grounds the ego; roots consciousness in the body | Muladhara — Root |
| म — Ma | Jala (Water) | Flowing quality; cleans the emotional body | Svadhisthana — Sacral |
| शि — Shi | Agni (Fire) | Purifying; transforms the lower into the higher | Manipura — Solar Plexus |
| व — Va | Vayu (Air) | Expansive; dissolves fixed boundaries of self | Anahata — Heart |
| य — Ya | Akasha (Space) | Pure consciousness; the open sky of awareness | Vishuddha — Throat |
नमः शिवाय च शिवतराय च
Taittiriya Samhita 4.5.8 (Shri Rudram, Ashtadhyayi)
The Panchakshara appears in the eighth anuvaka of the Shri Rudram — a foundational hymn of the Yajurveda. This context makes it one of the oldest mantras still in active use, with an unbroken tradition of chanting spanning at least 3,500 years.
What does Om Namah Shivaya mean in English?
Om Namah Shivaya means "I bow to Shiva" or "Salutations to the auspicious one." More deeply, it means "I surrender my limited self to the infinite, benevolent consciousness that Shiva represents." Each of the five syllables (Na, Ma, Shi, Va, Ya) corresponds to one of the five elements of existence.
What is the Panchakshara Mantra?
Panchakshara means "five-syllabled" (pancha = five, akshara = syllable/letter). The Panchakshara Mantra is Na-Ma-Shi-Va-Ya — the five sacred syllables at the heart of Om Namah Shivaya. When Om is added before it, it becomes the Shadakshara (six-syllabled) mantra. The Panchakshara is found in the Krishna Yajurveda's Taittiriya Samhita (4.5.8).
How many times should Om Namah Shivaya be chanted?
Classical texts prescribe chanting Om Namah Shivaya 108 times in a sitting — 108 being the sacred number (distance of Earth to Sun is 108 times the Sun's diameter; there are 108 Upanishads; mala beads number 108). For beginners, 11 or 27 repetitions are also considered auspicious. The key is regularity, not quantity.
What is the meaning of Namaḥ in Sanskrit?
Namaḥ (नमः) comes from the root nam (नम्) meaning "to bow, to bend." Grammatically, it is a nominative singular noun used in the sense of "obeisance, salutation." Many scholars note its deeper meaning as na + ma = "not me" — a declaration of the dissolution of ego before the divine.
Can non-Hindus chant Om Namah Shivaya?
Yes. Om Namah Shivaya is a mantra of universal consciousness, not a sectarian prayer. The Shiva principle it invokes — infinite awareness, the ground of all being — is not exclusive to any religion. Practitioners of yoga and meditation worldwide use it as a tool for inner transformation. However, learning its meaning and chanting it with understanding deepens its impact significantly.
ॐ
VedaLingo teaches Sanskrit word-by-word — from the Vedas to the Bhagavad Gita. Free forever.