Om Namah Shivaya
Om Namah Shivaya (
Origin of the mantra
The mantra without the initial
This mantra also appears in the Rudrashtadhyayi, a part of the Shukla Yajurveda. In the Rudrashtadhyayi, it appears in the 5th chapter (also known as Namakam) verse 41.[3][4]
Translations among different traditions
Namah Shivaya means "Adoration to Lord Shiva"; this is preceded by the devotional syllable "Om".
In Siddha Shaivism and Shaiva Siddhanta Shaivism traditions, Namah Shivaya is considered as Pancha Bodha Tatva of Lord Shiva and his universal oneness of five elements:[5]
- Na sound represents earth[5]
- Ma sound represents water[5]
- Śi sound represents fire[5]
- Vā sound represents Pranic air[5]
- Ya sound represents sky or ether[5]
Its total meaning is that "universal consciousness is one".[5]
In Shaiva Siddhanta, the five letters also represent:[5]
- Na is the Lord's concealing grace[5]
- Ma is the world[5]
- Śi stands for Shiva[5]
- Vā is His revealing grace[5]
- Ya is the Ātman or soul[5]
The Tirumantiram (a scripture in Shaiva Siddhanta) announces that "His feet are the letter Na. His navel is the letter Ma. His shoulders are the letter Śi. His mouth, the letter Vā. His radiant cranial center aloft is Ya. Thus is the five-lettered form of Shiva.": Tirumantiram 941. TM[6][7]
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In different scriptures
- The Mantra appears as 'Na' 'Ma' 'Śi' 'Vā' and 'Ya' in the Shri Rudram Chamakam which is a part of the Krishna euphemistic epithet of Rudra.[5]
- The mantra appears in the Rudrashtadhyayi which is a part of the Shukla Yajurveda.[8]
- Whole
- Tirumantiram, a scripture written in Tamil language, speaks of the meaning of the mantra.[11]
- It appears in the Shiva Purana in the chapter 1.2.10 (Shabda-Brahma Tanu) and in its Vidyeshvara samhita and in chapter 13 of the Vayaviya samhita of the Shiva Purana as Om Namaḥ Śivāya. It is also referenced many times throughout the Śiva Purana as the "5 syllable Mantra" and "6 syllable mantra" when including Om.
- The Tamil Saivaite hymn Tiruvacakambegins with the five letters 'Na' 'Ma' 'Śi' 'Vā' and 'Ya'.
See also
References
 |
- ISBN 9781934145722.
- ^ "Rudram" (PDF). vedaunion. p. anuvaka 8 of Namakam at page-22.
- ^ "RUDRASTADHYAYI". www.archive.org.
- ^ "Introduction to rudrashtadhyayi". www.shreemaa.org. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9781934145739.
- ISBN 978-0945497479.
- ISBN 978-0945497479.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link - ^ "rudrashtadhyayi". p. Check first verse's second line. There you can see namah shivaya written in Sanskrit.
- ^ "Pachakshara stotram". Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ "shiva panchakshara stotra".
- ^ "Dancing with Siva".