Shiva Panchakshara Stotram

Lord Shiva

Shiva Panchakshara Stotram or Shiv Panchakshara Mantra is one of the main mantras commonly used by Shiva devotees to appease Lord Shiva. Shiva Panchakshara Stotra, a holy word chant used to worship Lord Shiv, is made of five letters "Na Ma Si Va Ya". In Shiv Panchakshara Stotra each of these 5 letters is considered as Lord Shiva and Shiva Bhagvan is praised for his great qualities. According to the Vedic scriptures any one who chant the Shiva Panchakshara Stotram with great devotion would reach Shiv Log (world of Shiva) at the end of their life.

The term Shiva means auspicious. The God Shiva is all-auspiciousness. The mantra namaH Shivaya, used to offer salutations to Shiva, is an effective prayer to propitiate Shiva.

This pa.nchAkshara (five syllabled) mantra namaH ShivAya is sometimes called the mUla mantra or basic mantra of Shiva. Each of the five syllables, na, ma, shi, vA, and ya, is held to be so sacred that it represents Shiva even by itself.

The following is the ShivapanchAkshara stotra composed by Adi SankarAchArya. One may worship the Shiva linga by reciting this stotra and offering bilva leaves. 

  

Nagendra haraya Trilochanaya,

Basmanga ragaya maheswaraya,

Nithyaya shudhaya digambaraya,

Tasmai 'Na'karaya namashivaya. || 1||

Meaning:

Salutations to Shiva, who wears the King of snakes as a garland, the Three-eyed God, whose body is smeared with ashes, the great Lord, the eternal and pure One, who wears the directions as His garment, and who is represented by the 

Mandakini salila chandana charchithaya,

Nandeeswara pramadha nadha maheswaraya,

Mandra pushpa bahu pushpa supoojithaya,

Tasmai 'Ma'karaya namashivaya. || 2||

I bow to Shiva, who has been worshipped with water from the gangA (mandAkini) and annointed with sandalwood paste, the Lord of nandI, the Lord of the host of goblins and ghosts, the great Lord, who is worshiped with mandAra and many other kinds of flowers, and who is represented by the

Shivaaya gowri vadanara vinda,

Sooryaya daksha dwara naasakaya,

Sri neela kantaya vrisha dwajaya,

Tasmai 'Si'karaya namashivaya.|| 3||

Salutations to Shiva, who is all-auspiciousness, Who is the sun that causes the lotus face of GaurI (PArvatI) to blossom, Who is the destroyer of the Yajna of daksha, whose throat is blue (nIlakaNTha), whose flag bears the emblem of the bull, and who is represented by the syllable {\rm ``}shi.{\rm ''}

Vasishta kumbhodhbhava gowthamadhi.

Munendra devarchitha shekaraya,

Chandrarka vaiswanara lochanaya,

Tasmai 'Va'karaya namashivaya. || 4||

VasishhTha, agastya, Gautama, and other venerable sages, and Indra and other Gods have worshipped the head of (Shiva's linga). I bow to that Shiva whose three eyes are the moon, sun and fire, and who is represented by the syllable 

Yaksha swaroopaya jada dharaya,

Pinaka hasthathaya sanathanaya,

Divyaya devaaya digambaraya,

Tasmai 'Ya'karaya namashivaya. || 5||

Salutations to Shiva, who bears the form of a Yaksha, who has matted hair on His head, Who bears the pinAka bow in His hand, the Primeval Lord, the brilliant God, who is digambara (naked), and who is represented by the syllable

pa.nchAksharamidaM puNyaM yaH paThechchhivasannidhau |

shivalokamavApnoti shivena saha modate ||

Anyone who recites this sacred five-syllabled mantra, (namaH shivAya) near the Shiva (linga), attains the abode of Shiva and rejoices there with Shiva. .. iti shriimachchha.nkaraachaaryavirachita shivapaJNchaakshara stotraM samaaptaM..