Philosophy
Om namah shivaya, the five-syllable mantra
Om namah shivaya is a Hindu mantra that means "Om, I bow to Shiva". Namah means a bow or salutation, and shivaya means to Shiva, the auspicious one. Without Om it has five syllables, na-mah-shi-vaa-ya, and is called the panchakshara. It first appears in the Shri Rudram of the Yajurveda.
Om namah shivaya is a Hindu mantra that means “Om, I bow to Shiva”. It is the central mantra of Shaivism, the Hindu traditions that worship Shiva, and one of the most widely chanted phrases in India.
Without the opening Om it has five syllables, which is why it is called the panchakshara, the five-syllable mantra.
What does each word mean?
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Om | The traditional syllable that opens many mantras |
| Namah | A bow, a salutation, an offering of respect |
| Shivaya | To Shiva, the auspicious one |
Om, the syllable chanted at the start of many classes, sets the mantra apart as a recitation. Namah is the same word found in namaste, a bow to you. Shiva as an ordinary adjective means auspicious or kind, so the phrase is also a bow to what is good.
Where does om namah shivaya come from?
The words namah shivaya first appear in the Shri Rudram, a long hymn to Rudra in the Krishna Yajurveda, part of the Taittiriya Samhita. In its eighth section comes the line namah shivaya cha shivataraya cha, a bow to the auspicious and to the most auspicious. The Vedic hymns are usually dated to the late second and early first millennium BCE.
Later Shaiva texts made the five syllables the heart of practice. The Shiva Purana praises the panchakshara at length, and some Shaiva teachings link its five syllables to the five elements and to the five acts of Shiva. In Tamil Shaiva tradition, the poet saint Manikkavasagar opened his Tiruvasagam with praise of the name Namasivaya, and the mantra remains central to temple worship in South India.
Shiva also has a place in yoga lore. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, from the fifteenth century, opens with a salutation to Adinatha, the first lord, a name for Shiva as the first teacher of hatha yoga.
How is om namah shivaya chanted?
Mostly as japa, steady repetition, aloud, in a whisper or silently. Many practitioners count it on a mala of rudraksha beads, often 108 times, a number explained on the page about 108 meaning in yoga. It is chanted through the night of Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Shiva, and sung in call-and-response kirtan.
To try it, sit comfortably, take a breath, and say the six syllables slowly on the out-breath: om, na, mah, shi, vaa, ya. Keep the voice easy. The page on mantra, what it is and how japa works covers the practice in more detail.
How does it show up in a modern yoga class?
Less often than Om, but it is common in kirtan evenings, in some hatha and kundalini classes and on retreats with an Indian teacher. A teacher may lead it a few times at the start or close of a class, sometimes followed by om shanti om, a short wish for peace.
It is a devotional mantra, addressed to a deity. Chanting along is an invitation, not a requirement, and many people simply listen. If you do join in, knowing what the words mean makes them more than sound.
Questions
How do you pronounce om namah shivaya?
Say it in six beats: om, na, mah, shi, vaa, ya. The a in na and mah is short, like the a in about, and the vaa is long. Many people run it together as om nama shivaya, and that is understood everywhere.
Why is it called the five-syllable mantra?
Na, mah, shi, vaa and ya make five syllables, so the phrase namah shivaya is known as the panchakshara, from pancha, five, and akshara, syllable. When Om is added at the start, some traditions call it the six-syllable form.
Do you have to be Hindu to chant om namah shivaya?
No one checks, and many people of other faiths or none join in at kirtans and yoga classes. It is a devotional mantra addressed to Shiva, though, so it is fair to know that before you chant it. If that does not sit right with you, staying quiet is always fine.
What does Shiva mean?
As a word, shiva means auspicious, kind or benign. As a name it refers to Shiva, one of the major deities of Hinduism, worshipped by Shaivas as the supreme reality. The mantra plays on both senses: a bow to the auspicious one.