Om Namah Shivaya

Who Shiva is

Shiva is one of the three deities of the Trimurti — Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, Shiva the dissolver and transformer — and for Shaivas he is the supreme reality itself. His name means "the auspicious one." He is pictured as the great yogi of Mount Kailash, with a third eye, a crescent moon and the Ganga in his matted hair, a serpent at his throat, ash on his body and a trident in hand; as Nataraja he dances the tandava that destroys and renews the universe. His consort is Parvati, his sons are Ganesha and Kartikeya, and his vehicle is the bull Nandi. He is worshipped above all in the form of the lingam, with water, milk and bel leaves — on Mondays, in the month of Shravan and on Maha Shivratri.

What the mantra means

Om is the primordial sound; namaḥ means "salutation" or "I bow"; and Śhivāya means "to Shiva" — to the Auspicious One. Together: "Om, I bow to Shiva." Traditional teachers add a devotional reading of namaḥ as na mama, "not mine" — so the mantra is also an act of surrender, letting go of "I" and "mine" before the Divine.

Where it comes from: the mantra's source is the Shri Rudram (Rudra Namakam) of the Krishna Yajurveda's Taittiriya Samhita, one of the oldest hymns to Shiva. Its eighth section contains the words "namaḥ śhivāya cha śhivatarāya cha" — "salutations to the auspicious one, and to the one more auspicious still." Tradition calls "Namah Shivaya" the heart of the Rudram, just as the Rudram is called the heart of the Yajurveda.

Why it is called the Panchakshari: without Om the mantra has exactly five syllables — na, maḥ, śhi, vā, ya — so it is the Panchakshari (five-syllabled); with Om it is the Shadakshari (six-syllabled). In many teachings the five syllables are linked to the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space), so that the mantra is understood to purify the whole of one's being. Adi Shankaracharya's Shiva Panchakshara Stotra is built around it: each of its five verses begins with one of the five syllables in order. In the Tamil Shaiva tradition, Manikkavacakar's Sivapuranam opens with the same words — "Namachivaya vazhga."

How to do the jaap

1. Who may chant: It is widely regarded as open to everyone — no initiation is required for the mantra as it is commonly chanted.
2. Day and time: Any day; Mondays (Shiva's day), Pradosh, the month of Shravan and Maha Shivratri are especially favoured. Early morning or evening is most usual.
3. Seat and direction: A clean asana facing east or north.
4. Offerings: Many chant it while offering water, milk or bel leaves on a Shivalinga, one repetition with each offering.
5. Mala: A rudraksha mala of 108 beads is traditional.
6. Count: One mala (108) a day is a good regular practice; in Shravan and on Shivratri many chant through the night.
7. Manner: Silently, in a whisper, or aloud — all are practised. Let the breath settle into the rhythm of the five syllables.

For a longer practice, pair it with the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, the Shiva Chalisa and the aarti Om Jai Shiv Omkara; see also Monday Shiva Bhakti.

Benefits traditionally associated with it

• Inner purification — the five syllables are linked to the five elements that make up body and world.
• Peace of mind and release from anger, fear and restlessness.
• Humility and surrender, through the reading of namah as "not mine."
• Protection and Shiva's grace in every kind of difficulty.
• Spiritual progress towards liberation — in Shaiva tradition it is regarded as the greatest of mantras.

Why people do it

Om Namah Shivaya is often the first mantra a Shiva devotee learns and the one they keep all their life. It is short enough to repeat anywhere, open to everyone, and complete in itself — a salutation, a surrender and a meditation in five syllables. People chant it at the Shivalinga, on Monday fasts, through Shravan and on Shivratri night; others use it as a daily meditation mantra simply because it quiets the mind. For many it is less a request than a way of staying close to Shiva through the day.