Nirvāṇa Ṣaṭkam (Ātma Ṣaṭkam) — six verses on the true Self, by Ādi Śaṅkara.
Verse 2 — manobuddhyahaṃkāracittāni nāhaṃ
manobuddhyahaṃkāracittāni nāhaṃ
I am not the mind, the intellect, the ego, or the memory;
Verse 3 — na ca śrotrajihve na ca ghrāṇanetre |
na ca śrotrajihve na ca ghrāṇanetre |
nor the ears and tongue, nor the nose and eyes;
Verse 4 — na ca vyomabhūmirna tejo na vāyuḥ
na ca vyomabhūmirna tejo na vāyuḥ
nor space, earth, fire, or air —
Verse 5 — cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
I am the very form of consciousness and bliss; I am Śiva, I am Śiva.
Verse 6 — na ca prāṇasaṃjño na vai pañcavāyuḥ
na ca prāṇasaṃjño na vai pañcavāyuḥ
I am not the vital breath, nor the five vital airs;
Verse 7 — na vā saptadhāturna vā pañcakośaḥ |
na vā saptadhāturna vā pañcakośaḥ |
nor the seven bodily constituents, nor the five sheaths;
Verse 8 — na vākpāṇipādaṃ na copasthapāyū
na vākpāṇipādaṃ na copasthapāyū
nor speech, hands, feet, or the organs of generation and excretion —
Verse 9 — cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
I am the very form of consciousness and bliss; I am Śiva, I am Śiva.
Verse 10 — na me dveṣarāgau na me lobhamohau
na me dveṣarāgau na me lobhamohau
I have neither aversion nor attachment, neither greed nor delusion;
Verse 11 — mado naiva me naiva mātsaryabhāvaḥ |
mado naiva me naiva mātsaryabhāvaḥ |
no pride, and not the least sense of envy;
Verse 12 — na dharmo na cārtho na kāmo na mokṣaḥ
na dharmo na cārtho na kāmo na mokṣaḥ
I am beyond dharma, wealth, desire, and even liberation —
Verse 13 — cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
I am the very form of consciousness and bliss; I am Śiva, I am Śiva.
Verse 14 — na puṇyaṃ na pāpaṃ na saukhyaṃ na duḥkhaṃ
na puṇyaṃ na pāpaṃ na saukhyaṃ na duḥkhaṃ
Neither merit nor sin, neither pleasure nor pain;
Verse 15 — na mantro na tīrtho na vedā na yajñaḥ |
na mantro na tīrtho na vedā na yajñaḥ |
neither sacred formula, holy place, Veda, nor sacrifice;
Verse 16 — ahaṃ bhojanaṃ naiva bhojyaṃ na bhoktā
ahaṃ bhojanaṃ naiva bhojyaṃ na bhoktā
I am neither the act of eating, nor the food, nor the eater —
Verse 17 — cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
I am the very form of consciousness and bliss; I am Śiva, I am Śiva.
Verse 18 — na me mṛtyuśaṅkā na me jātibhedaḥ
na me mṛtyuśaṅkā na me jātibhedaḥ
I have no fear of death, and no distinction of birth or class;
Verse 19 — pitā naiva me naiva mātā na janma |
pitā naiva me naiva mātā na janma |
I have no father, no mother, and no birth;
Verse 20 — na bandhurna mitraṃ gururnaiva śiṣyaḥ
na bandhurna mitraṃ gururnaiva śiṣyaḥ
no kinsman or friend, no teacher and no disciple —
Verse 21 — cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
I am the very form of consciousness and bliss; I am Śiva, I am Śiva.
Verse 22 — ahaṃ nirvikalpo nirākārarūpaḥ
ahaṃ nirvikalpo nirākārarūpaḥ
I am without distinctions, formless by nature,
Verse 23 — vibhutvācca sarvatra sarvendriyāṇām
vibhutvācca sarvatra sarvendriyāṇām
all-pervading, underlying every sense —
Verse 24 — na cāsaṅgataṃ naiva muktirna meyaḥ
na cāsaṅgataṃ naiva muktirna meyaḥ
unattached, neither bound nor liberated, and beyond all measure —
Verse 25 — cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham
I am the very form of consciousness and bliss; I am Śiva, I am Śiva.
About Nirvāṇa Ṣaṭkam
Nirvāṇa Ṣaṭkam is a Sanskrit stotra, composed by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, addressed to Shiva — a Shatka. It is presented here in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, each verse with its English meaning. Source text: Sanskrit Wikisource.
The preeminent Advaita Vedānta ācārya and a prolific composer of devotional stotras revered across the Hindu traditions.
Nirvāṇa Ṣaṭkam is a six-verse hymn of self-knowledge by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, opening with "Mano Budhya Ahaṅkāra Cittāni Nāhaṃ" — "I am not the mind, the intellect, the ego, or the memory." Each verse negates an identification with the body-mind complex, culminating in sat-cit-ānanda (being-consciousness-bliss).
Who composed the Nirvana Shatkam?
Nirvāṇa Ṣaṭkam is attributed to Ādi Śaṅkarācārya. It is a distillation of Advaita Vedānta in verse form — the neti-neti ("not this, not this") method of self-inquiry that strips away all that is not the Self.
What is the meaning of Mana Buddhya Ahankara?
"Mano Budhya Ahaṅkāra Cittāni Nāhaṃ" is the opening of Nirvāṇa Ṣaṭkam: "I am not the mind, the intellect, the ego, or the memory." The verse proceeds to deny identification with the senses, elements, and the pancha-bhūtas, ending in the declaration "śivo'ham" — "I am Śiva."
How do I read the Nirvana Shatkam on Avabodhak?
Every verse of Nirvāṇa Ṣaṭkam is shown in Devanagari, Roman (IAST) and English meaning. Free to read, no login required; the practice view replays the hymn for chanting or memorising.