To Him who wears the king of serpents as a garland, the three-eyed Lord whose body is smeared with sacred ash, the great Īśvara — eternal, pure, and clothed in the directions themselves: to Him denoted by the syllable 'na', salutations to Śiva.
To Him anointed with Gaṅgā's water and sandal-paste, Lord of Nandī and of the pramatha hosts, the great Īśvara worshipped with mandāra and a wealth of blossoms: to Him denoted by the syllable 'ma', salutations to Śiva.
To the all-auspicious One, the sun that opens the lotus-face of Gaurī, destroyer of Dakṣa's sacrifice, the blue-throated Lord whose banner bears the bull: to Him denoted by the syllable 'śi', salutations to Śiva.
To Him whose crown is worshipped by Vasiṣṭha, the pot-born Agastya, Gautama and other sage-lords and by the gods, whose three eyes are the moon, the sun, and fire: to Him denoted by the syllable 'va', salutations to Śiva.
To Him in the form of a yakṣa, bearing matted locks and the Pināka bow in His hand, the eternal and radiant Lord clothed in the directions: to Him denoted by the syllable 'ya', salutations to Śiva.
phalaśrutiḥ
phalaśrutiḥ
Phalaśruti — the fruit of reciting the five-syllable hymn.
pañcākṣaramidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhecchivasannidhau | śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate
Whoever recites this holy five-syllable hymn in the presence of Śiva attains the abode of Śiva and rejoices there in His company.
About Śiva Pañcākṣara Stotra
Śiva Pañcākṣara Stotra is a Sanskrit stotra, composed by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, addressed to Shiva — a Stotra. It is presented here in Devanagari, Roman (IAST), Kannada, each verse with its English meaning. Source text: sanskritdocuments.org.
Also known as: Nagendra Haraya, Shiva Panchakshara Stotram.
The preeminent Advaita Vedānta ācārya and a prolific composer of devotional stotras revered across the Hindu traditions.
Śiva Pañcākṣara Stotra is a 6-verse hymn to Śiva composed by Ādi Śaṅkarācārya. "Pañcākṣara" refers to the five syllables namaḥ śivāya, and each verse praises Śiva through one of his forms. It opens with the line "Nāgendra Hārāya".
What are the five syllables in the Panchakshara?
The pañcākṣara is the mantra na-maḥ-śi-vā-ya. In Śiva Pañcākṣara Stotra, Śaṅkara weaves each verse around the mantra — the five syllables themselves are considered Śiva's most direct form, accessible to all.
What is the meaning of Nagendra Haraya?
"Nāgendra Hārāya" is the opening of Śiva Pañcākṣara Stotra: it addresses Śiva as the one who wears the king of serpents (Vāsuki) as a garland — Nāgendra Hārāya Trilocanāya Bhasmāṅga Rāgāya. The first verse salutes this form before the hymn moves through Śiva's other emblems.
How do I read the Shiva Panchakshara Stotram on Avabodhak?
Every verse of Śiva Pañcākṣara Stotra 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.