Shiva panchakshara stotra

शिवपञ्चाक्शरस्तोत्र

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Salutations to Shiva who burns up the grief caused by poverty! Here poverty does not necessarily mean material poverty; it also means spiritual poverty.

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.

shiva panchAkshara stotra
      शिवपञ्चाक्शरस्तोत्र

नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्माण्‍गरागाय महेश्वराय ।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ १॥

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
"na'' kAra (term).


मन्दाकिनि\-सलिलचन्दन\-चर्चिताय 
नन्दीश्वर\-प्रमथनाथ\- महेश्वराय ।
मन्दारपुश्ह्प\-बहुपुश्ह्प\-सुपूजिताय
तस्मै मकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ २॥

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
syllable "ma".


शिवाय गौरीवदनाब्ज\-वृन्द\-
सूर्याय दक्शाध्वरनाशकाय ।
श्रीनीलकण्ठाय वृश्हध्वजाय
तस्मै शिकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ३॥

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 "shi".


वसिश्ह्ठ\-कुम्भोद्भव\-गौतमार्यमुनीन्द्र\-देवार्चितशेखराय ।
चन्द्रार्क\-वैश्वानरलोचनाय तस्मै वकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ४॥

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 "va".


यक्शस्वरूपाय जटाधराय पिनाकहस्ताय सनातनाय ।
दिव्याय देवाय दिगम्बराय तस्मै यकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ५॥

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 "ya".


पञ्चाक्शरमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेच्च्हिवसन्निधौ ।
शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते ॥

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


  .. इति श्रीमच्च्हंकराचार्यविरचित शिवपञ्चाक्शर स्तोत्रं समाप्तं ..