Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Swayambho — Benefits & How to Chant
भो शम्भो शिव शम्भो स्वयम्भो
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Swayambho
Blends loving devotion (bhakti) with the highest Advaitic vision of Shiva as Nirguna Brahman
Its simple, repetitive refrain 'Bho Shambho' makes it easy and joyful to sing as kirtan
Cultivates surrender
'protect me and ferry me across the ocean of samsara'
Turns the mind inward toward the Self 'hidden in the cave of the heart'
A favourite Carnatic music composition, soothing and meditative to listen to and chant
Invokes Shiva as Kaivalya-pati, the Lord of liberation, for spiritual freedom
How to Chant Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Swayambho
Instructions
Sing or chant the refrain 'Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Svayambho' between each verse, letting it become a steady, joyful repetition. Reflect on the two moods of the hymn: first the loving cry to the compassionate Lord who saves us, then the contemplation of Shiva as the formless, blissful Self within the heart. It may be sung melodically as a kirtan or recited softly as a meditation. There is no fixed count — repeat with devotion as long as the heart wishes.
Spiritual Significance
Many stories surround Sadashiva Brahmendra's miraculous life as a silent avadhuta — it is said his hands, severed by a soldier when he wandered naked in samadhi, were restored when the king begged his forgiveness. Devotees believe that singing his Shiva songs like 'Bho Shambho' carries something of that saint's liberated bliss, calming the mind and turning it toward the Self.
Origin & History
Source: Devotional composition of Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra
Author: Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra Saraswati
Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra was a celebrated Avadhuta and Advaita master who lived as a wandering, often silent, God-intoxicated sage near Nerur in Tamil Nadu. His Sanskrit compositions, sung to this day in the Carnatic tradition, pour out the bliss of Self-realisation. In 'Bho Shambho' he calls upon Shiva at once as the tender, Ganga-bearing saviour who carries the devotee across the sea of birth and death, and as the attributeless Supreme Self shining within the cave of the heart — the goal of his own Advaitic realisation.