shivasadashiva-brahmendrastotrakirtan

භෝ ශම්භෝ ශිව ශම්භෝ ස්වයම්භෝ

Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Swayambho in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 11× repetitions·🕐 Early morning meditation, evening bhajan, Mondays and Pradosha Kaal·📜 Devotional composition of Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Devotional composition of Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra · Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra Saraswati · 18th century CE

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.

✦ As told in scripture

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.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

භෝ ශම්භෝ ශිව ශම්භෝ ස්වයම්භෝ..

Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Svayambho

Meaning:O Shambhu, auspicious Shiva, self-existent Lord!

Verse 2

ගඞ්ගාධර ශඞ්කර කරුණාකර මාමව භවසාගරතාරක.. භෝ ශම්භෝ ශිව ශම්භෝ ස්වයම්භෝ..

Gangadhara Shankara Karunakara Mam-Ava Bhava-Sagara-Taraka Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Svayambho

Meaning:O bearer of the Ganga, O Shankara, O mine of compassion — protect me, O ferryman across the ocean of worldly existence! O Shambhu, Shiva, Swayambhu!

Verse 3

නිර්ගුණ පරබ්රහ්මස්වරූප ගගනාකාර අඛණ්ඩ අමේය.. භෝ ශම්භෝ ශිව ශම්භෝ ස්වයම්භෝ..

Nirguna Para-Brahma-Svarupa Gagana-Akara Akhanda Ameya Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Svayambho

Meaning:O one whose nature is the attributeless Supreme Brahman, formless and all-pervading like the sky, undivided and immeasurable! O Shambhu, Shiva, Swayambhu!

Verse 4

නිත්ය නිරාමය නිෂ්කලරූප නිජගුහනිහිත නිතාන්ත අනන්ත.. භෝ ශම්භෝ ශිව ශම්භෝ ස්වයම්භෝ..

Nitya Niramaya Nishkala-Rupa Nija-Guha-Nihita Nitanta Ananta Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Svayambho

Meaning:O eternal, affliction-free, partless one, hidden within the cave of one's own heart, utterly infinite and endless! O Shambhu, Shiva, Swayambhu!

Verse 5

කෛවල්යපතේ පරමශිවේශ්වර පරමානන්දතනෝ ප්රණතාර්තිහර.. භෝ ශම්භෝ ශිව ශම්භෝ ස්වයම්භෝ..

Kaivalya-Pate Parama-Shiv-Eshvara Parama-Ananda-Tano Pranata-Arti-Hara Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Svayambho

Meaning:O Lord of liberation, Supreme Lord Shiva, O one whose very form is the highest bliss, remover of the suffering of all who bow to you! O Shambhu, Shiva, Swayambhu!

Word-by-Word Meaning

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භෝ ශම්භෝ🔊Bho ShambhoO Shambhu (Shiva, the source of auspiciousness and joy)

ශිව ශම්භෝ🔊Shiva ShambhoO auspicious Shiva, O Shambhu

ස්වයම්භෝ🔊SvayambhoO self-existent one (the self-born, uncreated Reality)

ගඞ්ගාධර🔊GangadharaO bearer of the river Ganga (in your matted locks)

ශඞ්කර🔊ShankaraO doer of good, giver of peace

කරුණාකර🔊KarunakaraO mine (source) of compassion

මාමව🔊Mam-AvaProtect me / save me

භවසාගරතාරක🔊Bhava-Sagara-TarakaO one who ferries (us) across the ocean of worldly existence

නිර්ගුණ🔊NirgunaWithout attributes (beyond the three gunas)

පරබ්රහ්මස්වරූප🔊Para-Brahma-SvarupaWhose nature is the Supreme Brahman

ගගනාකාර🔊Gagana-AkaraFormless and all-pervading like the sky

අඛණ්ඩ අමේය🔊Akhanda AmeyaUndivided (whole) and immeasurable

නිත්ය නිරාමය🔊Nitya NiramayaEternal and free from all affliction (disease)

නිෂ්කලරූප🔊Nishkala-RupaOf partless (indivisible) form

නිජගුහනිහිත🔊Nija-Guha-NihitaHidden within one's own heart-cave (the inner Self)

නිතාන්ත අනන්ත🔊Nitanta AnantaUtterly infinite, endless

කෛවල්යපතේ🔊Kaivalya-PateO Lord of Kaivalya (final liberation, absolute aloneness)

පරමශිවේශ්වර🔊Parama-Shiva-IshvaraO Supreme Lord Shiva

පරමානන්දතනෝ🔊Parama-Ananda-TanoO one whose very body is supreme bliss

ප්රණතාර්තිහර🔊Pranata-Arti-HaraO remover of the suffering of those who bow to you

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

Repetitions11times

Best TimeEarly morning meditation, evening bhajan, Mondays and Pradosha Kaal

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Bho Shambho Shiva Shambho Swayambho written in the Sinhala script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is traditionally attributed to Sri Sadashiva Brahmendra (18th century CE), a great Avadhuta saint, Advaita Vedantin and composer from Tamil Nadu, renowned for his ecstatic, deeply philosophical Sanskrit songs such as 'Manasa Sancharare' and 'Khelati Mama Hridaye'.

'Svayambhu' means 'self-existent' or 'self-born' — that which exists by its own nature, uncreated and dependent on nothing else. It points to Shiva as the ultimate, self-existent Reality (Brahman).

It is beautifully both. The opening verse is full of loving devotion to the Ganga-bearing, compassionate Shiva, while the later verses describe him as Nirguna Brahman — attributeless, sky-like, infinite and blissful — making it a perfect union of bhakti and Advaita jnana.

It is widely sung as a Carnatic music kriti, with the refrain 'Bho Shambho' recurring between verses. It is equally suited to group bhajan singing and to quiet personal meditation on Shiva.