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Advaita Pancharatnam (Atma Panchakam)

अद्वैत पञ्चरत्नम् (आत्मपञ्चकम्) in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 5× repetitions·🕐 Early morning after bath, or during meditation and Vedantic study (svadhyaya)·📜 Prakarana (independent Advaita hymn) ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

The Advaita Pancharatnam ('Five Gems of Non-Duality'), also called Atma Panchakam, is a set of five concise verses by Adi Shankaracharya distilling the essence of Advaita Vedanta. Each verse ends with the affirmation 'Shivoham' — 'I am Shiva', the pure witness-consciousness. Through the classic rope-and-snake analogy and the dream metaphor, it negates identification with body, mind and world and establishes the Self as the one, eternal, non-dual reality.

Origin & Story

Prakarana (independent Advaita hymn) ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya · Adi Shankaracharya · Classical (traditionally 8th century CE)

The Advaita Pancharatnam, also titled Atma Panchakam, belongs to Adi Shankaracharya's group of brief prakarana hymns that compress the teaching of Advaita Vedanta into a handful of verses. Like the Nirvana Shatkam and Dashashloki, it negates the seeker's identification with the body, senses, mind and the apparent world, and affirms the Self as 'Shiva' — the one, pure, witnessing consciousness. The colophon attributes it to Shri Shankara Bhagavatpada, disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpada.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally said that one who repeatedly contemplates these five 'gems', resolving the world into the Self as a snake resolves back into the rope, is freed from the deep-rooted fear of birth and death; for in the light of 'Shivoham' the false individuality dissolves and only the fearless, blissful Self remains.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

nāhaṃ deho nendriyāṇy antaraṅgo nāhaṅkāraḥ prāṇavargo na buddhiḥ | dārāpatya-kṣetra-vittādi-dūraḥ sākṣī nityaḥ pratyagātmā śivo'ham ||1||

Meaning:I am not the body, nor the senses, nor the inner mind; I am neither the ego, nor the vital breaths, nor the intellect. Utterly remote from wife, children, lands and wealth, I am the eternal witness, the innermost Self — I am Shiva.

Verse 2

rajjv-ajñānād bhāti rajjau yathāhiḥ svātmājñānād ātmano jīvabhāvaḥ | āptoktyā-hi-bhrānti-nāśe sa rajjur jīvo nāhaṃ deśikoktyā śivo'ham ||2||

Meaning:Just as a snake appears in a rope through ignorance of the rope, so the notion of being a limited soul appears in the Self through ignorance of one's own nature. As the delusion of the snake vanishes when a trustworthy person reveals 'it is only a rope', so, by the word of the guru, I am not the limited soul — I am Shiva.

Verse 3

ābhātīdaṃ viśvam ātmany asatyaṃ satya-jñānānanda-rūpe vimohāt | nidrā-mohāt svapnavat tan na satyaṃ śuddhaḥ pūrṇo nitya ekaḥ śivo'ham ||3||

Meaning:Through delusion this unreal universe appears within Me, whose nature is Truth, Knowledge and Bliss; but like a dream born of the stupor of sleep, it is not real. Pure, full, eternal and one without a second — I am Shiva.

Verse 4

nāhaṃ jāto na pravṛddho na naṣṭo dehasyoktāḥ prākṛtāḥ sarva-dharmāḥ | kartṛtvādiś cinmayasyāsti nāhaṃ- kārasyaiva hy ātmano me śivo'ham ||4||

Meaning:I am not born, I do not grow, I do not perish; all such changes belong to the body's natural states. Doership and the rest belong only to the ego, not to Me, the Self of pure consciousness — I am Shiva.

Verse 5

matto nānyat kiñcid atrāsti viśvaṃ satyaṃ bāhyaṃ vastu māyopaklṛptam | ādarśāntar-bhāsamānasya tulyaṃ mayy advaite bhāti tasmāc chivo'ham ||5||

Meaning:There is nothing here at all apart from Me; the external world taken as real is but a fabrication of Maya. As a reflection shines within a mirror, so it appears within Me, the non-dual reality — therefore I am Shiva.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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na ahaṃ dehaḥ🔊I am not the body

na indriyāṇi🔊nor the sense organs

antaraṅgaḥ🔊the inner instrument (mind); I am not even the inner organ

na ahaṅkāraḥ🔊nor the ego

prāṇavargaḥ🔊the group of vital airs (pranas); nor the breath

na buddhiḥ🔊nor the intellect

dārāpatya-kṣetra-vittādi-dūraḥ🔊far removed from wife, children, lands, wealth and the like

sākṣī nityaḥ🔊the eternal witness

pratyagātmā🔊the innermost Self

śivo'ham🔊I am Shiva (the auspicious, pure consciousness)

rajjv-ajñānāt🔊from ignorance of the rope

bhāti rajjau yathā ahiḥ🔊just as a snake appears in (place of) a rope

svātmājñānāt🔊from ignorance of one's own Self

ātmano jīvabhāvaḥ🔊the notion of being a limited individual (jiva) arises in the Self

deśikoktyā🔊by the word (teaching) of the guru

ābhāti idaṃ viśvam asatyam🔊this unreal universe appears

satya-jñānānanda-rūpe🔊in (the Self which is) of the nature of Truth, Knowledge and Bliss (sat-chit-ananda)

vimohāt🔊due to delusion

svapnavat tat na satyam🔊like a dream, that is not real

śuddhaḥ pūrṇaḥ nityaḥ ekaḥ🔊pure, full (infinite), eternal, one (without a second)

na ahaṃ jātaḥ na pravṛddho na naṣṭaḥ🔊I am not born, do not grow, and am not destroyed

matto na anyat kiñcit🔊there is nothing whatsoever other than Me

ādarśāntar-bhāsamānasya tulyam🔊like (an image) appearing within a mirror

mayy advaite bhāti🔊shines (appears) in Me, the non-dual reality

Benefits of Chanting अद्वैत पञ्चरत्नम् (आत्मपञ्चकम्)

✦

Delivers the core teaching of Advaita Vedanta in five memorable verses for daily contemplation

✦

Strengthens the conviction 'Shivoham / Aham Brahmasmi' (I am the pure Self)

✦

Uses the rope-snake and dream analogies to dissolve identification with body, mind and world

✦

Calms the mind and frees it from fear born of the false sense of being a limited individual

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An excellent aid for nididhyasana (deep meditation) and Self-enquiry

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Bestows abiding peace by revealing the witness-Self untouched by birth, growth and death

How to Chant अद्वैत पञ्चरत्नम् (आत्मपञ्चकम्)

Repetitions5times

Best TimeEarly morning after bath, or during meditation and Vedantic study (svadhyaya)

Sit quietly facing east or north. Recite each of the five verses slowly, pausing to absorb the meaning, especially the closing 'Shivoham' of each verse. Reflect on the rope-snake and mirror analogies as you chant, and rest the mind in the awareness 'I am the witness, the pure Self'. Recite all five (one chant) daily, or in multiples, as part of contemplation.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete अद्वैत पञ्चरत्नम् (आत्मपञ्चकम्) written in the English 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 a short hymn of five verses ('pancha' = five, 'ratnam' = gem) by Adi Shankaracharya summarizing the philosophy of Advaita (non-duality). It is also known as Atma Panchakam, 'the five verses on the Self'.

'Shivoham' means 'I am Shiva' — not the personal deity here, but the auspicious, ever-pure, non-dual consciousness that is one's true Self (Atman/Brahman). The refrain affirms the seeker's real identity after each negation of the body, mind and world.

In dim light a coiled rope can be mistaken for a snake; the fear vanishes the moment someone reliable says 'it is only a rope'. Likewise, ignorance makes the infinite Self appear as a limited individual (jiva); the guru's teaching removes this error, revealing 'I am Shiva'.

They share the same Advaitic theme of negating identification with body and mind, but they are distinct compositions. Nirvana Shatkam has six verses ending in 'Shivoham Shivoham', while the Advaita Pancharatnam (Atma Panchakam) has five verses ending in 'Shivoham'.