श्री शिव षडक्षर स्तोत्रम् — Benefits & How to Chant
श्री शिव षडक्षर स्तोत्रम्
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting श्री शिव षडक्षर स्तोत्रम्
Glorifies the six-syllabled Shadakshara mantra 'Om Namah Shivaya'
one verse for each sacred syllable, making the very letters of the mantra a complete meditation on Shiva.
Reciting it is a full worship of Mahadeva
invoking His form, his mount Nandi, his serpent Vasuki, and his union with Shakti.
The closing verse itself promises Shivaloka and eternal joy in Shiva's company to those who recite it before the Lord.
Said to remove even the gravest sins (mahā-pāpa) and to bestow both worldly desires (kāma) and final liberation (moksha).
Short, rhythmic and easy to memorise
ideal for daily japa and for chanting before the Shiva Linga.
Especially powerful on Mondays, Pradosha, Maha Shivaratri and throughout the holy month of Shravan.
How to Chant श्री शिव षडक्षर स्तोत्रम्
Instructions
Sit before a Shiva Linga or image after bathing, apply sacred ash (vibhuti), and recite the six verses — one for each syllable of 'Om Namah Shivaya'. Dwell on the meaning of each syllable (Om, Na, Ma, Shi, Va, Ya) as you chant, then conclude with the phala-shruti verse. Many devotees follow it with 108 repetitions of 'Om Namah Shivaya' on a Rudraksha mala.
Spiritual Significance
Tradition holds that the Shadakshara 'Om Namah Shivaya' is the king of mantras, capable of liberating even the gravest sinner, and that uttering it even once at the hour of death turns the mind to Shiva. By dwelling on each of its six syllables in turn, this stotra lets the devotee worship Shiva completely with a single short prayer — and its own words promise the abode of Shiva to all who recite it with faith.
Origin & History
Source: Traditional Shaiva stotra on the Shadakshara (six-syllable) mantra
Author: Unknown (traditional)
The mantra 'Om Namah Shivaya' is the heart of Shaivism, its core 'Namah Shivaya' drawn from the Shri Rudram of the Yajurveda and prefixed with the praṇava Om to form the six-syllabled Shadakshara. This stotra garlands those six syllables, devoting a verse to each so that the very letters of the mantra become a meditation on the form, mount, ornaments and grace of Mahadeva, culminating in a verse on Shiva as the all-pervading Guru of the gods.