shivashadaksharaom-namah-shivayasix-syllables

𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀 𑌶𑌿𑌵 𑌷𑌡𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌮𑍍

श्री शिव षडक्षर स्तोत्रम् in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 6× repetitions·🕐 Morning or at Pradosha twilight; especially Mondays, Maha Shivaratri and Shravan·📜 Traditional Shaiva stotra on the Shadakshara (six-syllable) mantra

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Traditional Shaiva stotra on the Shadakshara (six-syllable) mantra · Unknown (traditional) · Ancient / classical

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.

✦ As told in scripture

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.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

𑍐𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌂 𑌬𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍁𑌸𑌂𑌯𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑍋𑌗𑌿𑌨𑌃 । 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌦𑌂 𑌮𑍋𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌦𑌂 𑌚𑍈𑌵 𑍐𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌨𑌮𑌃 ॥ ௧॥

oṃkāraṃ bindusaṃyuktaṃ nityaṃ dhyāyanti yoginaḥ | kāmadaṃ mokṣadaṃ caiva oṃkārāya namo namaḥ || 1||

Meaning:योगीजन बिन्दु से युक्त ॐकार का नित्य ध्यान करते हैं — जो कामनाओं और मोक्ष दोनों को देने वाला है। उस ॐकार स्वरूप को बार-बार नमस्कार है।

Verse 2

𑌨𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌋𑌷𑌯𑍋 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾 𑌨𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌪𑍍𑌸𑌰𑌸𑌾𑌂 𑌗𑌣𑌾𑌃 । 𑌨𑌰𑌾 𑌨𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑍇𑌶𑌂 𑌨𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌨𑌮𑌃 ॥ ௨॥

namanti ṛṣayo devā namantyapsarasāṃ gaṇāḥ | narā namanti deveśaṃ nakārāya namo namaḥ || 2||

Meaning:ऋषि और देव नमन करते हैं, अप्सराओं के गण नमन करते हैं, और मनुष्य देवेश को नमस्कार करते हैं। उस 'न' कार स्वरूप को बार-बार नमस्कार है।

Verse 3

𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌂 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣𑌮𑍍 । 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌪𑌾𑌪𑌹𑌰𑌂 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌂 𑌮𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌨𑌮𑌃 ॥ ௩॥

mahādevaṃ mahātmānaṃ mahādhyānaparāyaṇam | mahāpāpaharaṃ devaṃ makārāya namo namaḥ || 3||

Meaning:महादेव, महात्मा, महान् ध्यान में परायण, महापापों का हरण करने वाले देव — उस 'म' कार स्वरूप को बार-बार नमस्कार है।

Verse 4

𑌶𑌿𑌵𑌂 𑌶𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌜𑌗𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌾𑌥𑌂 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌾𑌨𑍁𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌹𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌮𑍍 । 𑌶𑌿𑌵𑌮𑍇𑌕𑌪𑌦𑌂 𑌨𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌶𑌿𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌨𑌮𑌃 ॥ ௪॥

śivaṃ śāntaṃ jagannāthaṃ lokānugrahakārakam | śivamekapadaṃ nityaṃ śikārāya namo namaḥ || 4||

Meaning:शिव, शान्त, जगन्नाथ, लोकों पर अनुग्रह करने वाले, 'शिव' इस एक पद से ही सूचित नित्य तत्त्व — उस 'शि' कार स्वरूप को बार-बार नमस्कार है।

Verse 5

𑌵𑌾𑌹𑌨𑌂 𑌵𑍃𑌷𑌭𑍋 𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌵𑌾𑌸𑍁𑌕𑌿𑌃 𑌕𑌣𑍍𑌠𑌭𑍂𑌷𑌣𑌮𑍍 । 𑌵𑌾𑌮𑍇 𑌶𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌧𑌰𑌂 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌂 𑌵𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌨𑌮𑌃 ॥ ௫॥

vāhanaṃ vṛṣabho yasya vāsukiḥ kaṇṭhabhūṣaṇam | vāme śaktidharaṃ devaṃ vakārāya namo namaḥ || 5||

Meaning:जिनका वाहन वृषभ है, वासुकि नाग जिनके कण्ठ का आभूषण है, जो वाम भाग में शक्ति को धारण करते हैं — उस 'व' कार स्वरूप को बार-बार नमस्कार है।

Verse 6

𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌤𑍋 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌪𑍀 𑌮𑌹𑍇𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌰𑌃 । 𑌯𑍋 𑌗𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌯𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌨𑌮𑌃 ॥ ௬॥

yatra yatra sthito devaḥ sarvavyāpī maheśvaraḥ | yo guruḥ sarvadevānāṃ yakārāya namo namaḥ || 6||

Meaning:जो देव सर्वत्र विद्यमान हैं, सर्वव्यापी महेश्वर, जो समस्त देवों के गुरु हैं — उस 'य' कार स्वरूप को बार-बार नमस्कार है।

Verse 7

𑌷𑌡𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰𑌮𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌠𑍇𑌚𑍍𑌛𑌿𑌵𑌸𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌧𑍗 । 𑌶𑌿𑌵𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌮𑌵𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌨𑍋𑌤𑌿 𑌶𑌿𑌵𑍇𑌨 𑌸𑌹 𑌮𑍋𑌦𑌤𑍇 ॥ ௭॥

ṣaḍakṣaramidaṃ stotraṃ yaḥ paṭhecchivasannidhau | śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate || 7||

Meaning:जो इस षडक्षर स्तोत्र का शिव के सान्निध्य में पाठ करता है, वह शिवलोक को प्राप्त करता है और शिव के साथ सदा आनन्द भोगता है।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑍐𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌂🔊oṃkāraṃThe sacred syllable Om — the first of the six syllables of 'Om Namah Shivaya'

𑌬𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍁𑌸𑌂𑌯𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌂🔊bindu-saṃyuktaṃUnited with the bindu (the nasal point/dot, the seed of cosmic sound)

𑌨𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑍋𑌗𑌿𑌨𑌃🔊nityaṃ dhyāyanti yoginaḥThe yogis meditate upon it constantly

𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌦𑌂 𑌮𑍋𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌦𑌂🔊kāmadaṃ mokṣadaṃGranter of desires and bestower of liberation

𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌨𑌮𑌃🔊namo namaḥSalutations again and again

𑌨𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌋𑌷𑌯𑍋 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾🔊namanti ṛṣayo devāThe sages and gods bow down

𑌅𑌪𑍍𑌸𑌰𑌸𑌾𑌂 𑌗𑌣𑌾𑌃🔊apsarasāṃ gaṇāḥThe hosts of celestial nymphs (apsaras)

𑌨𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯🔊nakārāyaTo the syllable 'Na'

𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌂 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌂🔊mahādevaṃ mahātmānaṃThe Great God (Mahadeva), the great-souled one

𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌣𑌮𑍍🔊mahādhyāna-parāyaṇamEver absorbed in supreme meditation

𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌪𑌾𑌪𑌹𑌰𑌂🔊mahāpāpaharaṃRemover of even the greatest sins

𑌮𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯🔊makārāyaTo the syllable 'Ma'

𑌶𑌿𑌵𑌂 𑌶𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌂 𑌜𑌗𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌾𑌥𑌂🔊śivaṃ śāntaṃ jagannāthaṃThe auspicious one, the peaceful one, the Lord of the universe

𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌾𑌨𑍁𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌹𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌮𑍍🔊lokānugraha-kārakamThe bestower of grace upon all the worlds

𑌶𑌿𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯🔊śikārāyaTo the syllable 'Shi'

𑌵𑌾𑌹𑌨𑌂 𑌵𑍃𑌷𑌭𑍋 𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌯🔊vāhanaṃ vṛṣabho yasyaHe whose vehicle is the bull (Nandi)

𑌵𑌾𑌸𑍁𑌕𑌿𑌃 𑌕𑌣𑍍𑌠𑌭𑍂𑌷𑌣𑌮𑍍🔊vāsukiḥ kaṇṭhabhūṣaṇamWho wears the serpent Vasuki as the ornament of his neck

𑌵𑌾𑌮𑍇 𑌶𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌧𑌰𑌂🔊vāme śaktidharaṃWho holds Shakti (the Goddess) on his left side

𑌵𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯🔊vakārāyaTo the syllable 'Va'

𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌤𑍋 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌃🔊yatra yatra sthito devaḥThe God who abides everywhere, wherever one looks

𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌵𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌪𑍀 𑌮𑌹𑍇𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌰𑌃🔊sarvavyāpī maheśvaraḥThe all-pervading Supreme Lord (Maheshvara)

𑌯𑍋 𑌗𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌂🔊yo guruḥ sarvadevānāṃWho is the Guru (teacher) of all the gods

𑌯𑌕𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯🔊yakārāyaTo the syllable 'Ya'

𑌷𑌡𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌰𑌮𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌰𑌂🔊ṣaḍakṣaram-idaṃ stotraṃThis hymn of the six syllables

𑌶𑌿𑌵𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌮𑌵𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌨𑍋𑌤𑌿🔊śivalokam-avāpnotiAttains the abode of Shiva (Shivaloka)

𑌶𑌿𑌵𑍇𑌨 𑌸𑌹 𑌮𑍋𑌦𑌤𑍇🔊śivena saha modateAnd rejoices forever in the company of Shiva

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

Repetitions6times

Best TimeMorning or at Pradosha twilight; especially Mondays, Maha Shivaratri and Shravan

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete श्री शिव षडक्षर स्तोत्रम् written in the Grantha 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 seven-verse Sanskrit hymn that garlands the six syllables of the great Shiva mantra 'Om Namah Shivaya'. Each of the first six verses is devoted to one syllable — Om, Na, Ma, Shi, Va, Ya — praising a different aspect of Lord Shiva and ending with 'namo namaḥ' (salutations) to that letter.

Om, Na, Ma, Shi, Va and Ya — together forming 'Om Namah Shivaya'. 'Shadakshara' means 'six syllables'. Unlike the Panchakshara (the five-syllabled 'Namah Shivaya'), the Shadakshara includes the praṇava Om at the beginning.

The Panchakshara Stotra praises the five syllables 'Na-Ma-Shi-Va-Ya', while the Shadakshara Stotram adds a verse for the sacred Om, covering all six syllables of 'Om Namah Shivaya'. Both devote one verse to each syllable of the mantra.

The hymn's own closing verse declares that whoever recites this Shadakshara stotra in the presence of Shiva attains Shivaloka and rejoices forever in Shiva's company. It is also said to grant worldly wishes and to wash away grave sins.