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Om Namah Shivaya

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The OM namaḥ Śivāya mantra written inDevanagari

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Om Namah Shivaya (Sanskrit Oṃ Namaḥ Śivāya ) (Tamil Om Nama

civaaya ) is one of the most popular Hindu mantra and the mostimportantmantra inShaivism.Its translation is "adoration (namas) to Śiva", preceded by the mystical syllable" Aum".It is also called Panchakshara , the "five-syllable" mantra (viz., excluding the

Aum). The Tamil Saivaite hymnTiruvacakam begins with the five letters 'na' 'ma' 'ci' 'vaa' 'ya'.It is part of theShri RudramChamakam, a Hindu prayer taken from theYajurveda, and thus predates the use of Shiva as a proper name, in the originalcontext being an address to Rudra (later Shiva), where śiva retains its original meaning as an adjective, meaning "auspicious,benign, friendly", an euphemistic epithet of Rudra. The Panchakshara should be recited by Shiva devotees during pooja,homa, Japa and while smearing Vibhuti.

Contents [hide]1 Interpretation in modern Shaivaism2 See also3 References4 External links

Interpretation in modern Shaivaism [edit]

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The meaning of the Namaḥ Śivāya mantra was explained by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswamias follows:

Namaḥ Śivāya is the most holy name of God Śiva, recorded at the very centre of theVedas and elaborated in the Śaiva Agamas.Na is the Lord's concealing grace, Ma is the world,Śi stands for Śiva, Va is His revealinggrace, Ya is the soul. The five elements, too, are embodied in this ancient formula for invocation. Na is earth, Ma is water, Śi is fire, Vā is air, and Ya is ether, or Ākāśa. Manyare its meanings.Namaḥ Śivaya has such power that the mere intonation of these syllables reaps its ownreward in salvaging the soul from bondage of the treacherous instinctive mind and the steelbands of a perfected externalized intellect. Namaḥ Śivāya quells the instinct, cuts throughthe steel bands and turns this intellect within and on itself, to face itself and see itsignorance. Sages declare that mantra is life, that mantra is action, that mantra is love andthat the repetition of mantra, japa, bursts forth wisdom from within.The holy Natchintanai proclaims, "Namaḥ Śivāya is in truth both Āgama and Veda. NamahŚivāya represents all mantras and tantras. Namaḥ Śivaya is our souls, our bodies and

possessions. Namaḥ Śivāya has become our sure protection."—Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami[1]

See also [edit]

VibhutiŚivaShri Rudram ChamakamMahamrityunjaya MantraYajurveda

References [edit]

1. ^ Subramuniyaswami, Sivaya."Mandala 28: Affirmations of Faith". Dancing With Shiva. SLOKA 137: Himalayan AcademyPubns. ISBN 978-0945497974.

External links [edit]

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Categories : Shaivism Hindu mantras

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