Shiva Panchakshara Stotram

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Shiva Panchakshara Stotram: Lyrics and Meaning

शिव पंचाक्षर स्तोत्र

Traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya

The Shiva Panchakshara Stotram is a short Sanskrit hymn to Shiva in five verses and a closing verse. It is built on the five-syllable mantra na-maḥ śi-vā-ya ("salutation to Shiva"): each verse starts with one of the five syllables, in order, and ends by greeting Shiva as that syllable ("tasmai na-kārāya namaḥ śivāya", "to him who is the syllable na, salutation to Shiva"). Many families recite it on Mondays, in the month of Shravan and on Maha Shivaratri.

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Verse 1

नागेंद्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्मांगरागाय महेश्वराय ।नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगंबराय तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ १ ॥

Nagendraharaya trilochanaya bhasmangaragaya maheshvarayaNityaya shuddhaya digambaraya tasmai nakaraya namah shivaya

IAST

nāgeṃdrahārāya trilocanāya bhasmāṃgarāgāya maheśvarāya |nityāya śuddhāya digaṃbarāya tasmai nakārāya namaḥ śivāya || 1 ||

How to read these English letters (IAST)

Our explanation The hymn greets Shiva, who wears the king of snakes as a garland, who has three eyes, whose body is smeared with sacred ash, the great lord. He is eternal and pure, and the sky is his only garment (digambara). The verse ends, "To him who is the syllable na, salutation to Shiva."

हिंदी अर्थ स्तोत्र उन शिव को नमस्कार करता है जो नागराज को हार की तरह पहनते हैं, जिनके तीन नेत्र हैं, जिनके शरीर पर भस्म लगी है, जो महेश्वर हैं। वे नित्य और शुद्ध हैं, और दिशाएँ ही उनका वस्त्र हैं (दिगंबर)। श्लोक का अंत इन शब्दों से होता है, "उन 'न' अक्षर रूप शिव को नमस्कार।"

Word by word

Every word, with its dictionary page

Word by word

  1. नागेंद्रहाराय nāgeṃdrahārāya · garlanded with the king of snakes (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: nāgendra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 533, col. 3 “serpent-chief”; 1. hāra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1289, col. 2 “a garland of pearls, necklace”
  2. त्रिलोचनाय trilocanāya · to the three-eyed one (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: tri-locana, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 460, col. 1 “three-eyed (Śiva)”
  3. भस्मांगरागाय bhasmāṃgarāgāya · whose body-paint is sacred ash (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: bhasman, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 750, col. 3 “sacred ashes”; aṅga-rāga, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 7, col. 3 “application of unguents or cosmetics to the body”
  4. महेश्वराय maheśvarāya · to the great lord (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: maheśvara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 802, col. 2 “a great lord, sovereign, chief”
  5. नित्याय nityāya · to the eternal one (dative singular) Dictionary: nitya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 547, col. 2 “continual, perpetual, eternal”
  6. शुद्धाय śuddhāya · to the pure one (dative singular) Dictionary: śuddha, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1082, col. 1 “cleansed, cleared, clean, pure, clear”
  7. दिगंबराय digaṃbarāya · to the sky-clad one (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: dig-ambara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 480, col. 1 “‘sky-clothed,’ i.e. quite naked”
  8. तस्मै tasmai · to him (pronoun, dative singular) Dictionary: tad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 434, col. 1 “m. he, f. she, n. it, that, this”
  9. नकाराय nakārāya · the syllable na (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: 1. na-kāra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 523, col. 1 “the sound or letter n”
  10. नमः namaḥ · bowing, homage (noun (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: namas, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 528, col. 1 “bow, obeisance, reverential salutation”
  11. शिवाय śivāya · to Shiva (dative singular) Dictionary: śiva, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1074, col. 1 “‘The Auspicious one,’ N. of the disintegrating or destroying and reproducing deity”

Verse 2

मंदाकिनीसलिलचंदनचर्चिताय नंदीश्वरप्रमथनाथमहेश्वराय ।मंदारपुष्पबहुपुष्पसुपूजिताय तस्मै मकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ २ ॥

Mandakinisalilachandanacharchitaya nan­dish­va­rap­ra­ma­tha­na­tha­ma­hesh­va­ra­yaMandarapushpabahupushpasupujitaya tasmai makaraya namah shivaya

IAST

maṃdākinīsalilacaṃdanacarcitāya naṃdīśvarapramathanāthamaheśvarāya |maṃdārapuṣpabahupuṣpasupūjitāya tasmai makārāya namaḥ śivāya || 2 ||

How to read these English letters (IAST)

Our explanation Shiva is anointed with the water of the Mandakini (the Ganga) and with sandal paste. He is the great lord of Nandi and of the pramathas, his band of attendants. He is worshipped well with mandara flowers and many other flowers. "To him who is the syllable ma, salutation to Shiva."

हिंदी अर्थ शिव पर मंदाकिनी (गंगा) का जल और चंदन चढ़ाया जाता है। वे नंदी और प्रमथ गणों (उनके सेवकों) के स्वामी महेश्वर हैं। मंदार और बहुत से दूसरे फूलों से उनकी भली-भाँति पूजा होती है। "उन 'म' अक्षर रूप शिव को नमस्कार।"

Word by word

Every word, with its dictionary page

Word by word

  1. मंदाकिनीसलिलचंदनचर्चिताय maṃdākinīsalilacaṃdanacarcitāya · anointed with Ganga water and sandal (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: mandākinī, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 788, col. 2; salila, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1189, col. 3 “water”; candana, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 386, col. 2 “sandal”; carcita, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 390, col. 2 “smeared with”
  2. नंदीश्वरप्रमथनाथमहेश्वराय naṃdīśvarapramathanāthamaheśvarāya · great lord of Nandi and the pramathas (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: nandīśvara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 527, col. 1 “N. of the chief of Ś°'s attendants”; pramatha-nātha, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 685, col. 1 “‘lord of the Pramathas’”; maheśvara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 802, col. 2 “a great lord, sovereign, chief”
  3. मंदारपुष्पबहुपुष्पसुपूजिताय maṃdārapuṣpabahupuṣpasupūjitāya · well worshipped with mandara and many flowers (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: mandāra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 788, col. 2; puṣpa, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 639, col. 2 “a flower”; bahu, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 724, col. 2 “much, many”; su-pūjita, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1228, col. 2
  4. तस्मै tasmai · to him (pronoun, dative singular) Dictionary: tad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 434, col. 1 “m. he, f. she, n. it, that, this”
  5. मकाराय makārāya · the syllable ma (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: 1. ma-kāra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 771, col. 1 “the letter or sound ma”
  6. नमः namaḥ · bowing, homage (noun (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: namas, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 528, col. 1 “bow, obeisance, reverential salutation”
  7. शिवाय śivāya · to Shiva (dative singular) Dictionary: śiva, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1074, col. 1 “‘The Auspicious one,’ N. of the disintegrating or destroying and reproducing deity”
2 printings differ

Edition differences. Another printing or text reads this place differently.

  • Word The 1904 Bombay printing reads: तस्मै मकराय नमः शिवाय मकराय for मकाराय: the vowel sign ā is missing, and the line is one syllable short. The 1899 edition (leaf n116) prints the same; the 1905 Khemraj printing (leaf n55) has मकाराय.
  • Spelling Today's text from sanskritdocuments.org reads: मन्दाकिनि-सलिलचन्दन-चर्चिताय मन्दाकिनि (short i, the stem form in a compound) for मंदाकिनी, read on 15 Oct 2026. The Gita Press text prints मन्दाकिनी, as our printing does, so the printing's spelling stays. The same page also notes 'मकारमहिताय' as another reading of 'तस्मै मकाराय'.

Verse 3

शिवाय गौरीवदनाब्जवृंदसूर्याय दक्षाध्वरनाशकाय ।श्रीनीलकंठाय वृषध्वजाय तस्मै शिकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ३ ॥

Shivaya gaurivadanabjavrindasuryaya dakshadhvaranashakayaShrinilakanthaya vrishadhvajaya tasmai shikaraya namah shivaya

IAST

śivāya gaurīvadanābjavṛṃdasūryāya dakṣādhvaranāśakāya |śrīnīlakaṃṭhāya vṛṣadhvajāya tasmai śikārāya namaḥ śivāya || 3 ||

How to read these English letters (IAST)

Our explanation Shiva is the auspicious one. He is the sun that makes the lotus of Gauri's (Parvati's) face bloom. He ended the sacrifice of Daksha. He is the revered blue-throated one (Nilakantha), and the bull is on his banner. "To him who is the syllable śi, salutation to Shiva."

हिंदी अर्थ शिव कल्याणकारी हैं। वे गौरी (पार्वती) के मुख-कमल को खिलाने वाले सूर्य हैं। उन्होंने दक्ष के यज्ञ का नाश किया। वे श्री नीलकंठ हैं, और उनके ध्वज पर बैल (नंदी) का चिह्न है। "उन 'शि' अक्षर रूप शिव को नमस्कार।"

Word by word

Every word, with its dictionary page

Word by word

  1. शिवाय śivāya · to the auspicious one (dative singular) Dictionary: śiva, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1074, col. 1 “‘The Auspicious one,’ N. of the disintegrating or destroying and reproducing deity”
  2. गौरीवदनाब्जवृंदसूर्याय gaurīvadanābjavṛṃdasūryāya · the sun to Gauri's lotus face (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: gaura, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 370, col. 1; vadana, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 916, col. 2; ab-ja, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 60, col. 2 “a lotus”; vṛnda, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1011, col. 2 “a heap”; sūrya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1243, col. 1
  3. दक्षाध्वरनाशकाय dakṣādhvaranāśakāya · destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: dakṣa, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 465, col. 1 “N. of one of the Prajā-patis”; a-dhvara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 24, col. 1 “a sacrifice”; nāśaka, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 538, col. 1 “destroying, annihilating”
  4. श्रीनीलकंठाय śrīnīlakaṃṭhāya · the revered blue-throated one (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: 3. śrī, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1098, col. 3 “used as an honorific prefix (= ‘sacred,’ ‘holy’) to the names”; nīla-kaṇṭha, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 566, col. 2 “N. of Śiva (as having a black throat from swallowing the poison”
  5. वृषध्वजाय vṛṣadhvajāya · whose banner bears the bull (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: vṛṣa-dhvaja, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1012, col. 1; vṛṣa-ketana, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1012, col. 1 “‘having a bull for a sign,’ N. of Śiva”
  6. तस्मै tasmai · to him (pronoun, dative singular) Dictionary: tad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 434, col. 1 “m. he, f. she, n. it, that, this”
  7. शिकाराय śikārāya · the syllable shi (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: 1. kāra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 274, col. 2 “the term used in designating a letter or sound”
  8. नमः namaḥ · bowing, homage (noun (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: namas, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 528, col. 1 “bow, obeisance, reverential salutation”
  9. शिवाय śivāya · to Shiva (dative singular) Dictionary: śiva, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1074, col. 1 “‘The Auspicious one,’ N. of the disintegrating or destroying and reproducing deity”
1 printing differs

Edition differences. Another printing or text reads this place differently.

  • Word The 1899 Bombay printing reads: तस्मै शिकराय नमः शिवाय शिकराय for शिकाराय: the vowel sign ā is missing, and the line is one syllable short (leaf n116). The 1904 edition (leaf n114) and the 1905 Khemraj printing (leaf n55) have शिकाराय. Found in review 2.

Verse 4

वसि­ष्ठ­कुं­भो­द्भ­व­गौ­त­मा­र्य­मु­नीं­द्र­दे­वा­र्चि­त­शे­ख­रा­य ।चंद्रार्कवैश्वानरलोचनाय तस्मै वकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ४ ॥

Va­sish­tha­kum­bhod­bha­va­gau­ta­mar­ya­mu­nind­ra­de­var­chi­ta­she­kha­ra­yaChandrarkavaishvanaralochanaya tasmai vakaraya namah shivaya

IAST

va­siṣ­ṭha­kuṃ­bhod­bha­va­gau­ta­mār­ya­mu­nīṃd­ra­de­vār­ci­ta­śe­kha­rā­ya |caṃdrārkavaiśvānaralocanāya tasmai vakārāya namaḥ śivāya || 4 ||

How to read these English letters (IAST)

Our explanation Shiva's head is worshipped by the noble sages Vasishtha, Agastya ("born from a pot", kumbhodbhava) and Gautama, and by the gods. The moon, the sun and fire are his three eyes. "To him who is the syllable va, salutation to Shiva." The printings write va (short) here, where the mantra namaḥ śivāya has vā.

हिंदी अर्थ वसिष्ठ, अगस्त्य ("कुंभ से जन्मे", कुंभोद्भव) और गौतम जैसे श्रेष्ठ मुनि और देवता शिव के मस्तक की पूजा करते हैं। चंद्रमा, सूर्य और अग्नि उनके तीन नेत्र हैं। "उन 'व' अक्षर रूप शिव को नमस्कार।" छपाइयों में यहाँ छोटा "व" है, जबकि मंत्र "नमः शिवाय" में "वा" है।

Word by word

Every word, with its dictionary page

Word by word

  1. वसिष्ठकुंभोद्भवगौतमार्यमुनींद्रदेवार्चितशेखराय vasiṣṭhakuṃbhodbhavagautamāryamunīṃdradevārcitaśekharāya · head worshipped by great sages and gods (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: kumbhodbhava, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 293, col. 2; ārya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 152, col. 2; munīndra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 823, col. 1; arcita, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 90, col. 1 “honoured”; śekhara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1088, col. 2
  2. चंद्रार्कवैश्वानरलोचनाय caṃdrārkavaiśvānaralocanāya · whose eyes are moon, sun and fire (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: candra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 386, col. 3 “the moon”; 1. arka, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 89, col. 1 “the sun”; vaiśvānara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1027, col. 1 “N. of Agni or Fire”; locana, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 907, col. 3
  3. तस्मै tasmai · to him (pronoun, dative singular) Dictionary: tad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 434, col. 1 “m. he, f. she, n. it, that, this”
  4. वकाराय vakārāya · the syllable va (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: va-kāra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 910, col. 1 “the letter or sound va”
  5. नमः namaḥ · bowing, homage (noun (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: namas, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 528, col. 1 “bow, obeisance, reverential salutation”
  6. शिवाय śivāya · to Shiva (dative singular) Dictionary: śiva, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1074, col. 1 “‘The Auspicious one,’ N. of the disintegrating or destroying and reproducing deity”
1 printing differs

Edition differences. Another printing or text reads this place differently.

  • Word The 1904 Bombay printing reads: तस्मै वकराय नमः शिवाय वकराय for वकाराय: the vowel sign ā is missing, and the line is one syllable short. The 1899 edition (leaf n116) prints the same; the 1905 Khemraj printing (leaf n55) has 'तस्मैवकाराय' (written as one word).

Verse 5

यक्षस्वरूपाय जटाधराय पिनाकहस्ताय सनातनाय ।दिव्याय देवाय दिगंबराय तस्मै यकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ५ ॥

Yakshasvarupaya jatadharaya pinakahastaya sanatanayaDivyaya devaya digambaraya tasmai yakaraya namah shivaya

IAST

yakṣasvarūpāya jaṭādharāya pinākahastāya sanātanāya |divyāya devāya digaṃbarāya tasmai yakārāya namaḥ śivāya || 5 ||

How to read these English letters (IAST)

Our explanation Shiva takes the form of a yaksha, a wondrous being. He wears matted hair, holds the bow Pinaka, and is eternal. He is divine, he is God, and the sky is his garment. "To him who is the syllable ya, salutation to Shiva."

हिंदी अर्थ शिव यक्ष का रूप धारण करते हैं, यानी एक अद्भुत दिव्य रूप। वे जटा धारण करते हैं, हाथ में पिनाक धनुष रखते हैं और सनातन हैं। वे दिव्य हैं, देव हैं और दिगंबर हैं। "उन 'य' अक्षर रूप शिव को नमस्कार।"

Word by word

Every word, with its dictionary page

Word by word

  1. यक्षस्वरूपाय yakṣasvarūpāya · who takes the form of a yaksha (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: yakṣa, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 838, col. 2 “a living supernatural being”; sva-rūpa, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1276, col. 2 “o° own form or shape”
  2. जटाधराय jaṭādharāya · wearer of matted hair (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: jaṭā-dhara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 409, col. 2 “an ascetic”
  3. पिनाकहस्ताय pinākahastāya · holding the bow Pinaka (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: pināka, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 627, col. 2 “a staff or bow, (esp.) the staff or bow of Rudra-Śiva”; hasta, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1294, col. 3 “the hand”
  4. सनातनाय sanātanāya · to the eternal one (dative singular) Dictionary: sanātana, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1141, col. 1 “eternal, perpetual”
  5. दिव्याय divyāya · to the divine one (dative singular) Dictionary: 2. divya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 479, col. 2 “divine, heavenly, celestial”
  6. देवाय devāya · to God (dative singular) Dictionary: deva, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 492, col. 2 “a deity, god”
  7. दिगंबराय digaṃbarāya · to the sky-clad one (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: dig-ambara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 480, col. 1 “‘sky-clothed,’ i.e. quite naked”
  8. तस्मै tasmai · to him (pronoun, dative singular) Dictionary: tad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 434, col. 1 “m. he, f. she, n. it, that, this”
  9. यकाराय yakārāya · the syllable ya (compound, dative singular) Dictionary: 1. ya-kāra, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 838, col. 1 “the letter or sound ya”
  10. नमः namaḥ · bowing, homage (noun (neuter), nominative singular) Dictionary: namas, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 528, col. 1 “bow, obeisance, reverential salutation”
  11. शिवाय śivāya · to Shiva (dative singular) Dictionary: śiva, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1074, col. 1 “‘The Auspicious one,’ N. of the disintegrating or destroying and reproducing deity”
1 printing differs

Edition differences. Another printing or text reads this place differently.

  • Word The 1904 Bombay printing reads: तस्मै यकराय नमः शिवाय यकराय for यकाराय: the vowel sign ā is missing, and the line is one syllable short. The 1899 edition (leaf n116) prints the same; the 1905 Khemraj printing (leaf n55) has यकाराय.

Verse 6

पंचाक्षरमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेच्छिवसंनिधौ ।शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते ॥ ६ ॥

Panchaksharamidam punyam yah pathechchhivasannidhauShivalokamavapnoti shivena saha modate

IAST

paṃcākṣaramidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhecchivasaṃnidhau |śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate || 6 ||

How to read these English letters (IAST)

Our explanation The hymn says that whoever recites this holy five-syllable hymn near Shiva (for example, before his image or linga) reaches Shiva's world and rejoices with Shiva. This is the hymn's own claim about its recitation.

हिंदी अर्थ यह श्लोक कहता है कि जो इस पवित्र पंचाक्षर स्तोत्र को शिव के समीप (जैसे उनकी मूर्ति या लिंग के सामने) पढ़ता है, वह शिवलोक पाता है और शिव के साथ आनंद करता है। यह स्तोत्र का अपना कथन है।

The text’s own words about its benefits, not a promise from Pujadeep.

Word by word

Every word, with its dictionary page

Word by word

  1. पंचाक्षरम् paṃcākṣaram · of five syllables (this hymn) (neuter, accusative singular) Dictionary: pañcākṣara, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 577, col. 3 “consisting of 5 syllables”
  2. इदम् idam · this (pronoun, neuter, accusative singular) Dictionary: 1. idam, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 165, col. 2 “this, this here”
  3. पुण्यम् puṇyam · holy, meritorious (neuter, accusative singular) Dictionary: puṇya, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 632, col. 1 “good, right, virtuous, meritorious, pure, holy, sacred”
  4. यः yaḥ · whoever (relative pronoun, nominative singular) Dictionary: yad, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 844, col. 2 “who, which, what, whichever”
  5. पठेत् paṭhet · would recite (verb, optative, 3rd person singular) Dictionary: paṭh, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 580, col. 1 “to read or repeat aloud”
  6. शिवसंनिधौ śivasaṃnidhau · near Shiva, in his presence (compound, locative singular) Dictionary: śiva, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1074, col. 1 “‘The Auspicious one,’ N. of the disintegrating or destroying and reproducing deity”; saṃ-nidhi, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1146, col. 3 “juxtaposition, nearness, vicinity”
  7. शिवलोकम् śivalokam · Shiva's world (compound, accusative singular) Dictionary: śiva-loka, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1075, col. 2 “Śiva's heaven (on Kailāsa)”
  8. अवाप्नोति avāpnoti · reaches, attains (verb, present, 3rd person singular) Dictionary: avāp, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 107, col. 1 “to reach, attain, obtain, gain, get”
  9. शिवेन śivena · Shiva (instrumental singular) Dictionary: śiva, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1074, col. 1 “‘The Auspicious one,’ N. of the disintegrating or destroying and reproducing deity”
  10. सह saha · together with (indeclinable) Dictionary: 2. saha, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 1193, col. 2 “together with, along with, with”
  11. मोदते modate · rejoices (verb, present, 3rd person singular) Dictionary: 2. mud, Monier-Williams 1899, p. 822, col. 2 “to be merry or glad or happy, rejoice”

Sanskrit text: Brihat Stotra Ratnakara (बृहत्स्तोत्ररत्नाकरः), illustrated (सचित्रः), an anthology of 182 Sanskrit hymns; seventh edition, 1912. Meanings: written for Pujadeep and checked against the cited edition. Source and changes

Learn by heart: Shiva Panchakshara Stotram

. Read it, then close your eyes and say it.

"Said it" lasts for this visit only. No counts, no streaks.

How to read these English letters (IAST)

About the Shiva Panchakshara Stotram

The printings we read call it a work of Shankaracharya, and tradition credits it to Adi Shankara. No early record outside these printings names the poet, so the attribution is shown as traditional.

The text is read from a Bombay anthology of Sanskrit hymns, the Brihat Stotra Ratnakara, seventh edition (1912). The third (1899) and fifth (1904) editions print the same words, but in verses 2, 4 and 5 they drop a vowel sign ("makarāya" for "makārāya"), and the 1899 edition drops it in verse 3 too; the 1912 edition and a 1905 Bombay printing print the full form. Each difference is listed under its verse. The closing verse states what the hymn says its reciter gains; it is shown as the hymn's own claim.

Under each verse, a word-by-word list gives every word of the verse with a short meaning in English and Hindi, and its entry in Monier-Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), with the page and column, so the meaning can be checked in the printed book.

How to say it

The IAST line writes the printed spelling. The printing writes a nasal before a consonant as a dot (anusvāra): "nāgeṃdra", "maṃdākinī", "caṃdana", "nīlakaṃṭha"; it is said as the nasal of the next letter (nāgendra, mandākinī, candana, nīlakaṇṭha). "Śivāya" is said śi-vā-ya, with a long ā.

Festivals and vrats whose guides name this prayer

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Questions families ask

Who wrote the Shiva Panchakshara Stotram?

Traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya.

Which text does this page follow?

Sanskrit text: Brihat Stotra Ratnakara (बृहत्स्तोत्ररत्नाकरः), illustrated (सचित्रः), an anthology of 182 Sanskrit hymns; seventh edition, 1912. Meanings: written for Pujadeep and checked against the cited edition. See the source

Source and licence

Text
Brihat Stotra Ratnakara (बृहत्स्तोत्ररत्नाकरः), illustrated (सचित्रः), an anthology of 182 Sanskrit hymns; seventh edition (Nirnaya Sagar Press (Tukaram Javaji), Bombay, 1912). Public domain. The Sanskrit on these pages was read from this printing’s page images.
Our explanation
Explanation written for this site from the sources listed here, and checked against the cited edition. It is not a translation and not the only way to read the text. Free to quote with credit.
Checked
Checked against the cited edition, October 15, 2026.

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