Shiva Panchakshara Stotra

नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय
भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय
तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय|
मन्दाकिनीसलिलचन्दनचर्चिताय
नन्दीश्वरप्रमथनाथमहेश्वराय।
मन्दारपुष्पबहुपुष्पसुपूजिताय
तस्मै मकाराय नमः शिवाय|
शिवाय गौरीवदनाब्जवृन्द-
सूर्याय दक्षाध्वरनाशकाय।
श्रीनीलकण्ठाय वृषध्वजाय
तस्मै शिकाराय नमः शिवाय|
वसिष्ठकुम्भोद्भवगौतमार्य-
मुनीन्द्रदेवार्चितशेखराय।
चन्द्रार्कवैश्वानरलोचनाय
तस्मै वकाराय नमः शिवाय|
यज्ञस्वरूपाय जटाधराय
पिनाकहस्ताय सनातनाय।
दिव्याय देवाय दिगम्बराय
तस्मै यकाराय नमः शिवाय|

Verse 1

नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय
भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय
तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय॥

Transliteration:
naagendra-haaraaya trilochanaaya
bhasmaanga-raagaaya maheshvaraaya
nityaaya shuddhaaya digambaraaya
tasmai nakaaraaya namah shivaaya

Explanation:

He wears the mighty king of serpents as an ornament —
not gold, not gems — but a live emblem of fearlessness.

His gaze flows from three eyes —
Sun, Moon, and Fire —
burning through illusion, watching past, present, future.

His skin is smeared with vibhuti,
sacred ash — the perfume of renunciation.
No vanity, only vairagya.

He is eternal — untouched by time.
He is pure — untouched by desire.
He walks the world naked of ego,
clothed only by the ten directions.

To Him, whose power lies in the syllable ‘Na’,
we bow —
He who negates darkness, ego, and bondage.

Verse 2

मन्दाकिनीसलिलचन्दनचर्चिताय
नन्दीश्वरप्रमथनाथमहेश्वराय।
मन्दारपुष्पबहुपुष्पसुपूजिताय
तस्मै मकाराय नमः शिवाय॥

Transliteration:
mandaakinee-salila-chandana-charchitaaya
nandeeshvara-pramatha-naatha-maheshvaraaya
mandaarapushpa-bahu-pushpa-supoojitaaya
tasmai makaaraaya namah shivaaya

Explanation:

The sacred Ganga flows over him.
He is anointed with sandalwood paste, cooling and fragrant,
as if the forest itself worships him.

Nandi, the ever-devoted bull, stands by him.
He commands the Pramatha ganas —
the fierce, wild beings who answer only to him.

He is worshipped with Mandara flowers,
with countless blossoms —
but none equal the bhakti in the devotee’s heart.

To Him, the essence of 'Ma',
we bow —
the one who upholds the material world, yet remains untouched by it.

Verse 3

शिवाय गौरीवदनाब्जवृन्द
सूर्याय दक्षाध्वरनाशकाय।
श्रीनीलकण्ठाय वृषध्वजाय
तस्मै शिकाराय नमः शिवाय॥

Transliteration:
shivaaya gauree-vadanaabja-vrinda
sooryaaya daksha-adhvara-naashakaaya
shree-neelakanthaaya vrishadhvajaaya
tasmai shikaaraaya namah shivaaya

Explanation:

He is Shiva — the ever-auspicious.
To Gauri’s lotus-like face,
He is the rising sun —
the source of all her joy.

He burned down Daksha’s arrogant sacrifice —
not out of rage,
but to restore dharma.

His throat is blue,
deep with the poison of the cosmos —
which he drank to save us all.

His flag bears the bull,
symbol of patience, strength, and dharma.

To Him who shines in the syllable ‘Shi’,
we bow —
He who gives auspiciousness even through destruction.

Verse 4

वसिष्ठकुम्भोद्भवगौतमार्यमुनीन्द्रदेवार्चितशेखराय।
चन्द्रार्कवैश्वानरलोचनाय
तस्मै वकाराय नमः शिवाय॥

Transliteration:
vasishtha-kumbhodbhava-gautama-aarya
muneendra-deva-archita-shekharaaya
chandra-arka-vaishvaanara-lochanaaya
tasmai vakaaraaya namah shivaaya

Explanation:

Vasishtha, Agastya, Gautama —
the wisest rishis —
and even the Devas —
worship the crown of his matted hair.

His eyes are no ordinary orbs —
they are the moon, the sun, and fire —
vision that burns, nourishes, and illumines.

To Him, the embodiment of ‘Va’,
we bow —
He who is both the seen and the seer.

Verse 5

यज्ञस्वरूपाय जटाधराय
पिनाकहस्ताय सनातनाय।
दिव्याय देवाय दिगम्बराय
तस्मै यकाराय नमः शिवाय॥

Transliteration:
yajna-svarupaaya jataadharaaya
pinaaka-hastaaya sanaatanaaya
divyaaya devaaya digambaraaya
tasmai yakaaraaya namah shivaaya

Explanation:

He is the yajna —
not just the fire,
but the sacrifice, the offerer, and the offering.

His jatas, his matted locks,
hold secrets of the stars,
of Ganga, of silence.

In his hand is the Pinaka,
the bow of destruction —
but held with peace.

He is eternal, divine,
and clothed in the sky itself.
No attachments.
Only truth.

To Him, the sacred syllable 'Ya',
we bow —
He who completes the Panchakshara,
the One beyond form, name, and death.

naagendrahaaraaya trilochanaaya
bhasmaangaraagaaya maheshvaraaya.
nityaaya shuddhaaya digambaraaya
tasmai nakaaraaya namah' shivaaya|
mandaakineesalila-
chandanacharchitaaya
nandeeshvarapramathanaatha-
maheshvaraaya.
mandaarapushpa-
bahupushpasupoojitaaya
tasmai makaaraaya namah' shivaaya|
shivaaya gaureevadanaabjavri'nda-
sooryaaya dakshaadhvaranaashakaaya.
shreeneelakant'haaya vri'shadhvajaaya
tasmai shikaaraaya namah' shivaaya|
vasisht'hakumbhodbhavagautamaarya-
muneendradevaarchitashekharaaya.
chandraarkavaishvaanaralochanaaya
tasmai vakaaraaya namah' shivaaya|
yajnyasvaroopaaya jat'aadharaaya
pinaakahastaaya sanaatanaaya.
divyaaya devaaya digambaraaya
tasmai yakaaraaya namah' shivaaya|

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi

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