Panchakshari Mantra - Lyrics, Meaning, Benefits, Download

Learn everything about this Shiva mantra that is known to help bring balance to body and mind

The "Panchakshari" Mantra (or the "five-syllable" mantra) is a soothing prayer to Lord Shiva, in which we seek to balance the five basic elements.

These elements exist both in our body and in the Universe, and this mantra seeks to bring harmony between them.

The sounds of Namah Shivaay are at the core of this mantra.

"Na" stands for the earth, "Ma" stands for the water element, "Shi" invigorates the fire element, "Va" is the element of air, and "Ya" denotes the element of space.

Panchakshari mantra is part of the Ancient Healing Chants of Shiva album.

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History of the mantra
Lyrics of the mantra
Meaning of the mantra
Benefits of the mantra
Preview the mantra
Download the mantra

History of the mantra

This mantra was composed by the divine spiritual guru and blessed sage Sri Adi Shankaracharya.

This is one of the thousand Rudra mantras that invoke Shiva in his fierce form Rudra.

Each verse was inspired by one syllable in the phrase Namah Shivaay. And each verse came with a prayer for balance and harmony.

It was believed that by the end of the five-syllable stotram, any devout disciple could achieve closeness in spirit with Shiva.

Lyrics of the Mantra

Nagendraharaya Trilochanaya
Bhasmangaragaya Maheshwaraya
Nityaya Suddhaya Digambaraya
Tasmai “Na” Karaya Namah Shivaya |1|

Mandakini Salila Chandana Charchitaya
Nandishwara Pramathanatha Maheswaraya
Mandara Pushpa Bahupushpa Supujitaya
Tasmai “Ma” Karaya Namah Shivaya |2|

Shivaya Gauri Vandanabja Brunda
Suryaya Dakshadhvara Nasakaya
Sri Nilakanthaya Vrshabhadhvajaya
Tasmai “Shi” Karaya namah Shivaya |3|

Vasishta Kumbhodbhava Gautamarya
Munindra Devarchita Sekharaya
Chandrarka Vaishwanara Lochanaya
Tasmai “Va” Karaya Namah Shivaya |4|

Yagya Svarupaya Jatadharaya
Pinaka Hastaya Sanatanaya
Divaya Devaya Digambaraya
Tasmai “Ya” Karaya Namah Shivaya |5|

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Meaning of the Mantra

The verse-by-verse meaning of this mantra is as follows:

Verse 1 :
Nagendraharaya Trilochanaya
Bhasmangaragaya Maheshwaraya
Nityaya Suddhaya Digambaraya
Tasmai “Na” Karaya Namah Shivaya
~
Meaning :
The One around whom the King of snakes rests as a garland, the One who has three divine eyes,
The One whose body is covered in holy ashes, the One who is All-Powerful
The Eternal One, the Purest One, who wears the vast sky and all directions as
clothes
I seek the blessings of that Lord Shiva, who is expressed in the syllable “Na”

"Na" is also a representation of the Prithvi Tattva, i.e. the earth element.

Verse 2 :
Mandakini Salila Chandana Charchitaya
Nandishwara Pramathanatha Maheswaraya
Mandara Pushpa Bahupushpa Supujitaya
Tasmai “Ma” Karaya Namah Shivaya
~
Meaning :
The One who is revered by the holy Mandakini river, the One whose form is
smeared with fragrant sandal paste,
The Lord of Nandi, and all forms of spirits; whose greatness knows no bounds,
The One adored and caressed by the Mandara and a multitude of other flowers
I seek the blessings of that Lord Shiva, who is expressed in the syllable “Ma”

"Ma" is also a representation of the Jal Tattva, i.e. the water element.

Verse 3 :
Shivaya Gauri Vandanabja Brunda
Suryaya Dakshadhvara Nasakaya
Sri Nilakanthaya Vrshabhadhvajaya
Tasmai “Shi” Karaya namah Shivaya
~
Meaning :
The Auspicious One, radiant like the Sun, the reason that the lotus-like face of
Goddess Parvati blossoms
The One who destroys all evil and shields the good,
The One whose throat is blue and whose emblem is the powerful bull
I seek the blessings of that Lord Shiva, who is expressed in the syllable “Shi”

"Shi" is also a representation of the Agni Tattva, i.e. the water element.

Verse 4 :
Vasishta Kumbhodbhava Gautamarya
Munindra Devarchita Sekharaya
Chandrarka Vaishwanara Lochanaya
Tasmai “Va” Karaya Namah Shivaya
~
Meaning :
The One worshipped by the wisest sages, like Sage Vashisha, Sage Agastya, and Sage Gautama
The Lord of celestial beings, and the Crown of the Universe
The One who has the moon, the sun, and fire as eyes
I seek the blessings of that Lord Shiva, who is expressed in the syllable “Va”

"Va" is also a representation of the Vayu Tattva, i.e. the air element.

Verse 5 :
Yagya Svarupaya Jatadharaya
Pinaka Hastaya Sanatanaya
Divaya Devaya Digambaraya
Tasmai “Ya” Karaya Namah Shivaya
~
Meaning :
The One who is incarnated in Yagna or Holy Fire,
The One with dreadlocks and holds a powerful trident in his hand,
The Divine, the Blazing, the Eternal One,
I seek the blessings of that Lord Shiva, who is expressed in the syllable “Ya”

"Ya" is also a representation of the Akasha Tattva, i.e. sky/space element.

Benefits of listening to Panchakshari Mantra

The Panchakshari mantra holds several benefits for the mind of both the chanter and the listener.

Listening to this mantra along with meditation helps you in the following ways.

Benefit 1 - Energy awareness
It distributes and strengthens our focus over the basic five elements of the body, making the person completely aware of one's energy.

Benefit 2 - Reduces fatigue
The mantra helps to stay aware and away from diseases, and also alleviates fatigue

Benefit 3 - Rejuvenates body
It rejuvenates and rebalances the chakras of the human body with each syllable and verse.

Benefit 4 - Positive energy
Regular practice can also bestow the person's life with a lot of clarity, confidence, and positive energy.

These are the primary benefits of the Panchakshari mantra. It has also been known to remove physical pain.

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FAQ about Mantras

We answered some of the important questions that
can help you get started with mantra meditation

What is a mantra?

A mantra is an ancient rhythmic chant that is practiced for mental, spiritual or emotional healing. The powerful sounds of a mantra are composed to fulfil a certain intention, both for the chanter and the listener.
The oldest mantra is said to be more than 3000 years old, and mantras are found in various cultures across the world, including Hinduism and Buddhism.

What is mantra meditation?

Mantra meditation is the practice of deep focused listening to a mantra in a meditative state to fulfil a certain intention. Mantra meditation is an excellent tool to raise one's vibrations, overcome suffering and strengthen one's powers of attraction.

How does a mantra heal?

The healing power of a mantra lies in its sounds. Each mantra has been composed in order to create a certain response from the mind, body and spirit.
A mantra, when practiced repeatedly with complete surrender, has the ability to heal in the following ways:
* It swiftly detaches the mind from all current overwhelming thoughts and emotions.
* It elevates one's vibrations, creating a vibrational shield of positivity and clarity.
* It strengthens the powers of intuition and attraction.
* It soothes all pain and suffering with its deep sounds.
* It improves mental faculties like memory, concentration and creativity.
* It is an enhancing additional tool that can deepen the experience of most other spiritual practices.
* It grants these benefits to both the chanter and the listener of the mantra

Do I have to know the words and chant along?

Chanting a mantra is one way of receiving the benefits of that mantra.
However, it might be quite a difficult task to master the pronunciation of a mantra, especially if it is in a language that is foreign to you.
In that case, you can always gain the same benefits of a mantra by practicing mantra meditation. Simply put, mantra meditation is the practice of focused listening to a mantra while being in a meditative state.

Comparing the two, chanting and meditation, you should choose mantra meditation if you are at all in doubt or in difficulty regarding the pronunciation.
That's because not pronouncing the mantra right hampers its power drastically.
That said, even though it can at times be complicated to learn chanting, it is worth the effort.
Chanting a mantra is an intensely satisfying, liberating experience that you must try to gain.

Will the mantra healing really work for me?

You only have to answer three important question to figure out if mantras and mantra meditation will work for you:
Are you ready to move past your suffering and conflicts?
Are you ready to set a strong intention of well-being and give it your sincerest focus?
Are you ready to devote some time and attention to the practice of raising your vibrations every day?
If your answer to these questions is 'Yes,' then mantras will certainly work for you, and guide you on the path of your desired life.

Does the mantra provide healing for medical issues?

Although a mantra is an excellent tool for soothing our suffering and uplifting our lives, it is not an alternative for any medical treatment or therapy.
It is important to remember that while medication, treatment and medical therapy support our physical healing, mantras do the job of aligning our mind and our consciousness to derive the most from such healing.

Why do you charge for mantras?

We love mantras, and we want them to soothe as many lives across the world as possible.
While mantras have been around since as early as 3000 years ago, we bring them to the world in a new, enhanced, and easy-to-practice way.
Mahakatha offers all of these mantras on YouTube for patrons to listen and enjoy for free. However, for our listeners who feel inspired to make these mantras a part of their daily lives, we offer the complete, uninterrupted audios.
We also put together albums that align with specific intentions, that can benefit a beginner and an experienced practitioner alike.
Above all, our patrons have been kind in considering the purchase of our productions as a way of supporting us, and enabling us to create more such healing content.