ॐ नमः शिवायoṃ namaḥ śivāya · Om, homage to Śiva
Om namaḥ śivāya, the five-syllable mantra
3 min read · Updated October 16, 2026 · sources checked October 16, 2026
In short
Om namaḥ śivāya means Om, homage to Śiva, the Auspicious One. Namaḥ śivāya has five syllables (na-maḥ-śi-vā-ya) and is called the pañcākṣara; with Om it has six. The words come from the Śrī Rudram of the Black Yajurveda, Taittirīya Saṃhitā 4.5.8, and the Śiva Purāṇa makes it the central mantra of Śiva worship.
In Rishikesh, as everywhere Śiva is worshipped, this mantra is sung in ashrams and temples, chanted in kirtan and painted on walls along the river. Few mantras are so short, so simple, and so loved.
The text
ॐ नमः शिवाय
oṃ namaḥ śivāya
Om. Homage to Śiva, the Auspicious One.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| oṃ | the sacred syllable, Om |
| namaḥ | homage, a bow; from the root nam, to bend |
| śivāya | to Śiva: dative of śiva, auspicious, kind, benevolent |
Namaḥ śivāya counts five syllables: na-maḥ-śi-vā-ya. That is why the tradition calls it the पञ्चाक्षर (pañcākṣara), "the five syllables". With Om it becomes the six-syllable form (ṣaḍakṣara).
Its Vedic source: the Śrī Rudram
The words namaḥ śivāya are already in the Veda. They appear in the Śatarudrīya, better known as the Śrī Rudram, a long litany of homage to Rudra in the Black Yajurveda. In the Taittirīya Saṃhitā (4.5.8.1), as published by TITUS, three lines follow one another:
नमः शम्भवे च मयोभवे च नमः शंकराय च मयस्कराय च नमः शिवाय च शिवतराय च
namaḥ śambhave ca mayobhave ca | namaḥ śaṃkarāya ca mayaskarāya ca | namaḥ śivāya ca śivatarāya ca ||
Homage to the source of welfare and to the source of delight; homage to the maker of welfare and to the maker of delight; homage to the auspicious one and to the more auspicious one.
In this Vedic hymn śiva, "auspicious", is still an epithet: the litany praises Rudra, the fierce god of storms, wilderness and healing herbs, and asks him to show his gentle, auspicious face. Over the centuries, the epithet became the god's principal name. Three of his best-known names, Śambhu, Śaṅkara and Śiva, are all in these three lines.
The five syllables in the Śiva Purāṇa
The Śiva Purāṇa makes the pañcākṣara the heart of Śiva worship. In its first book, the Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā, it teaches:
- The name of Śiva in the dative, preceded by namaḥ, is the five-syllable mantra, and it is the "gross form" of the praṇava (17.33, GRETIL numbering 1.17): Om is the subtle form in one syllable, namaḥ śivāya the manifest form in five (17.9).
- It should always be repeated joined with Om at the beginning (17.34).
- It is learned from a teacher: the text speaks of repeating it "according to the instruction of the guru" (17.122).
Later Śaiva traditions read the five syllables in many ways: as the five elements, the five acts of Śiva (creation, preservation, dissolution, concealment and grace) or the five faces of Śiva. The Tamil Śaiva hymns of South India sing the mantra in its Tamil form, namaccivāya. These are layers of devotion added over centuries; the mantra itself remains the Vedic homage.
How to pronounce it
"Om na-ma-ha shi-vaa-ya."
- The first a of namaḥ is short, like the u of "but": "nuh-muh", not "naa-maa".
- ḥ is a light breath; many chanters let it fall: "na-mah".
- ś is "sh"; the ā of śivāya is long, the final a short.
- Om: open on a round "o", close the lips and let the "m" hum.
How to chant it
- Sit with the spine upright, eyes closed, and settle the breath.
- Chant aloud, slowly, one oṃ namaḥ śivāya per breath out.
- After a few rounds, lower the voice to a murmur, then repeat silently.
- Count 108 repetitions on a japa mala, or simply continue for ten minutes.
- Rest in silence at the end.
Patañjali's instruction for Om applies here too: repeat it while dwelling on its meaning, taj-japas tad-artha-bhāvanam (Yoga Sutra 1.28). The whole method is on the page mantra meditation and japa.
Public, and also given in initiation
The pañcākṣara is chanted freely by Śiva devotees of every kind, sung in kirtan and written on temple walls. Some Śaiva lineages also give it formally in dīkṣā, sometimes in a particular form, with instructions. Both are true at once: chant it freely and respectfully, and if a teacher gives it to you with instructions, follow them. Its great night is Mahāśivarātri, when it is chanted until dawn.
Other Śaiva and Vedic mantras: the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya, addressed to Śiva as Tryambaka, and the Gāyatrī. The overview of Sanskrit mantras places them all.
Questions people ask
What does Om namah shivaya mean?
Om, homage to Śiva. Namaḥ is a bow of homage; śivāya is the dative of śiva, the auspicious, kind one, which became the name of the god.
Why is it called the five-syllable mantra?
Because namaḥ śivāya has five syllables: na, maḥ, śi, vā, ya. Adding Om at the beginning makes the six-syllable form, which the Śiva Purāṇa also names.
Can anyone chant Om namah shivaya?
Yes, it is chanted freely by Śiva devotees everywhere. The Śiva Purāṇa also describes it as received from a guru, and some lineages give it formally in initiation.
How many times should it be chanted?
Commonly 108 times with a mala, or one repetition per breath for a set time. Regularity matters more than the count.
Sources
- Taittirīya Saṃhitā 4.5 (Śatarudrīya, Śrī Rudram), Sanskrit text (TITUS, Frankfurt) checked October 16, 2026
- Śivapurāṇa, books 1 (Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā) and 7, Sanskrit text (GRETIL) checked October 16, 2026
- Patañjali, Yogasūtra, Sanskrit text (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 16, 2026