Shiva

Om Namah Shivaya

A short offering of reverence to Shiva.

All chant guides

Sanskrit · Devanagari

ॐ नमः शिवाय।

Roman transliteration · IAST

Oṃ namaḥ śivāya.

Open the japa mala

The meaning

Om. I bow in reverence to Shiva.

A few words, unpacked

Oṃ: A sacred opening syllable.
namaḥ: A bow or salutation.
śivāya: To Shiva.

Try the sounds

om · na-maḥ · shi-vaa-ya

Keep the ā in śivāya longer: shi-vaa-ya. The ś is close to an English sh.
The ḥ in namaḥ is a light breath sound. How it connects to the next word varies with recitation style; listen to a teacher in your tradition.

The spaced spelling is an approximate reading aid. Long marks such as ā show a longer vowel. Follow your teacher or a trusted recitation for the finer sounds.

UBC Sanskrit · Devanāgarī phonology chart with audio

Tradition & version

Namaḥ Śivāya is the five-syllable Panchakshara; this form adds Om. Himalayan Academy describes its place in Shaiva devotion. Lineages differ in initiation and practice instructions.

Listen to the chant