This Adbhut Life!

Namaskar, my dear Adbhut friends. I am wishing you all an auspicious and happy Mahashivaratri. On this pious occasion, I am reciting a small Stotram श्रीशिवपञ्चाक्षरस्तोत्रम् ( Shree Shiva Panchakshara Stotram). Panchakshara (पञ्चाक्षर) means “five letters” in Sanskrit and refers to the five holy letters Na, Ma, Śi, Vā, and Ya. Each Shloka in the Shree Shiva Panchakshara Stotram starts with one of these five letters.

Jagat Guru Shri Adi Shankara Ji composed this powerful Panchkshara Stotram, explaining and praising the great qualities of Bholenath Maheshwara. I am grateful to my father and our Sri Venkatramana Murthy Panthulu, who diligently taught me a few Shlokas. I have been chanting Shree Shiva Panchakshari for all these years and find it very energizing and uplifting yet very soothing. Please tolerate and pardon me for any of my miss pronunciations. I am attempting to do this with my earnest honesty and humility and with the best of intentions. I am sure the all-omnipresent Bholenath knows this and embraces me, and accepts my offerings.

May we all discover our hidden potential and the inner self as we meditate on the thought of reaching closer to Lord Shiva on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. Here is my humble attempt.

ॐ नमः शिवाय

नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय Nagendraharaya trilochanaya
भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय । Bhasmangaragaya mahesvaraya
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय Nityaya suddhaya digambaraya
तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय Tasmai na karaya namah shivaya

मन्दाकिनीसलिलचन्दनचर्चिताय Mandakini salila chandana charchitaya
नन्दीश्वरप्रमथनाथमहेश्वराय । Nandisvara pramathanatha mahesvaraya
मन्दारपुष्पबहुपुष्पसुपूजिताय Mandara pushpa bahupushpa supujitaya
तस्मै मकाराय नमः शिवाय Tasmai ma karaya namah shivaya

शिवाय गौरीवदनाब्जबृंदा Shivaya gauri vadanabja brnda
सूर्याय दक्षाध्वरनाशकाय । Suryaya dakshadhvara nashakaya
श्रीनीलकण्ठाय वृषध्वजाय Sri nilakanthaya Vrshadhvajaya
तस्मै शिकाराय नमः शिवाय Tasmai shi karaya namah shivaya

वशिष्ठकुम्भोद्भवगौतमार्य Vashistha kumbhodbhava gautamarya
मूनीन्द्र देवार्चिता शेखराय । Munindra devarchita shekharaya
चन्द्रार्कवैश्वानरलोचनाय Chandrarka vaishvanara lochanaya
तस्मै वकाराय नमः शिवाय Tasmai va karaya namah shivaya

यज्ञस्वरूपाय जटाधराय Yagna svarupaya jatadharaya
पिनाकहस्ताय सनातनाय । Pinaka hastaya sanatanaya
सु दिव्याय देवाय दिगम्बराय Sudivyaya devaya digambaraya
तस्मै यकाराय नमः शिवाय Tasmai ya karaya namah shivaya

पञ्चाक्षरमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेच्छिवसंनिधौ । Panchaksharamidam punyam yah pathechshiva sannidhau
शिवलोकमावाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते Shivalokamavapnoti sivena saha modate

ॐ नमः शिवाय

हर हर महादेव

शंभो शंकरा

Kalyani S Kakade

14, Phalguna Krishna Paksha, Chaturdashi 2078 Aananda, Vikrama Samvata Singapore,

01 March 2022 Tuesday

Mahashivaratri 2022