Shiva Panchakhyara Stotra: unveiling the mystery of human body

Lord Shiva, who is formless also represented by a dot is very complex subject to understand properly. Shiva is considered Nirguna Bramha (formless, nothingness) and his human form Shankar is Shaguna Bramha ( shape, fullness) . Shiva represents this entire universe and considered as the latent power which is the foundation stone of every animate and inanimate things whereas Shankar represents the cycle of destruction and creation. It is crucial to understand the universe to further understand the supreme entity. 

 The universe which  is made up of five elements i.e, earth, water,fire,air,ether. In more details the process of creation is like , the mind which is created by the Bramha came into existence at first,then the EGO (ahamkar) then ether, air,fire,water,and earth respectively.

***Bramha(supreme consciousness)- mana(mind)- ahamkar(ego)- Akash (ether)-vayu(air)-agni(fire)-jal(water)-prithivi(earth).***

Each of these five elements has their different nature and decreases by the value of one from each another. So this can be expressed as,

1. Earth-sound(sabdh),touch (sparsh),form(roopa),flavour (rasa),smell (gandh)

2-Water- sound,touch,form,flavour

3- Fire- sound, touch, form

4- Air- sound,touch

5- Ether- sound

It can be easily understandable by a simple example. Suppose a notion of doing exercise arises in the mind(mana)of a person. Then that person developes the believe to performs exercise (ahamkara). Then the sound of mind which says ,you must do exercise provides an internal stimulus (Akasha). After that the person starts exercise and air originates from the movement of different body parts(vayu). After sometime of doing exercise that person's body becomes heat (agni). The more the heat generates,the more sweat releases from body (jal). And finally after sometime the person feels comfortable and stable (prithivi). In this similar way the lord(supreme consciousness) creates this world from mana(mind)to prithivi(earth) and Shankar destroys the universe from prithivi(earth) to onwards. Nothingness and formless only has the capacity to holds any forms and everything because nothingness has no limits. It is limitless and infinite.

So these five elements are very crucial and hold an indispensable place which are the building block of this universe (mahajagatika pinda) and the chief architect of human body( pinda). As we see the evidence of these five elements in nature like mountains, river, wind, sky, fire ,the human body is also contains the same elements like water(72%), earth (12%),air(6%),fire(4%), and rest are ether. Also these five elements represent five different systems of human body like,

Earth - bones, flesh, tissues,

Water- blood,saliva,semen,sweat

Fire-hunger, thirst,sleep

Air-all bodily movements

Ether-physical attraction and repulsion

 This concept of elements also related to the Yogic tradition.In yogic tradition,the performance of yogic mudra has a significant place. A mudra means seal/gesture/ finger posture and yoga mudra promotes the flow of energy in the subtle body. There are various mudra described in yoga sutras. For example Anjali mudra which represents salutation(namaskar). These five elements are also symbolising five different mudra and represented by five fingers.

Thumb - agni.

Index- air

Middle finger -ether

Ring finger - earth

Little finger - water

 According to international journal of yoga, scientists used a device called Electrophoretic imaging instrument(EPI) to captures discharge of energies at fingertips induced by pulsed electrical signal to investigate the immediate effect of a mudra. There are five different mudras in the name of these five elements of nature like agni mudra, vayu mudra, jal mudra, Akasha mudra, prithivi mudra. 

 To dig out more, one can see a snake is always present with shiva as his neckless. Snake symbolises the kundalini energy. Kundalini energy is believed to coiled like a snake at the muladhara chakra and is able to reach the sahasrara chakra after

extensive practices.

To put in a simple manner a human body has seven chakras i.e, muladhara, swadhistana, manipura, anahata, visuddha, anja, sahasrara. Those five elements of nature are also staying in this chakra i.e, they derive their power from these chakras.

Muladhara(root)- earth

Swadhistana(sacral)- water

Manipura(solar plexus)- fire

Anahata(heart)- air

Visuddha(throat)- ether

Ajna(third eye)-ether

Sahasrara(crown)-ether

The sacred line Om namah shivaya contains five syllables like Na,Ma,Shi,Va,Ya  which represents the five elements earth, water, fire, air,ether respectively. When interconnection established among these datas it can be like

Muladhara- Earth-Na

Swadhistana - Water- Ma

Manipura- Fire- Shi

Anahata- Air- Va

Visuddha/Anja/Sahasrara - ether- ya

 These seven different chakras have their different functions like

Muladhara -survival, stability, safety which says ,l am

Swadhistana - sensuality, sexuality, pleasure, emotion which says, l feel

Manipura- digestion, ego , power which says, l do

Anahata- love, acceptance, compassion, kindness which says, I love

Visuddha - communication, purification which says ,l speak

Ajna- intuition, visualisation, imagination which says, l see

Sahasrara - knowledge, spirituality which says, l understand 

This is the hidden science behind our body and the nature . Both are always connected, interrelated,and interdependent. The mantra Om namah shivaya creates a vibration in our body while chanting and activates the respective chakras. Ancient sages were able to know this hidden meaning behind this mechanism and they worked on this extensively. 

For common human who are not able to do  any kind of sadhana or sometimes don't have believe in this science so ancient sages developed many mantras, stotras . It is Adi guru Sri Shankaracharya who composed the Shiva Panchakhyara Stotra for the commons. This stotra contains all the five syllables in each stanza and perhaps this stotra is a description of the sacred line Om namah shivaya.

The explantion of word by word meaning of Shiva Panchakhyara Stotra is given below.

nagendraharaya trilochanaya

bhasmangaragaya mahesvaraya

nityaya suddhaya digambaraya

tasmai na karaya namah shivaya

नागेंद्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय

भस्मांग रागाय महेश्वराय।

नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगंबराय

तस्मै न काराय नमः शिवायः॥

Nagendra haraya- one who wears snake as necklace.

Trilochanaya-one with three eyes

Bhasmang ragaya- one who adorns with ashes

Maheswaraya- king of god's

Nityaya- eternal

Suddhaya- pure

Digambaraya- who wears digas(amber) as cloths

Tasmayee Na karaya your form is known by Na(earth)

Namah shivaya- salutation to lord Shiva

Means- who has a necklece of snake around his neck, who has three eyes, who has ashes as his adornment, who has digas as his clothes , I salute to Shiva in the form of imperishable meheswara Na.

Note - Earth is considered as stable and always pure. Many kings in the past  had their dream to conquer this world. They are not  present today unlike this earth . 

mandakini salila chandana charchitaya

nandisvara pramathanatha mahesvaraya

mandara pushpa bahupushpa supujitaya

tasmai ma karaya namah shivaya

मंदाकिनी सलिल

चंदन चर्चिताय

नंदीश्वर प्रमथनाथ महेश्वराय।

मंदारपुष्प बहुपुष्प सुपूजिताय

तस्मै म काराय नमः शिवायः॥

Mandakini salil- graceful by the stream of Ganga

Chandan charchitaya- decorated with sandle wood

Nandiswar pramathanath- lord of Nandi and pramatha

Maheswaraya-maheswar

Pramath- council of Shiva

Mandara pushpa- flowers from Mandara mountain

Bahu pushpa- many other flowers

Supujitaya- is worshipped

Tasmayee Ma karaya-  in the form of ma(water)

Namah sivaya-  salutation to lord Shiva

Means-  he who has been worshipped with ganga water and sandal wood ,who has been beautifully worshipped with Mandara flowers and other flowers. I salute to lord Shiva in the form of Ma, who is the lord of Nandi and pramatha.

Note- water is a coolant agent and it quenchs our thirst . It is one of the main requirement of human to survive and it has the power to destroy. So handle it with cautions.

shivaya gauri vadanabja brnda

suryaya dakshadhvara nashakaya

sri nilakanthaya Vrshadhvajaya

tasmai shi karaya namah shivaya

शिवाय गौरी वदनाब्जवृंद

सूर्याय दक्षाध्वरनाशकाय।

श्री नीलकंठाय वृषभद्धजाय

तस्मै शि काराय नमः शिवायः॥

Shivaya- oh Shiva

Gouri bandanabjabrunda suryaya- the one who gives radiance like the sun to the Lotus face of maa Parvati

Dakhyadhyara nasakaya- you are the one who destroyed Daksha's yagya

Shri nilakanthay- nila kantha

Brushavadwajaya- who bearer of the flag of bull

Tasmayee Sha karaya - in the form of Sha(fire)

Namah shivaya - salute to lord Shiva

Means-  the one who is the embodiment of welfare,the one who is the embodiment of the sun to make the Lotus face of Parvati happy, the one who destroyed Daksha's yagya, the one whose flag is brushabha , the glorious Shri nilakantha you are represented by the word sha. I salute to you.

Note -  Fire is a purifier . It cleanse our body . One must destroy his/her desires so that he/she will become shine like Sun.

vashistha kumbhodbhava gautamarya

munindra devarchita shekharaya

chandrarka vaishvanara lochanaya

tasmai va karaya namah shivaya

वसिष्ठ कुम्भोद्भव गौतमार्य

मुनींद्र देवार्चित शेखराय।

चंद्रार्क वैश्वानर लोचनाय

तस्मै व काराय नमः शिवायः॥

Vashistha,kumbhadbhaba, Gautamarya- Vashistha, Agastya, Gautama

Munindra devarchuta sekharaya- devadhudev worshipped by sages

Chandrarka baisyanara lochanaya- sun ,moon ,fire are like three eyes

Tasmayee Va karaya - represented by Va(air)

Namah shivaya - salute to lord Shiva

Means-  whose head has been worshipped by great sages like Vashistha, Agastya, Gautama, and god like Indra , salutation to Shiva in the form of Va, who has eyes like moon, sun, fire.

Note- Air is not visible but it can only feel . One must perform his/her duty in a silent way . There is no need to make noise . One doesn't need to tell about his/her works to others. Let give a chance to your work to make noise .

yagna svarupaya jatadharaya

pinaka hastaya sanatanaya

divyaya devaya digambaraya

tasmai ya karaya namah shivaya

यक्षस्वरूपाय जटाधराय

पिनाकहस्ताय सनातनाय।

दिव्याय देवाय दिगंबराय

तस्मै य काराय नमः शिवायः॥

Yakshaswaroopaya- form of sacrifice

Jatadharaya- Shiva with jata 

Pinakahastaya- one who holds Pinaka

Sanatanaya- eternal

Divya devaya digambaraya- o divine amber clad Shiva

Tasmayee Ya karaya - in the form of Ya (ether)

Namah sivaya - salute to lord Shiva

Means- the one who has been assumed the form of yaksha, who has matted hair, who has Pinaka in his hand,  who is divine eternal man , I salute to lord Shiva in the form of Ya .

Note- sky has no limit . Like that one must leave the desire of too much  material possessions and  progress towords the spiritual path without any limitation so that one can able to develop his/her consciousness as well as become a part of a better tomorrow.

panchaksharamidam punyam yah pathechchiva

sannidhau shivalokamavapnoti sivena saha modate

पंचाक्षरमिदं पुण्यं यः

पठेत् शिव सन्निधौ।

शिवलोकमवाप्नोति

शिवेन सह मोदते॥

Panchakhyaramidam punyam yah- whoever chants this Panchakhyara stotra of Shiva

Pathet Shiva sannidhau- meditation daily

Shivalokamavapnati- he attains the virtuou world of Shiva

Shivsena Saha modate- and resides happily with him

Means- one who recites this sacred Panchakhyara stotra near Shiva , reaches Shivaloka and rejoices there with lord Shiva.

 So any person irrespective any religion, caste, class etc do meditation and not only chanting the holy names but also walking in the path of righteousness will attain the Shiva consciousness (supreme consciousness)i.e, will become immortal and eternal. 

SHIVAHAM, SHIVAHAM, SHIVAHAM

TANMEMANAH SHIVA SANKALPASTU.