Sanskrit Chants

Shivabalayogi Chanting Om Namah Shivaya Namaha

Recorded in Portland, Oregon, during his last U.S. tour in 1991, this is Shivabalayogi himself chanting the sacred five-syllable mantra, Namah Shivaya. The original boombox cassette tape has been professionally mastered by David Malony at Blue Ewe Studios on Whidbey Island. Listen to Shivabalayogi's voice in this approximately ten-minute recording.

Legacy download: Bhajan_wma/Bhajan_Bhakti_D/D03 Swamiji om namah shivaya namaha.wma

Opening Vedic Prayer

shuklaambara dharam vishnum, shashi varnam chaturbhujam prasanna vadanam dhyayet sarva vignopa shantaye agaja anana padmarkhum gajananam aharnishun anekadam tham bhaktanam ekadhantam upasnahe ekadhantam upasnahe

He who is attired in white and is all pervading, who has the complexion of the moon, who has four arms and a smiling face so pleasing, upon him we meditate for removing all obstacles. To the elephant-faced one, with trunk and lotus body and eyes, to that Gajanana we pray day and night. To the one with the single tusk who grants boons to his many devotees do we pray day and night.

gurur brahma gurur vishnu gurur devo maheshwara guru sakshat parabrahma tasmai shri gurave namaha akhanda mandalakaram vyaptam yena charaacharam tat padam darshitam yena tasmai shri gurave namaha

Guru is Brahma. Guru is Vishnu. Guru is Shiva. The true guru is the Highest, formless god. I prostrate before the holy guru. The unbounded is the endless canopy of the sky, the omnipresent in all creation, both animate and inanimate, I bow to Sri Guru who reveals to us the ultimate reality.

Legacy download: Bhajan_wma/Bhajan_Bhakti_A/A01 opening chant.wma

Shiva Panchaaksharee Sthothram

naagendra haaraaya, thrilochanaaya bhasmaanga raagaaya, maheshwaraaya; nithyaaya, shuddhaaya, digambaraaya thasmai na kaaraaya - namah shivaaya mandaakini salila chandhana charchithaaya nandeeshwara pramadha nadha maheshwaraaya mandaara mukhya bahu pushpa supoojithaaya thasmai ma kaaraaya namah shivaaya shivaaya gauri vadanaaravinda sooryaaya dakshaadhwara naashanaaya shri neelakanthaaya vrishadhwajaaya thasmai shi kaaraaya namah shivaaya vashishtha, kumbhodhbhava, gautamaadi muneendra devaarchitha sevithaaya chandraarka vaishwannara locahanaaya thasmai va kaaraaya namah shivaaya yagnya swaroopaaya, jathaa dharaaya pinaaka hasthaaya sanaathanaaya sudivya dehaaya, digambaraaya thasmai ya kaaraaya namah shivaaya panchaaksharee mantramidham sthothram yah pateh shiva sannidhau shivalokamavaapnothi, shivena saha modhathe

This is a poem in praise of Lord Shiva. It is called the panchaaksharee sthothram because it has five verses each of which begin with the Sanskrit letters in the salutation to Shiva — ‘Na’, ‘Ma’, ‘Shi’, ‘Va’ and ‘Ya’.

Oh one who wears the king of cobras as a garland, who has three eyes, whose body is decorated with ash, the great lord, who is eternal and pure, who is undressed — to you Shiva the form of ‘Na’ we salute.

One who is anointed with the sandal paste that is cool like the waters of the Ganges, who is the leader of Nandi and other Pramadhas, great lord, who is worshipped with several flowers such as the hibiscus, to such Shiva who is the form of ‘Ma’ we salute.

The pure one, who is like the sun to the lotus face of Gauri (just as the lotus blooms at sunrise, Gauri's face beams with joy at the sight of Shiva), who destroyed the homa of Daksha, whose sacred neck is coloured blue, who is mounted on the bull, to such Shiva who is the form of ‘Shi’ we salute.

The one who is worshipped by the best of sages like Vashishtha, Dronaacharya, Gautama, who is prayed and served by the gods, who has the moon, sun, fire and a human being's — one of Lord Shiva's greatest devotees, a hunter by the name of Kannappa's — eye for His eyes, to such Shiva in the form of ‘Va’ we salute.

The one who is the very form of the homa, who wears matted hair, who carries the bow Pinaaka, who is the ancient one, who has a divine body and is undressed, to such Shiva who is the form of ‘Ya’ we salute.

Whoever recites this five-lettered chant in the presence of Lord Shiva attains the world of Lord Shiva and Lord Shiva will also be pleased.

Word-by-word meaning

Pancha = five, akshara = letters of the alphabet, Stotram = poem or song in praise of.

Nagendra = king of cobra snakes, haaraya = garlanded, thri-lochanaaya = three eyed; bhasma = ash, anga = limbs or body, raagaaya = decorated, Maheshwaraaya; Nityaaya = eternal; shuddhaaya = pure, digambaraaya = naked or undressed, thasmai = to such, NA kaaraaya = the form of Na, Namah = salute, Shivaaya = to Shiva.

Mandaakini = a name of Goddess Ganga, salila = water; chandhana = sandal; charchitaaya = anointed with; Nandeeshwara, pramadha = a sect of divine beings who are devotees of Shiva, nadha = leader, Maheshwaraaya, Mandaara = hibiscus flower, mukhya = main, bahu = several, pushpa = flowers, supoojitaaya = worshipped; thasmai MA kaaraaya = the form of Ma. Namah Shivaaya.

Shivaaya, Gouri = a name of Paarvathi, vadana = face, aravinda = lotus, Sooryaaya = sun; Daksha = Sati Devi's father, adhwara = homa, Naashanaaya = destroyer; Shri = auspicious, Neela = blue, kanthaaya = necked, Vrisha = bull, dhwajaaya = mount or vehicle; thasmai SHI-kaaraaya. Namah Shivaaya.

Vashishtha, Kumbhodbhava = one who is born from a pot — Dronaacharya the teacher of Arjuna in the Mahaabhaaratha, Gautama = another muni (the husband of river Godaavari), adi = such as, muneendra = the best among sages, Deva = gods, architha = prayed (by), sevithaaya = served (by), Chandra = moon, arka = sun, Vaishwan = fire (the third eye of Shiva on His forehead is considered the fire), nara = human being, refers to a hunter by the name of Kannappa, lochanaaya = eyes; thasmai VA-kaaraaya. Namah Shivaaya.

Yagnya = homa, Swaroopaaya = the form of, Jataa dharaaya = wearing matted hair, Pinaaka = name of Lord Shiva's bow, hasthaaya = holding, Sanaathanaaya = ancient, Su divya = very divine, dehaaya = bodied, Digambaraaya = naked or undressed, thasmai YA-kaaraaya. Namah Shivaaya.

Panchaaksharee = five lettered, mantram = chant, idham = this, sthothram = poem sung in praise of, yah = whoever, pateh = recites, Shiva Sannidhau = in the presence of Shiva, Shivalokam = the world of Shiva, avaapnothi = attains, Shivena = Shiva, saha = too, modhathe = pleased.

Legacy download: Bhajan_wma/Bhajan_Bhakti_D/D01 Shiva Panchaaksharee Sthothram.wma

Closing Vedic Prayer

om om om asato ma - sadgamaya tamaso ma - jyotirgamaya mrityor ma - amritangamaya om shantih, shantih, shantih

From the untruth lead me to truth, from the darkness lead me to light, from death lead me to the eternal. Om peace peace peace.

mangalam gurudevaya mahaniya gunatmane sarva loka sharanyaya sadhu rupaya mangalam shri shivabalayogishwaraya parabrahmane namaha hari om tat sat

All auspiciousness and good for the Guru who has all the greatest spiritual qualities. All the worlds worship and take refuge in you, you who are in the form of a holy saint. I bow before the greatest lord, Shri Shivabalayogi. God is Om, that alone is.

om shri shri shri shivabalayogi maharaj ki! jai!

Legacy download: Bhajan_wma/Bhajan_Bhakti_A/A13 asato ma.wma