Nirvana Shatkam
Nirvana Shatkam
निर्वाण षट्कम्
ॐ ॐ ओम् ...
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
मनो बुध्यहङ्कार चित्तानि नाहं
न च श्रोत्र जिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे ।
न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 1 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
न च प्राण सञ्ज्ञो न वैपञ्चवायुः
न वा सप्तधातुर्न वा पञ्चकोशाः ।
नवाक्पाणि पादौ न चोपस्थ पायू
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 2 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
न मे द्वेषरागौ न मे लोभमोहो
मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः ।
न धर्मो न चार्धो न कामो न मोक्षः
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 3 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दुःखं
न मन्त्रो न तीर्थं न वेदा न यज्ञः ।
अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 4 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
न मृत्युर्न शङ्का न मे जाति भेदः
पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्मः ।
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्यः
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 5 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
अहं निर्विकल्पो निराकार रूपो
विभूत्वाच्च सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् ।
न चासङ्गतं नैव मुक्तिर्न मेयः [न वा बन्धनं नैव मुक्तिर्न बन्धः]
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 6 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
About This Stotram
Overview
The Nirvana Shatkam, also known as the Atma Shatkam, is a Sanskrit philosophical hymn of 6 verses attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (c. 8th century CE). The text systematically negates identification of the self with the body, mind, senses, and emotions, concluding each verse with the refrain "chidanandarupah shivoham shivoham" — "I am of the nature of consciousness and bliss; I am Shiva." It is a foundational text of Advaita Vedanta and is widely used in meditation and self-inquiry practice.
What are the benefits of chanting Nirvana Shatkam?
- Supports the practice of self-inquiry (atma vichara) by articulating the nature of the true self
- Aids in loosening identification with the body, mind, and ego
- Cultivates equanimity through repeated contemplation of the text's core assertions
- Used as a meditation anchor in Advaita Vedanta practice and teaching
When is the best time to recite this?
The Nirvana Shatkam is recited in the morning and evening, and is particularly appropriate during meditation sessions. It can be recited at any time as a support for contemplative practice.
What is the historical and traditional background?
Adi Shankaracharya (c. 788–820 CE) composed the Nirvana Shatkam as an independent philosophical work articulating the core insight of Advaita Vedanta: the identity of the individual self (atman) with Brahman. Tradition holds that he composed it spontaneously in response to a question about his identity, addressing it to his future guru Govindapada. The text follows the neti neti ("not this, not this") method of negation found in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. It is taught in Advaita monastic traditions across India and has been widely commented upon and translated.
Available scripts
This text is available in 14 scripts: devanagari, tamil, telugu, kannada, malayalam, gujarati, bengali, iast, gurmukhi, oriya, assamese, sinhala, itrans, hk. Use the script selector above to switch between them.
Related Texts
- Bhaja Govindam — another well-known Sanskrit text attributed to Adi Shankaracharya that addresses liberation and the nature of the self in a devotional register
- Viveka Chudamani — a philosophical treatise by Adi Shankaracharya that expands at length on the Advaita Vedanta teachings summarized in the Nirvana Shatkam