Nirvana Shatkam
Nirvana Shatkam
Nirvana Shatkam
nirvāṇa ṣaṭkam
oṃ oṃ om ...
śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ
mano budhyahaṅkāra cittāni nāhaṃ
na ca śrotra jihve na ca ghrāṇanetre |
na ca vyoma bhūmirna tejo na vāyuḥ
cidānanda rūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham || 1 ||
śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ
na ca prāṇa sañjño na vaipañcavāyuḥ
na vā saptadhāturna vā pañcakośāḥ |
navākpāṇi pādau na copastha pāyū
cidānanda rūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham || 2 ||
śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ
na me dveṣarāgau na me lobhamoho
mado naiva me naiva mātsaryabhāvaḥ |
na dharmo na cārdho na kāmo na mokṣaḥ
cidānanda rūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham || 3 ||
śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ
na puṇyaṃ na pāpaṃ na saukhyaṃ na duḥkhaṃ
na mantro na tīrthaṃ na vedā na yajñaḥ |
ahaṃ bhojanaṃ naiva bhojyaṃ na bhoktā
cidānanda rūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham || 4 ||
śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ
na mṛtyurna śaṅkā na me jāti bhedaḥ
pitā naiva me naiva mātā na janmaḥ |
na bandhurna mitraṃ gururnaiva śiṣyaḥ
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham || 5 ||
śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ
ahaṃ nirvikalpo nirākāra rūpo
vibhūtvācca sarvatra sarvendriyāṇām |
na cāsaṅgataṃ naiva muktirna meyaḥ [na vā bandhanaṃ naiva muktirna bandhaḥ]
cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'haṃ śivo'ham || 6 ||
śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ, śivo'haṃ śivo'haṃ
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