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Shiva Panchakshari Sthothram naagendra haraya, thrilochanaya bhasmaanga raagaya, maheshwaraya; nithyaaya, shuddhaya, digambaraya thasmai na kaaraya - namah shivaya mandakini salila chandhana charchithaya nandeeshwara pramadha nadha maheshwaraya mandara mukhya bahu pushpa supoojithaya thasmai ma kaaraya namah shivaya

shivaya gauri vadanaravinda suryaya dakshadhwara naashanaya shri neelakanthaya vrishadhwajaya thasmai shi kaaraya namah shivaya vasishta, kumbhodhbhava, gautamadi muneendra devarchitha sevithaya chandrarka vaishwannara locahanaya thasmai va kaaraya namah shivaya yagnya swaroopaya, jathaa dharaya pinaaka hasthaya sanaathanaya sudivya dehaaya, digambaraya thasmai ya kaaraya namah shivaya panchakshari mantramidham sthothram yah pateh shiva sannidhau shivalokamavapnothi, shivena saha modhathe

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

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

4. 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.

5. 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

1. Nagendra = king of cobra snakes, haraya = garlanded, thri-lochanaya = three eyed; bhasma = ash, anga = limbs or body, raagaya = decorated, Maheshwaraya; Nityaya = eternal; shuddhaya = pure, digambaraya = naked or undressed, thasmai = to such, NA kaaraya = the form of Na, Namah  = salute, Shivaya = to Shiva.

2. Mandakini = a name of Goddess Ganga, salila = water; chandhana = sandal; charchitaya = anointed with; Nandeshwara, pramadha = a sect of divine beings who are devotees of Shiva, nadha = leader, Maheshwaraya, Mandara = Hybiscus flower, mukhya = main, bahu = several, pushpa = flowers, supoojitaya = worshipped; thasmai MA kaaraya = the form of Ma Namah Shivaya

3. Shivaya, Gauri = a name of Parvati, vadana = face, aravinda = lotus, Suryaya = sun; Daksha = Sati Devi’s father, adhwara = homa, Naashanaya = destroyer; Shri = auspicious, Neela = blue, kanthaya = necked, Vrisha = bull, dhwajaya = mount or vehicle; thasmai SHI-kaaraya Namah Shivaya

4. Vasishta, Kumbhodbhava = one who is born from a pot - Dronaacharya the teacher of Arjuna in Mahabharatha, Gautama = another muni (the husband of river Godaavari), adi = such as, munendra = the best among sages, Deva = gods, architha = prayed (by), sevithaya = served (by), Chandra = moon, arka = sun, Vaishwan = fire (the third eye of Shiva the one on His forehead is considered the fire), nara = human being refers to a hunter by the name of Kannappa, lochanaya = eyes; thasmai VA-kaaraya namah Shivaya

5. Yagnya = homa, Swaroopaya = the form of, Jata dharaya = wearing matted hair, Pinaka = name of Lord Shiva’s bow, hasthaya = holding, Sanathanaya = ancient, Su divya = very divine, dehaya = bodied, Digambaraya = naked or undressed, thasmai YA-kaaraya namah Shivaya.

Panchakshari  = 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, avapnothi = attains, Shivena = Shiva, saha = too modhathe = pleased.

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