Panchakshri Mantra

Panchakshri Mantra 

The Sanskrit Sloka and its translation:

naagEndrahaaraaya trilOchanaaya
bhasmaangaraagaaya mahESvaraaya |
nityaaya Suddhaaya digambaraaya
tasmai na kaaraaya namaH Sivaaya ||

I offer my humble salutations to Lord Mahesvara - who has a garland of serpents around the neck; who has three eyes; whose body is covered with vibhuti; who is eternal; who is pure; who has the entire sky as His dress and who is embodied as the first letter Na.

mandaakinee salila chandana charchitaaya
nandeeSvara pramathanaatha mahESvaraaya |
mandaara mukhya bahupuShpa supoojitaaya
tasmai ma kaaraaya namaH Sivaaya ||

I bow to Lord Mahesvara, who is embodied as Makaara (letter Ma), whose body is anointed with holy waters from the river Ganges and sandal paste, who is the sovereign king of the Pramatha Ganas and who is adorned with innumerable divine flowers such as Mandaara.

Sivaaya gauree vadanaabja bRunda
sooryaaya dakShaadhvara naaSakaaya |
Sree neelakaNThaaya vRuShabhadhvajaaya
tasmai Si kaaraaya namaH Sivaaya ||

I offer my salutations to Lord Shiva, who is the resplendent sun for mother Gauri's lotus face (sun causes the lotus flower to open up and bloom; Lord Shiva makes mother Gauri's face bloom), who is the destroyer of Daksha's sacrificial ritual, who is the blue necked Lord (due to the Haalahala poison which He agreed to consume), whose banner bears the emblem of a bull and who is embodied
as the letter Shi.

vaSiShTha kumbhOdbhava gautamaarya
muneendra dEvaarchita SEkharaaya |
chandraarka vaiSvaanara lOchanaaya
tasmai va kaaraaya namaH Sivaaya ||

I prostrate before the God of Gods, who is worshipped and prayed to by great sages such as Vashishta, Agastya and Gautama, whose eyes are sun, moon and the fire and who is embodied as Vakaara (letter Va).

yagnya svaroopaaya jaTaadharaaya
pinaaka hastaaya sanaatanaaya |
divyaaya dEvaaya digambaraaya
tasmai ya kaaraaya namaH Sivaaya ||

Prostrations to the sacred Lord who is the Yaksa incarnate, whose hair is long and matted, who holds Pinaaka (trident) in His hand, who has the entire sky as His attire and who is embodied as the letter Ya.

panchaakSharamidam puNyam yaH paThEcChiva sannidhau |
SivalOkamavaapnOti SivEna saha mOdatE ||

Whoever repeats this prayer composed with the five holy letters before Lord Shiva, attains that supreme abode of His and enjoys eternal bliss.

Om Namah Shivay.