Nirvanashatkam
The Nirvanashatkam (निर्वाणषट्कम्, Nirvāṇaṣatkam), also known as Atmashatkam (आत्मषट्कम्, ātmaṣatkam),[1] is a non-dual Saivite composition consisting of six verses or ślokas, attributed by the early modern Advaita Vedanta tradition to Adi Shankara.[2]
Etymology
"Nirvāṇa" can be roughly translated as complete equanimity, peace, tranquility, freedom, and joy. "Ātman" is the True Self. "Shatakam" is a Sanskrit term meaning "consisting of six," used to refer to six-verse compositions in Hindu tradition.[3]
Origin
Shankara's hagiographies (15th–17th centuries CE), showing the influence of Yoga traditions on the Advaita tradition of that time, narrate that when Adi Shankara (8th century CE) was eight years old, he encountered the seer Govinda Bhagavatpada. Govinda asked Shankara, "Who are you?", to which he answered with these stanzas, whereafter Govinda accepted Shankara as his disciple.[4]
Yet, the knowledge of 'Shivoham' (I am Shiva) is a concept from Kashmir Shaivism, as conveyed in Pratyabhijnahridayam, meaning 'recognition (pratyabhijna) of the 'heart' (hridayam)',[5][6] with hridayam originating in Kaula Shaivism. As Flood explains, in the context of Kashmir Shaivism: saktopaya is related to cognition (jnana), "focusing on a pure thought construction (suddhavikalpa) that corresponds to a true state of affairs, such as "I am Siva".[7]
Text
A literal English translation of the composition is as follows:[lower-alpha 1]
Not (naham[10][lower-alpha 2]) mind, intellect, ego (manobuddhyahaṅkāra[10][lower-alpha 3]) [is] [heart, center], not [my] state of mind (citta) [is] [heart, center].
not [the] five senses, not [the] five elements [is] [heart, center].
Essence (cidānandarūpaḥ[lower-alpha 4]), Shiva, [is] [heart, center] (śivo'ham)[lower-alpha 5]
Not prāṇa, not [the] five types of breath (vāyus - Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna, Udāna, Samāna),
not [the] seven material essences, not [the] five sheaths (pañca-kośa).
Not [the] organ of speech, not [the] organs for holding (hand), movement (feet) or excretion.
Essence, Shiva [is] [heart, center].
Not [my] hatred or dislike, not [my] affiliation or liking, not [my] greed, not [my] delusion,
not [my] pride or haughtiness, not [my] feelings of envy or jealousy.
Not [my] duty (dharma), desire for wealth (artha), lust (kāma), liberation (mokṣa).
Essence, Shiva [is] [heart, center].
Not merit (virtue), not sin.
Not sukkha (worldly pleasure), not dukkha (suffering due to attachment),
Not mantras, holy places, scriptures (Vedas), rituals or sacrifices (yajñas).
Not [the] object being enjoyed, not the enjoyer.Form [element] of eternal consciousness and bliss, Shiva [is] [heart, center].
Essence, Shiva [is] [heart, center].
Not death, not fear, not caste-distinctions,
Not father, not mother,
Not birth, not relatives, not friends,
Not guru, not disciple.
Essence, Shiva [is] [heart, center].
[Essence, heart] [is] without erroneous thought-constructions (nirvikalpaḥ), formless-form (nirākārarūpaḥ),
omnipresent (vibhutvāt) and everywhere (sarvatra), [beyond] all sense-faculties (sarvendriyāṇām).
Not unattached, not liberated (mukti), not measurable.
Essence, Shiva [is] [heart, center].
Interpretation
Sadhguru comments:
Nirvana means "formless." The Nirvana Shatakam is towards this – you don’t want to be either this or that. If you don’t want to be this nor that, then what do you want to be? Your mind cannot understand this because your mind always wants to be something. If I say, “I don’t want to be this; I don’t want to be that,” you would think, “Oh something super!” Not super. “Oh, so emptiness?” Not emptiness. “Nothingness?” Not nothingness. That’s what is being conveyed through this chant.[2]
Notes
- ↑ This text has been transliterated on 19 July 2011 from the sources at G. Sivakumar, Nirvashtakam,[8] with some corrections made based on HinduPedia, "Nirvana Shatakam.[9]
Further corrections made on 26 March 2026, based on shlokam.org, Nirvana Shatkam (Atma Shatakam) of Adi Sankara. - ↑ Sanskrit Dictionary [naha]: "tying, trap, obstruction, binding"; 'I am not bound by'; compare nisprapanca.
- ↑ mano, manas, mind; buddhi, intellect, "the power to "form and retain concepts, reason, discern, judge, comprehend, understand"; ahaṅkāra, 'ego-making'
- ↑ cid, (spiritual) consciousness, the core of the mind; ananda, "bliss", 'the realization of something being perfectly itself'; rūpaḥ, form,[10] 'value', the most essential
- ↑ śivo, Shiva; aham, 'I am', 'the [spiritual] heart', 'the center of what "I" am'. Compare Svayam prakāśa and Aham Brahmasmi.
References
- ↑ "Nirvana Shatkam - Works of Sankaracharya, Advaita Vedānta and Hindu Sacred Scriptures". Sankaracharya.org. 2007-09-22. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sadhguru.
- ↑ Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit, shatkam
- ↑ Editor (2025-02-07). ""Nirvana Shatakam" : A Gateway to the Infinite". Integral Yoga® Magazine. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ Dalal, Roshen (2014-04-18). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9. Search this book on
- ↑ Wilberg, Peter (2008). Heidegger, Phenomenology and Indian Thought. New Gnosis Publications. ISBN 978-1-904519-08-9. Search this book on
- ↑ Flood 2003, p. 221.
- ↑ stutimandal.com, Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ HinduPedia, "Nirvana Shatakam
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Sastri.
Sources
- Flood, Gavin (2003). "The Śaiva Traditions". In Flood, Gavin. The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1405132510. Search this book on
- Sadhguru. "Nirvana Shatakam - Shivoham Shivoham Lyrics and Meaning". isha.sadhguru.org. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- Sastri, S. N. "Nirvana Shatkam". Retrieved 2026-03-26.
External links
- mooji.org, Nirvana Shatakam
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