Shiva Mantras

ॐ नमः शिवाय

oṃ namaḥ śivāya

I bow to Shiva, the auspicious inner Self who transforms and frees.

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् । उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात् ॥

oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭi-vardhanam, urvārukam-iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt

A healing prayer to Shiva — for release from fear and death, and for wholeness and life.

ॐ तत्पुरुषाय विद्महे महादेवाय धीमहि तन्नो रुद्रः प्रचोदयात्

oṃ tatpuruṣāya vidmahe mahādevāya dhīmahi tanno rudraḥ pracodayāt

May we know the Supreme Person and meditate on Mahadeva; may Rudra inspire us.

कर्पूरगौरं करुणावतारं संसारसारं भुजगेन्द्रहारम् । सदावसन्तं हृदयारविन्दे भवं भवानीसहितं नमामि ॥

karpūra-gauraṃ karuṇāvatāraṃ saṃsāra-sāraṃ bhujagendra-hāram, sadā vasantaṃ hṛdayāravinde bhavaṃ bhavānī-sahitaṃ namāmi

I bow to Shiva, white as camphor, embodiment of compassion, dwelling ever in the lotus of the heart with Bhavani.

नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम्

namāmīśam īśāna-nirvāṇa-rūpaṃ vibhuṃ vyāpakaṃ brahma-veda-svarūpam

I bow to Shiva, lord of liberation, all-pervading, the very form of the Vedas. (Rudrashtakam)

नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय । नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥

nāgendra-hārāya trilocanāya bhasmāṅga-rāgāya maheśvarāya, nityāya śuddhāya digambarāya tasmai na-kārāya namaḥ śivāya

Salutations to Shiva, garlanded with serpents, three-eyed, ash-smeared, eternal and pure. (Shiva Panchakshara Stotra)

ॐ सदाशिवाय नमः

oṃ sadāśivāya namaḥ

I bow to the eternal, ever-auspicious Shiva.

ॐ महादेवाय नमः

oṃ mahādevāya namaḥ

I bow to Mahadeva, the great god.

ब्रह्ममुरारिसुरार्चितलिङ्गं निर्मलभासितशोभितलिङ्गम् । जन्मजदुःखविनाशकलिङ्गं तत्प्रणमामि सदाशिवलिङ्गम् ॥

brahma-murāri-surārcita-liṅgaṃ nirmala-bhāsita-śobhita-liṅgam, janmaja-duḥkha-vināśaka-liṅgaṃ tat praṇamāmi sadāśiva-liṅgam

I bow to the Shiva-linga, worshipped by Brahma and Vishnu, destroyer of the sorrow of birth. (Lingashtakam)