नागेन्द्रहाराय विलोचनाय
भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय ।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय
तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ १ ॥
मन्दाकिनीसलिलचन्दनचर्चिताय
नन्दीश्वरप्रमथनाथमहेश्वराय ।
मन्दारमुख्यबहुपुष्पसुपूजिताय
तस्मै मकारमहिताय नमः शिवाय ॥ २ ॥
शिवाय गौरीवदनाब्जवृन्द-
सूर्याय दक्षाध्वरनाशकाय ।
श्रीनीलकण्ठाय वृषध्वजाय
तस्मै शिकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ३ ॥
वसिष्ठकुम्भोद्भवगौतमार्य-
मुनीन्द्रदेवार्चितशेखराय ।
चन्द्रार्कवैश्वानरलोचनाय
तस्मै वकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ४ ॥
यक्षस्वरूपाय जटाधराय
पिनाकहस्ताय सनातनाय ।
दिव्याय देवाय दिगम्बराय
तस्मै यकाराय नमः शिवाय ॥ ५ ॥
पञ्चाक्षरमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेच्छिवसन्निधौ ।
शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते ॥ ६ ॥
nāgendrahārāya vilocanāya
bhasmāṅgarāgāya maheśvarāya
nityāya śuddhāya digambarāya
tasmai nakārāya namaḥ śivāya ‖ 1 ‖
mandākinīsalilacandanacarcitāya
nandīśvarapramathanāthamaheśvarāya
mandāramukhyabahupuṣpasupūjitāya
tasmai makāramahitāya namaḥ śivāya ‖ 2 ‖
śivāya gaurīvadanābjavṛnda-
sūryāya dakṣādhvaranāśakāya
śrīnīlakaṇṭhāya vṛṣadhvajāya
tasmai śikārāya namaḥ śivāya ‖ 3 ‖
vasiṣṭhakumbhodbhavagautamārya-
munīndradevārcitaśekharāya
candrārkavaiśvānaralocanāya
tasmai vakārāya namaḥ śivāya ‖ 4 ‖
yakṣasvarūpāya jaṭādharāya
pinākahastāya sanātanāya
divyāya devāya digambarāya
tasmai yakārāya namaḥ śivāya ‖ 5 ‖
pañcākṣaramidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhecchivasannidhau
śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate ‖ 6 ‖
Meaning
1. To him who wears the king of serpents as a garland, the three-eyed one, whose body is smeared with sacred ash, the great Lord; the eternal, the pure, clothed by the directions: to that Shiva, who is the syllable "na", salutations.
2. To him anointed with the water of the Mandakini and with sandal paste, Lord of Nandishvara and of the pramatha ganas, the great Lord, worshipped with mandara and many other flowers: to that Shiva, honoured by the syllable "ma", salutations.
3. To Shiva, the sun who opens the lotus of Gauri's face, destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice, the blue-throated one whose banner bears the bull: to that Shiva, who is the syllable "shi", salutations.
4. To him whose head is worshipped by Vasishtha, Agastya (born from the pot), Gautama and other great munis and by the devas, whose three eyes are the moon, the sun and fire: to that Shiva, who is the syllable "va", salutations.
5. To him who took the form of the Yaksha, who bears matted locks, holds the Pinaka bow, the eternal, the divine Deva clothed by the directions: to that Shiva, who is the syllable "ya", salutations.
6. Whoever recites this holy Panchakshara stotra near Shiva reaches Shivaloka and rejoices with Shiva.
About this bhajan
Five verses for the five syllables of Na-ma-shi-vā-ya, the Panchakshara mantra of the Shri Rudram. Each verse begins with its own syllable and ends on the same line: tasmai ...kārāya namaḥ śivāya. Children in Shaiva homes of the south learn it before they can read, and it is sung at the abhisheka in countless temples on Mondays and through the night of Mahashivratri. The "Yaksha" of the fifth verse recalls the Kena Upanishad, where Brahman appears to the devas as a Yaksha whom they cannot know. The editions print "vilocanāya" in the first line; most singers today say "trilocanāya", three-eyed, which the verse means either way.
Adi Shankaracharya, Shiva Panchakshara Stotra, vv. 1–5: Works of Sri Sankaracharya (Vani Vilas Press, Srirangam, 1910), sa.wikisource "शिवपञ्चाक्षरस्तोत्रम्"; phala verse 6 from Brihat Stotra Ratnakara (1953), sa.wikisource "शिवपञ्चाक्षरस्तोत्रम् (बृहत्स्तोत्ररत्नाकरान्तर्गतम्)"