Nirvana Shatakam

Nirvana Shatakam, composed by Adi Shankara himself, embodies the spiritual pursuit. Here are the lyrics and meaning of this timeless composition.

aham nirvikalpo nirakara rupo
vibhut vatcha sarvatra sarvendriyanam
na cha sangatham naiva muktir na meyaha
chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham

I am devoid of duality, my form is formlessness,
I exist everywhere, pervading all senses,
I am neither attached, neither free nor captive,
I am the form of consciousness and bliss,
I am the eternal Shiva...

Transcript

Six stanzas on Nirvana.

OM I am neither the mind,

Intelligence,

Ego,

Nor the seat of memory.

Neither the ears nor the tongue,

Nor the senses of smell and sight.

Neither space nor air,

Nor fire nor water,

Nor earth.

I am eternal bliss and awareness.

I am Shiva.

I am Shiva.

I am neither the prana,

Nor the five vital breaths.

Neither the seven elements of the body,

Nor its five sheaths.

I am not its hands,

Nor feet,

Nor tongue,

Nor other organs of action.

I am eternal bliss and awareness.

I am Shiva.

I am Shiva.

Neither greed nor delusion.

Hating or loving have I.

Nothing of pride or ego,

Of dharma or liberation.

Neither desire of the mind,

Nor object for its desiring.

I am infinite bliss consciousness.

I am Shiva.

I am Shiva.

Nothing of pleasure and pain,

Of virtue and vice do I know.

Nothing of mantra or sacred place.

None of sacred texts or ritual practice.

I am not the eater.

I am not the food or the act of eating.

I am of the form of bliss consciousness.

I am Shiva.

I am Shiva.

Death or fear I have none.

Nor any distinction of caste.

Neither father nor mother,

Nor even birth have I.

Neither friend nor comrade.

Neither disciple nor teacher.

Chidananda rupaham.

Shivoham.

Shivoham.

I have no form or desire.

The all-pervading I am.

I am everywhere I exist.

And yet am beyond the senses.

I am not salvation.

Nor anything to be known.

I am eternal bliss and awareness.

I am Shiva.

I am Shiva.

Reviews

This is so beautiful. I am grateful that I found it. I am eternal bliss and awareness. I am Shiva. I am Shiva. Namaste