nirvāṇa ṣaṭkam, also known as ātma ṣaṭkam, is a concise Advaita stotram composed by Adi Shankaracharya. Its repeated refrain, chidānanda rūpaḥ śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, teaches that the real Self is not the body, senses, mind, social identity, ritual identity, pleasure, pain, bondage, or even an object to be attained. The hymn speaks in the voice of recognition: "I am Shiva, the auspicious reality whose nature is consciousness and bliss."
Traditional accounts remember Adi Shankaracharya composing this hymn in the setting of direct Self-inquiry, where the student is asked who he truly is beyond name, body, and social identity. Whether read as a historical dialogue or as a contemplative teaching-scene, the hymn displays Shankara's signature precision: it removes false identifications one by one and leaves the seeker resting in chidānanda, consciousness-bliss. Its power lies in making the highest Advaita teaching chantable and memorable.
The hymn belongs to the Advaita Vedanta stotra and prakaraṇa teaching tradition, and its vision rests directly on the Upanishads. It echoes the method of nēti nēti from the bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniṣad, the distinction between Self and sheaths taught in the taittirīya upaniṣad, the witnessing Self of the māṇḍūkya upaniṣad, and the mahavakya-centered realization that the Self is not a limited individual but pure consciousness.
The six verses move carefully from gross to subtle negation. First the hymn negates the mind, senses, and elements; then life-force, bodily constituents, sheaths, and organs of action; then emotional impurities and worldly goals; then merit, sin, ritual supports, and subject-object relations; then birth, death, caste, and relationships; finally even bondage and liberation as limiting notions. The result is not nihilism. It is the discovery of the ever-present Self as chit, ānanda, and śiva.
ōṃ ōṃ ōm ...
śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ
Word Meanings (padārtha):
ōm - the pranava, pointing to the whole field of experience and the reality beyond it
śivaḥ - Shiva; auspicious consciousness
ahaṃ - I
śivō'haṃ - a sandhi form of śivaḥ ahaṃ, repeated as contemplation
Translation (bhāvārtha):
Om. Om. Om. I am Shiva, I am Shiva; I am the auspicious Self, pure consciousness and bliss.
Commentary (anusandhāna):
The opening prepares the mind for the refrain. ōm gathers the entire range of experience, and śivō'haṃ points the seeker from limited self-reference to the auspicious Self. Here śiva is not merely a sectarian name; in Advaita contemplation it also indicates the pure, auspicious, unconditioned reality.
The māṇḍūkya upaniṣad treats ōm through the phrase ōṃ ityētadakṣaramidaṃ sarvam, making it the symbol of the Self in waking, dream, deep sleep, and the silence beyond. The refrain also resonates with Upanishadic teaching such as ahaṃ brahmāsmi and tat tvaṃ asi. Shankara's bhashyas repeatedly clarify that liberation is not becoming something new but recognizing what the Self always is.
Practically, the refrain is a powerful antidote to panic and smallness. It does not excuse careless behavior; it gives the mind a larger center. A person who remembers śivō'haṃ can act with steadiness, dignity, and compassion instead of being ruled by every passing thought.
manō budhyahaṅkāra chittāni nāhaṃ
na cha śrōtra jihvē na cha ghrāṇanētrē ।
na cha vyōma bhūmirna tējō na vāyuḥ
chidānanda rūpaḥ śivō'haṃ śivō'ham ॥ 1 ॥
śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ
Word Meanings (padārtha):
manaḥ - mind, the faculty of thought and doubt
buddhi - intellect, the faculty of decision and discernment
ahaṅkāra - ego-sense, the "I-maker"
chitta - memory and inner impression-field
na - not
ahaṃ - I
śrōtra - hearing
jihvā - taste or tongue
ghrāṇa - smell
nētra - sight
vyōma - space
bhūmiḥ - earth
tējaḥ - fire or light
vāyuḥ - air
chid-ānanda-rūpaḥ - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
śivaḥ - Shiva; auspicious consciousness
ahaṃ - I
Translation (bhāvārtha):
I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or memory. I am not hearing, taste, smell, or sight. I am not space, earth, fire, or air. I am Shiva, whose nature is consciousness and bliss.
Commentary (anusandhāna):
The verse begins with the inner instrument, antaḥkaraṇa: manaḥ, buddhi, ahaṅkāra, and chitta. It then negates sense faculties and elements. The point is subtle: the Self is not denying that mind, senses, and elements appear; it is denying that they define the real ahaṃ, the witnessing Self.
The bṛhadāraṇyaka upaniṣad teaches through nēti nēti, "not this, not this." The kēna upaniṣad says yanmanasā na manutē yēnāhurmanō matam, showing that Brahman is that by which mind functions, not merely an object grasped by mind. Shankara's commentarial method uses this distinction to show that the knower cannot be reduced to the known.
In daily life, this verse helps us avoid over-identifying with thoughts and moods. A painful thought is seen; therefore it is not the seer. A mood changes; therefore it cannot be the stable Self. This recognition gives space before reaction and helps one respond wisely.
na cha prāṇa sañjñō na vaipañchavāyuḥ
na vā saptadhāturna vā pañchakōśāḥ ।
navākpāṇi pādau na chōpastha pāyū
chidānanda rūpaḥ śivō'haṃ śivō'ham ॥ 2 ॥
śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ
Word Meanings (padārtha):
prāṇa - life-breath
sañjñā - name; designation
pañcha-vāyuḥ - the five vital airs: prāṇa, apāna, vyāna, udāna, and samāna
sapta-dhātuḥ - the seven bodily constituents
pañcha-kōśaḥ - the five sheaths
vāk - speech
pāṇi - hands
pādau - feet
upastha - organ of generation
pāyū - organ of excretion
chid-ānanda-rūpaḥ - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
Translation (bhāvārtha):
I am not the vital force, nor the five vital airs. I am not the seven bodily constituents, nor the five sheaths. I am not speech, hands, feet, the organ of generation, or the organ of excretion. I am Shiva, whose nature is consciousness and bliss.
Commentary (anusandhāna):
This verse turns from mind and senses to the living organism. prāṇa, pañcha-vāyu, sapta-dhātu, pañcha-kōśa, and the organs of action all belong to the embodied person. They are sacred instruments, but they are still instruments. The Self is the witness because of which their presence and absence are known.
The taittirīya upaniṣad analyzes the person through the five sheaths, beginning from annamaya and moving inward through prāṇamaya, manōmaya, vijñānamaya, and ānandamaya. Shankara explains that the Self is not any sheath, because every sheath is objectifiable and variable. The Gita's phrase idaṃ śarīraṃ kauntēya kṣētramityabhidhīyatē gives the same clarity: body and field are known; the knower is different.
For daily life, this verse teaches respect for the body without slavery to it. Health, breath, work, and action matter, but identity need not collapse when the body is tired, aging, or imperfect. One can care for the instrument while remembering that one's worth is deeper than the instrument.
na mē dvēṣarāgau na mē lōbhamōhō
madō naiva mē naiva mātsaryabhāvaḥ ।
na dharmō na chārdhō na kāmō na mōkṣaḥ
chidānanda rūpaḥ śivō'haṃ śivō'ham ॥ 3 ॥
śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ
Word Meanings (padārtha):
dvēṣa - hatred or aversion
rāga - attachment or craving
lōbha - greed
mōha - delusion
mada - pride or intoxication of ego
mātsarya-bhāvaḥ - jealousy or envy
dharma - righteous duty and order
artha - wealth and means
kāma - desire and enjoyment
mōkṣa - liberation
chid-ānanda-rūpaḥ - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
Translation (bhāvārtha):
Hatred and attachment are not mine; greed and delusion are not mine. Pride and jealousy are not mine. I am not bound by dharma, wealth, desire, or even liberation as goals to be acquired. I am Shiva, whose nature is consciousness and bliss.
Commentary (anusandhāna):
The verse first negates the inner enemies: rāga, dvēṣa, lōbha, mōha, mada, and mātsarya. Then it negates even the puruṣārthas as defining the Self. For the seeker, dharma, artha, kama, and mōkṣa are meaningful; for the Self, nothing remains to be gained.
The Gita explicitly warns indriyasyēndriyasyārthē rāgadvēṣau vyavasthitau, teaching that bondage comes from rāga-dvēṣa and desire-driven action. The Upanishads point beyond all attainments to the Self that is already complete. Shankara's Advaita preserves both levels: the person must live dharmically and purify the mind, but realization shows that the Self was never a seeker lacking completion.
In daily life, this verse is not permission to abandon responsibility. It is freedom from being possessed by emotions and goals. Earn, love, serve, and pursue excellence, but do not let greed, jealousy, or status become your identity. That is how spiritual insight becomes social maturity.
na puṇyaṃ na pāpaṃ na saukhyaṃ na duḥkhaṃ
na mantrō na tīrthaṃ na vēdā na yajñaḥ ।
ahaṃ bhōjanaṃ naiva bhōjyaṃ na bhōktā
chidānanda rūpaḥ śivō'haṃ śivō'ham ॥ 4 ॥
śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ
Word Meanings (padārtha):
puṇyaṃ - merit
pāpaṃ - sin or demerit
saukhyam - happiness or comfort
duḥkham - sorrow or suffering
mantraḥ - mantra practice
tīrthaṃ - sacred place or pilgrimage
vēdāḥ - the Vedas
yajñaḥ - sacrifice or sacred offering
bhōjanaṃ - eating or enjoyment, depending on reading
bhōjyaṃ - the enjoyed object, the food
bhōktā - the enjoyer
chid-ānanda-rūpaḥ - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
Translation (bhāvārtha):
I am not merit or sin, not happiness or sorrow. I am not mantra, pilgrimage, Veda, or sacrifice as objects of dependence. I am not the act of enjoyment, the enjoyed object, or the enjoyer. I am Shiva, whose nature is consciousness and bliss.
Commentary (anusandhāna):
Here the hymn negates the moral, ritual, and experiential identities that often define religious life. puṇya and pāpa belong to the doer; saukhyam and duḥkham belong to experience; mantra, tīrtha, vēda, and yajña are means. The Self is not a means, result, or experiencer-object complex.
The Gita teaches guṇā guṇēṣu vartanta iti matvā na sajjatē, so the wise see action, actor, and result without ego-clinging. The Upanishads go further: the Self is not reached as an object, because it is the very basis of all reaching. Shankara's distinction between vyavahāra and paramārtha is essential here. Ritual and devotion purify at the practical level; knowledge reveals the Self beyond doership.
For daily life, this verse protects spiritual practice from pride. Good actions matter, sacred study matters, pilgrimage and mantra matter, but they should make us humbler, not superior. When the ego uses religion as identity, this verse quietly removes the mask.
na mṛtyurna śaṅkā na mē jāti bhēdaḥ
pitā naiva mē naiva mātā na janmaḥ ।
na bandhurna mitraṃ gururnaiva śiṣyaḥ
chidānandarūpaḥ śivō'haṃ śivō'ham ॥ 5 ॥
śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ
Word Meanings (padārtha):
mṛtyuh - death
śaṅkā - fear, doubt, or anxiety
jāti-bhēdaḥ - distinction based on birth or caste
pitā - father
mātā - mother
janmaḥ - birth
bandhuḥ - relative
mitraṃ - friend
guruḥ - teacher
śiṣyaḥ - disciple
chid-ānanda-rūpaḥ - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
Translation (bhāvārtha):
For me there is no death, no fear, and no distinction of birth. I have no father, mother, or birth in the ultimate sense. I am not confined by relative, friend, teacher, or disciple identity. I am Shiva, whose nature is consciousness and bliss.
Commentary (anusandhāna):
This verse negates social and biological identity. janma, jāti, pitā, mātā, bandhu, mitra, guru, and śiṣya all have value in the world, but none touches the unborn Self. This meaning follows the basetxt reading na mṛtyurna śaṅkā; some recensions read na mṛtyuśaṅkā, "no fear of death," which gives the same contemplative direction by denying death-related fear in the Self.
The kaṭha upaniṣad says the Self is not born and does not die. The Gita echoes this: na jāyatē mriyatē vā kadāchit. Shankara reads such passages as direct evidence that Atman is birthless, deathless consciousness, while roles and relationships belong to body-mind individuality.
In daily life, this verse brings freedom without coldness. Relationships are to be honored, not absolutized. When identity is deeper than role, one can be a better child, parent, friend, teacher, or student because love is no longer mixed with possession and fear.
ahaṃ nirvikalpō nirākāra rūpō
vibhūtvāchcha sarvatra sarvēndriyāṇām ।
na chāsaṅgataṃ naiva muktirna mēyaḥ [na vā bandhanaṃ naiva muktirna bandhaḥ]
chidānandarūpaḥ śivō'haṃ śivō'ham ॥ 6 ॥
śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ, śivō'haṃ śivō'haṃ
Word Meanings (padārtha):
ahaṃ - I, the Self
nirvikalpaḥ - without division, alternative, or conceptual limitation
nirākāra-rūpaḥ - of formless nature
vibhutvāt - because of all-pervasiveness
sarvatra - everywhere
sarvēndriyāṇām - of all the senses
asaṅgatam - unattached, unrelated, not clinging
muktiḥ - liberation
mēyaḥ - object of knowledge or measurement
na - not
vā - or
bandhanam - bondage
naiva - contextual word sense: the bracketed alternate reading says there is neither bondage nor liberation for the Self
muktih - contextual word sense: the bracketed alternate reading says there is neither bondage nor liberation for the Self
bandhaḥ - bondage
chid-ānanda-rūpaḥ - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
Translation (bhāvārtha):
I am without division and without form. Being all-pervasive, I am present everywhere as the basis of all the senses. I am unattached; in the highest sense I am neither a bound object nor something to be liberated. I am Shiva, whose nature is consciousness and bliss.
Commentary (anusandhāna):
The final verse gives the positive vision after negation. nirvikalpa means the Self is not divided by alternatives; nirākāra means it is not limited by form; vibhu means all-pervasive. The bracketed reading makes the Advaita point even sharper: bondage and liberation belong to the mistaken individual, not to the ever-free Self.
The māṇḍūkya kārikā famously teaches na nirōdhō na chōtpattiḥ na baddhō na cha sādhakaḥ: ultimately there is no bondage and no seeker in the absolute reality. Shankara uses this not to dismiss practice, but to show the final truth of the Self. Practice removes ignorance; it does not manufacture the Self.
In daily life, this verse gives courage without arrogance. One can work hard, learn, apologize, improve, and serve, while inwardly knowing that one's deepest worth is not fragile. That combination creates resilience: disciplined outside, free inside.
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