निर्वाण षट्कम्, also known as आत्म षट्कम्, is a concise Advaita stotram composed by Adi Shankaracharya. Its repeated refrain, चिदानंद रूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, 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 चिदानंद, consciousness-bliss. Its power lies in making the highest Advaita teaching chantable and memorable.
The hymn belongs to the Advaita Vedanta stotra and प्रकरण teaching tradition, and its vision rests directly on the Upanishads. It echoes the method of नेति नेति from the बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्, the distinction between Self and sheaths taught in the तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद्, the witnessing Self of the मांडूक्य उपनिषद्, 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 चित्, आनंद, and शिव.
ॐ ॐ ओम् ...
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
Word Meanings (पदार्थ):
ओम् - the pranava, pointing to the whole field of experience and the reality beyond it
शिवः - Shiva; auspicious consciousness
अहं - I
शिवोऽहं - a sandhi form of शिवः अहं, repeated as contemplation
Translation (भावार्थ):
Om. Om. Om. I am Shiva, I am Shiva; I am the auspicious Self, pure consciousness and bliss.
Commentary (अनुसंधान):
The opening prepares the mind for the refrain. ओम् gathers the entire range of experience, and शिवोऽहं points the seeker from limited self-reference to the auspicious Self. Here शिव is not merely a sectarian name; in Advaita contemplation it also indicates the pure, auspicious, unconditioned reality.
The मांडूक्य उपनिषद् treats ओम् through the phrase ॐ इत्येतदक्षरमिदं सर्वम्, 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 अहं ब्रह्मास्मि and तत् त्वं असि. 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 शिवोऽहं can act with steadiness, dignity, and compassion instead of being ruled by every passing thought.
मनो बुध्यहंकार चित्तानि नाहं
न च श्रोत्र जिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे ।
न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः
चिदानंद रूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 1 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
Word Meanings (पदार्थ):
मनः - mind, the faculty of thought and doubt
बुद्धि - intellect, the faculty of decision and discernment
अहंकार - ego-sense, the "I-maker"
चित्त - memory and inner impression-field
न - not
अहं - I
श्रोत्र - hearing
जिह्वा - taste or tongue
घ्राण - smell
नेत्र - sight
व्योम - space
भूमिः - earth
तेजः - fire or light
वायुः - air
चिद्-आनंद-रूपः - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
शिवः - Shiva; auspicious consciousness
अहं - I
Translation (भावार्थ):
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 (अनुसंधान):
The verse begins with the inner instrument, अंतःकरण: मनः, बुद्धि, अहंकार, and चित्त. 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 अहं, the witnessing Self.
The बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् teaches through नेति नेति, "not this, not this." The केन उपनिषद् says यन्मनसा न मनुते येनाहुर्मनो मतम्, 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.
न च प्राण संज्ञो न वैपंचवायुः
न वा सप्तधातुर्न वा पंचकोशाः ।
नवाक्पाणि पादौ न चोपस्थ पायू
चिदानंद रूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 2 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
Word Meanings (पदार्थ):
प्राण - life-breath
संज्ञा - name; designation
पंच-वायुः - the five vital airs: प्राण, अपान, व्यान, उदान, and समान
सप्त-धातुः - the seven bodily constituents
पंच-कोशः - the five sheaths
वाक् - speech
पाणि - hands
पादौ - feet
उपस्थ - organ of generation
पायू - organ of excretion
चिद्-आनंद-रूपः - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
Translation (भावार्थ):
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 (अनुसंधान):
This verse turns from mind and senses to the living organism. प्राण, पंच-वायु, सप्त-धातु, पंच-कोश, 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 तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद् analyzes the person through the five sheaths, beginning from अन्नमय and moving inward through प्राणमय, मनोमय, विज्ञानमय, and आनंदमय. Shankara explains that the Self is not any sheath, because every sheath is objectifiable and variable. The Gita's phrase इदं शरीरं कौंतेय क्षेत्रमित्यभिधीयते 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.
न मे द्वेषरागौ न मे लोभमोहो
मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः ।
न धर्मो न चार्धो न कामो न मोक्षः
चिदानंद रूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 3 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
Word Meanings (पदार्थ):
द्वेष - hatred or aversion
राग - attachment or craving
लोभ - greed
मोह - delusion
मद - pride or intoxication of ego
मात्सर्य-भावः - jealousy or envy
धर्म - righteous duty and order
अर्थ - wealth and means
काम - desire and enjoyment
मोक्ष - liberation
चिद्-आनंद-रूपः - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
Translation (भावार्थ):
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 (अनुसंधान):
The verse first negates the inner enemies: राग, द्वेष, लोभ, मोह, मद, and मात्सर्य. Then it negates even the पुरुषार्थs as defining the Self. For the seeker, धर्म, artha, kama, and मोक्ष are meaningful; for the Self, nothing remains to be gained.
The Gita explicitly warns इंद्रियस्येंद्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ, teaching that bondage comes from राग-द्वेष 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.
न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दुःखं
न मंत्रो न तीर्थं न वेदा न यज्ञः ।
अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता
चिदानंद रूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 4 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
Word Meanings (पदार्थ):
पुण्यं - merit
पापं - sin or demerit
सौख्यम् - happiness or comfort
दुःखम् - sorrow or suffering
मंत्रः - mantra practice
तीर्थं - sacred place or pilgrimage
वेदाः - the Vedas
यज्ञः - sacrifice or sacred offering
भोजनं - eating or enjoyment, depending on reading
भोज्यं - the enjoyed object, the food
भोक्ता - the enjoyer
चिद्-आनंद-रूपः - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
Translation (भावार्थ):
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 (अनुसंधान):
Here the hymn negates the moral, ritual, and experiential identities that often define religious life. पुण्य and पाप belong to the doer; सौख्यम् and दुःखम् belong to experience; मंत्र, तीर्थ, वेद, and यज्ञ are means. The Self is not a means, result, or experiencer-object complex.
The Gita teaches गुणा गुणेषु वर्तंत इति मत्वा न सज्जते, 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 व्यवहार and परमार्थ 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.
न मृत्युर्न शंका न मे जाति भेदः
पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्मः ।
न बंधुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्यः
चिदानंदरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 5 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
Word Meanings (पदार्थ):
मृत्युह् - death
शंका - fear, doubt, or anxiety
जाति-भेदः - distinction based on birth or caste
पिता - father
माता - mother
जन्मः - birth
बंधुः - relative
मित्रं - friend
गुरुः - teacher
शिष्यः - disciple
चिद्-आनंद-रूपः - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
Translation (भावार्थ):
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 (अनुसंधान):
This verse negates social and biological identity. जन्म, जाति, पिता, माता, बंधु, मित्र, गुरु, and शिष्य all have value in the world, but none touches the unborn Self. This meaning follows the basetxt reading न मृत्युर्न शंका; some recensions read न मृत्युशंका, "no fear of death," which gives the same contemplative direction by denying death-related fear in the Self.
The कठ उपनिषद् says the Self is not born and does not die. The Gita echoes this: न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचित्. 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.
अहं निर्विकल्पो निराकार रूपो
विभूत्वाच्च सर्वत्र सर्वेंद्रियाणाम् ।
न चासंगतं नैव मुक्तिर्न मेयः [न वा बंधनं नैव मुक्तिर्न बंधः]
चिदानंदरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ 6 ॥
शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं, शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं
Word Meanings (पदार्थ):
अहं - I, the Self
निर्विकल्पः - without division, alternative, or conceptual limitation
निराकार-रूपः - of formless nature
विभुत्वात् - because of all-pervasiveness
सर्वत्र - everywhere
सर्वेंद्रियाणाम् - of all the senses
असंगतम् - unattached, unrelated, not clinging
मुक्तिः - liberation
मेयः - object of knowledge or measurement
न - not
वा - or
बंधनम् - bondage
नैव - contextual word sense: the bracketed alternate reading says there is neither bondage nor liberation for the Self
मुक्तिह् - contextual word sense: the bracketed alternate reading says there is neither bondage nor liberation for the Self
बंधः - bondage
चिद्-आनंद-रूपः - of the nature of consciousness and bliss
Translation (भावार्थ):
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 (अनुसंधान):
The final verse gives the positive vision after negation. निर्विकल्प means the Self is not divided by alternatives; निराकार means it is not limited by form; विभु 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 मांडूक्य कारिका famously teaches न निरोधो न चोत्पत्तिः न बद्धो न च साधकः: 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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