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Editorial

Two Mantras for Immortality

Maha Shivaratri is one of the most sacred festivals celebrated worldwide by millions of spiritual seekers for inner transformation, awakening higher consciousness, and ultimately attaining liberation.

The Moon is considered the presiding deity of the mind. According to the Purusha Suktam of the Rigveda, from the mind of the Cosmic Being came the Moon, and from His eyes came the Sun. There is a close affinity between the mind and the Moon. Both are subject to decline and ascent. The waning of the Moon is a symbol of the waning of the mind. All sadhanas (spiritual practices) are directed toward controlling the mind and, ultimately, eliminating the mind, so that one realizes one’s true nature, which is the Atma. This can be easily achieved when the Moon exerts the least influence on the mind.

Shivaratri (the night of Lord Shiva) falls on the fourteenth day of the Krishna Paksha, or the dark half of every month. When the Moon is waning, only a thin sliver of the Moon is visible on the fourteenth day, and there will be no Moon the next day. This is called monthly Shivaratri or Masa Shivaratri. But Maha Shivaratri, or the ‘Great Shivaratri,' is celebrated once a year during the dark half of the month of Magha, usually in February or March.

The scriptures and great masters proclaim that our mind is responsible for both bondage and liberation. Because the mind’s influence is at its lowest during the Maha Shivaratri night, we can become free, liberated, and blissful when we turn our minds toward the Lord–here, Lord Shiva.

So, Maha Shivaratri is the ideal day for spiritual practices for seekers of enlightenment. On this day, people undertake many spiritual practices, such as chanting the Rudram and doing abhishekam (sacred, ritualistic anointing and bathing) to the Shiva lingam. The spiritual significance of the emergence of the lingam (Lingodbhavam) on this day–and also the significance of chanting the Rudram, various forms of abhishekams, and how to worship the lingam were all discussed in the previous Maha Shivaratri editorials of The Eternal Companion issues in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Role of Mantras

In the vast landscape of spiritual practices, mantras occupy a central place. A mantra is a formula of mystical words and sounds that produce special vibrations, aligning the individual consciousness with the cosmic consciousness. Among the countless mantras revealed through divine insight, two stand out for their extraordinary potency and association with immortality, healing, protection, and liberation: the five-lettered Panchakshari Mantra (Om Namah Shivaya) and the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra (Tryambakam Yaja Mahe). 

Both mantras are dedicated to Lord Shiva, also called Devon Ke Dev or Mahadev, the Supreme Lord of the Gods, also identified as the supreme Parabrahman. Through these two mantras, seekers across millennia have sought not only physical well-being and longevity, but also spiritual awakening and immortality, and transcendence over death itself.

Lord Shiva: Embodiment of Immortality

Lord Shiva is not merely a god, but is regarded as the supreme reality, the supreme  Parabrahman. He is also described as Mahakala, the great embodiment of time, and as Kalatita, the one beyond time. Death exists only within the scope of time. Lord Shiva transcends death altogether by transcending time. Lord Shiva’s iconography in every aspect reflects this transcendence.

He dwells in cremation grounds, symbolizing the impermanence of the physical body. He adorns His body with ashes, vibhuti, reminding devotees that all forms ultimately return to dust. Yet, He is also the Lord of immortality. His throat holds the poison, Halahala or Kalakuta, which not only indicates the sacrifice He made to save humanity, but also His mastery over death and destruction, because it cannot harm Him. His matted locks release the sacred Ganga, the river of life and purification.

Thus, mantras addressed to Lord Shiva are not only appeals to escape fear, suffering, and death, but are also invocations for attaining liberation. So, these two mantras serve as pathways to this realization.

The ‘Panchakshari’ Mantra

The Vedas are the most ancient scriptures, embodying all the wisdom necessary for the progress of humanity in all spheres of life. They are considered the very breath of God. They are revelations of the highest truth in the minds of the great sages or rishis, the seekers of truth. All these great truths are compiled and classified into four Vedas by the great sage Vyasa, who is revered as the first guru, ‘Veda Vyasa.’

Among all the Vedas, the Yajur Veda is considered especially important, and that is why Swami’s residence in Prasanthi Nilayam is called Yajur Mandir.

In the Yajur Veda, the Shatarudriyam, also called Sri Rudram, a sacred hymn dedicated to Lord Rudra, holds a prominent place. In this Rudram, the eighth anuvaka (section) is considered very important since the Panchakshari Mahamantra ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ is found in the center of this anuvaka.

According to the Shiva Purana, the Panchakshari Mantra is the king of all mantras. It is the core of the Vedas. It is the boat that carries one across the ocean of worldly existence. Panchakshari Mantra literally means five-syllable mantra: Na, Ma, Shi, Va, Ya. But when you precede it with the primordial sound Om, it becomes the six-syllable mantra, ‘Om Na Ma Shi Va Ya.’

The Vedas proclaim that all knowledge is contained within the Gayatri Mantra and that the essence of the Gayatri is contained within the Panchakshari Mantra.

Five Syllables, Five Elements, and the Five Faces of Lord Shiva

The five faces of Shiva are expressed in form, while the Panchakshari expresses Shiva in sound.

There are five faces described in the Shivopasana Mantra chanted during Sri Rudram. This is an important mantra that invokes the five faces: Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha, and Ishana. Each syllable of the Panchakshari corresponds to one face, one element, and one cosmic function. When the mantra is chanted, the seeker is, in essence, invoking and worshipping all five faces of Shiva simultaneously.

They are as follows:

• ‘Na’ refers to Sadyojata, associated with the westward direction. Its element is earth, its cosmic function is creation, and its spiritual meaning is humility. Its inner significance relates to the physical body and material existence.
• ‘Ma’ corresponds to Vamadeva, associated with the northern direction. Its element is water, its function is preservation, and its spiritual significance is love and compassion. Its inner significance relates to the mind and emotions. This aspect awakens devotion.
• ‘Shi’ corresponds to Aghora, associated with the southern direction. Its element is fire, and its function is the destruction of ignorance. It brings fearlessness and transformation, burning the ego, fear, and karmic impurities. It destroys past karma and ignorance.
• ‘Va’ represents Tatpurusha, associated with the eastern direction. Its element is air. Its function is tirodhana, the power of concealment, by which divinity is veiled so that human beings must make an effort through yoga and self-inquiry to realize the truth. This aspect regulates prana and breath, turning the seeker inward toward the reality.
• Finally, ‘Ya’ represents Ishana, the upward-facing aspect. Its element is ether. This face represents anugraha, divine grace, which grants liberation. While Tatpurusa represents concealment, Ishana bestows grace, with which one realizes the Atman as pure consciousness.

Thus, chanting the Panchakshari Mantra, one worships all five faces of Shiva, destroying ignorance, ego, and negativity, and transcending the body and mind gradually. Thus, the seeker moves from bondage to the state of pure awareness of the Atma.

Leading Jivatma to Paramatma

The mantra also describes the relation between the individual soul, Jiva, and the supreme reality, Shiva. ‘Na ma’ literally means ’not mine,’ denying the ego. ‘Nama’ also means prostration and salutations. ‘Shi’ represents the Supreme Lord. So, one is making salutations to the Supreme Lord. ‘Va’ represents the grace of God that bridges the gap between Paramatma and ‘Ya,’ which represents the individual soul, Jivatma.

This mantra also expresses the essence of nonduality, or Advaita. ‘Nama’ signifies the negation of the ego and the surrender of the limited self. ‘Shiva’ refers to that which is eternally auspicious, pure consciousness itself. Thus, Om Namah Shivaya means, “I surrender my ego to the infinite consciousness that I truly am.”

Immortality, in this sense, is not something to be achieved sometime in the future. It is to be realized this very moment when identification with the perishable body and mind dissolves.

From the yogic perspective of the kundalini energy and the chakras, the ‘Na’ represents the energy in the Mooladhara chakra, the root chakra, and the ending syllable ‘Ya’ represents the energy in the Sahasrara, the crown chakra. Thus, chanting this mantra facilitates raising the kundalini energy from the Mooladhara, from the base of the spine to the Sahasrara, the seat of awareness and consciousness at the crown of the head.

In the Panchakshari, the most important word is ‘Shiva’, which signifies auspiciousness. It is said in the Rudram that this is the highest degree of auspiciousness, chanted as ’Shivatama.’

Spiritual Masters on the Panchakshari Mantra

Arunachala Hill, Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu

Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba teaches that the Panchakshari is a tool for mano nasha (the dissolution of the mind). In that, ‘Na ma’ is considered an important part of the mantra for the seeker. What is ‘Na ma?’ ‘Not mine.’ If we give up the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine,’ one becomes Shiva Himself. Shiva is the embodiment of sacrifice.

Swami highlights that mantras should be chanted with one-pointed devotion and an understanding of their inner meaning.

The saint of Bengal, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, emphasized that for the Panchakshari to bear fruit, the seeker must have child-like faith, calling out to its parent with intense longing.

Swami Vivekananda said that chanting this mantra will ultimately lead one to the realization of ‘Shivoham’–that is, the realization that one is verily Shiva. Because chanting  Shiva’s name helps overcome fear, Shiva is the embodiment of fearlessness.

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, the sage of Arunachala, is primarily an advocate of Self-inquiry (atma vichara). He held the name of Shiva in the highest regard, specifically in the form of the hill Arunachala. As Sai devotees, we chant this name in the bhajan Manasa Bhajare Guru Charanam, when we sing ‘Arunachala Shiva.’ This is the first bhajan composed by Swami, in which He says, “Arunachala Shiva, Arunachala Shiva, Arunachala Shiva, Aruna Shivom.”  This indicates that Arunachala itself is Shiva. Finally, one experiences ‘Shivoham’ (I am Shiva)–Self-realization through constant chanting of the mantra, ‘Om Namah Shivaya.’

Two Stories on the Panchakshari Mantra

The efficacy of the Panchakshari Mantra is illustrated through numerous stories in the Puranas. Here are two of them.

One is the story of the great sage Markandeya. He was the son of Rishi Mrikandu, born as a result of the earnest prayers of his parents, as a boon from Lord Shiva. He was an ideal child and always devoted to Lord Shiva. However, the boon specified that he was destined to die at the very young age of sixteen. When the time of death approached, Markandeya took refuge in his beloved Lord Shiva, holding tightly on to the Shiva Lingam and chanting the sacred Panchakshari and the Mahamrityunjaya mantras.

When King Yama, the Lord of Death, arrived to claim his soul, Shiva emerged from the lingam to protect His devotee. Not only did Markandeya escape death, but he also received blessings from Lord Shiva to become a Chiranjeevi, one with eternal life. This story signifies that the Panchakshari is the destroyer of death and time. Swami explains in His divine discourse on March 8, 2005, that this episode teaches the relationship between devotion, destiny, and divine grace–showing how divine grace can overcome destiny itself.

The second story of Upamanyu is a profound illustration of pure devotion to Lord Shiva. As a young boy, Upamanyu once tasted cow’s milk at his uncle’s home and longed for it thereafter. When his impoverished mother could not provide milk, she explained that all nourishment and blessings ultimately come from Shiva. Inspired by her words, Upamanyu resolved to seek Shiva directly. He went to the forest and undertook severe austerities, worshipping a Shiva Lingam and chanting the Panchakshari mantra, ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ with unwavering devotion. Lord Shiva Himself appeared in disguise to test his faith, but Upamanyu refused to abandon his devotion. Pleased with his single-pointed devotion and surrender, Lord Shiva revealed His true form and blessed Upamanyu with an abundance of not just milk for the body, but also milk of wisdom and spiritual insight. 

Shiva Panchakshari Stotra

The Shiva Panchakshari Stotra, traditionally attributed to Sri Adi Shankaracharya, the master of Advaita, glorifies the Panchakshari Mantra ‘Namah Shivaya’ with clear meanings for each syllable. The hymn explains the significance of each letter.

This last sloka is the Phala Shruti (the declared fruit or result) of chanting the Shiva Panchakshari Stotram. It affirms the transformative power of chanting this mantra with devotion, awareness, and reverence. It assures the seeker that sincere recitation in the presence of Shiva leads to Shivaloka. 

There is a beautiful episode about Phala Shruti recorded by Dr. T. Ravikumar in his autobiographical book, ‘Chaksho Suryo Ajayatha.’ In 1975, as part of the Bhaja Govindam drama to be performed in Swami’s presence, they were to sing the Shiva Panchakshari Stotram. One morning, they got the blessed opportunity to practice it while sitting at His lotus feet. They completed the song without singing the Phala Shruti. Swami Himself reminded them to sing it. That is when they realized that they had literally received the greatest blessing of singing the stotram in Lord Shiva’s very presence! The divine reminder also reinforced the declared benefit of singing this stotram.

The Mantra as a Path of Purification

Regular repetition of the Panchakshari Mantra purifies the antahkarana, the inner instruments–mind, intellect, memory, and ego. As impurities dissolve, the aspirant experiences increasing peace and clarity.

Human beings experience various kinds of fear. Fear arises due to attachment to the body, relationships, and identity. From birth, there are many fears, such as fear of old age, fear of losing health, fear of losing wealth, fear of losing many other things–power, name, fame, beauty, lordship, etc. Among these, the greatest fear is the fear of death.

The Panchakshari loosens the attachment to the body, and one begins to realize what one truly is–the Atma.

The Panchakshari Mantra is often described as a Moksha Mantra, capable of granting liberation even to those immersed in worldly duties. Here, immortality is experiential. One may still live in a physical body, yet inwardly abide in the unchanging witness, the Atma. This state, Jivanmukta, liberated while alive, is considered the highest fulfilment of the Mantra.

The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra

The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, often called the great death-conquering mantra, stands as one of the most ancient and powerful mantras in the Vedic tradition. This is found both in the Rig Veda and the Yajur Veda as an invocation to Lord Shiva. The rishis (sages) recognize this mantra as possessing extraordinary potency for physical healing, spiritual protection, and ultimately liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

The story of Rishi Dadhichi, who sacrificed his body so that his bones could be used to create the Vajra, Indra’s thunderbolt weapon, is also associated with the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra. Dadhichi’s mastery over death, enabling him to consciously leave his body for the welfare of others, is attributed to his ardent practice of this mantra.

Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, whom our Swami blessed with a visit in 1957, documents numerous cases in his medical-spiritual practice where patients recovered from serious illnesses by regularly chanting the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra.

The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra raises profound philosophical questions about the nature of death and immortality. From the Advaita Vedanta perspective, as articulated by Adi Shankaracharya, death is ultimately an illusion arising from identification with the body. The true Self, the Atma, is never born and never dies. It is eternal, unchanging consciousness. Chanting the mantra makes one aware of this ultimate truth.

Detailed Meaning of the Mantra

The powerful Mṛityunjaya Mantra is also contained in the Namakam of the Sri Rudram. Each word in the mantra has a deep significance. ‘Tryambakam’ refers to Shiva, the three-eyed one. It symbolizes knowledge of the three times–past, present, and future–and also transcendence of all three. It also symbolizes the Sun, the Moon, and fire–the cosmic sources of light, soothing coolness, and warmth. The third eye represents the highest wisdom that burns ignorance to ashes. In Vedantic parlance, this ignorance is ignorance of our true nature. By invoking Shiva’s third eye, the mantra seeks illumination that destroys the darkness of ignorance, the root cause of mortality. The three-eyed Lord connects the practitioner with higher vision through the third eye, enabling one to see beyond the illusions of worldly existence and perceive the immortal reality.

‘Yajamahe’ means "I adore, I worship." ‘Sugandhim’ means fragrance of the divine, which we feel when Swami is around us. Just as the fragrance spreads invisibly in all directions, divine grace permeates all existence. The word sugandhim, at a higher spiritual level, also means the fragrance of love and beauty. As Swami says, God is Sathyam, Shivam, Sundaram–truth, auspiciousness, and beauty.

‘Pusthivardhanam’ refers to the one who provides spiritual nourishment (poshana), in addition to physical and intellectual nourishment that supports the seeker on the journey toward liberation. 

An important part of the mantra– ‘Urvaarukamiva bandhanaan’–is the metaphor of the cucumber that drops naturally from the vine. This represents the ideal relationship between the soul and the body. Just as a ripe cucumber effortlessly separates from the plant, the spiritually mature soul leaves the body without attachment or trauma when the time comes, experiencing death as a natural transition rather than a catastrophe. 

Here, the emphasis is not on making the physical body immortal or eternal, but on realizing that the Atma is eternal, while the body and mind are temporary and destined to perish. 

The final part of the mantra refers to this deeper understanding of immortality.

‘Mrityormuksheeya’ means “I am freed from death,” while ‘maamritaat’ means “not from immortality or deathlessness.” We are eternal, we are Sath-Chit-Ananda. Therefore, it is a natural intuition in all of us that we were, we are, and we will continue to exist, because we are divine. Only in ignorance, as described in the Puranas, do demons seek immortality of the body–something that is not possible. True immortality lies in realizing one’s true nature as the Atma.

Connection Between the Two Mantras

Swami says the purpose of life is to realize our true nature, which is immortal and divine. This is echoed in one of the most famous proclamations of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, which declares–Shrunvantu Vishwe Amrutasya Putraha (Listen attentively, everyone: you are the children of immortality). One title that everyone is entitled to is that of Amrutasya Putraha–child of immortality. Chanting the Mahamrityunjaya mantra is crucial, as it is essentially a prayer for awakening to the deathless Self, which is one’s inner reality and permanent, true nature.

Swami has also made this path very simple. The way to attain immortality is to remove immorality–by eliminating negative thoughts, words, and actions. This inner purification naturally leads one toward immortality.

Thus, the meaning of the mantra can be summarized as follows:

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad declares, 

The Mahamrityunjaya Mantra expresses this aspiration, seeking liberation from false identification with mortality, while the Panchakshari Mantra shows the way.

Together, these two mantras–the Shiva Panchakshari and the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra–constitute a complete spiritual path to Self-realization. The Panchakshari leads the seeker toward liberation, while the Mahamrityunjaya bestows victory over death and fear. The former purifies and frees the soul; the latter protects and elevates it through life’s difficult transitions. 

When practiced with devotion, discipline, and understanding, they guide the aspirant from worldly bondage to eternal peace, revealing Shiva not as a distant deity, but as the very essence of one’s own reality–one’s own eternal consciousness. 

Jai Sai Ram