Welcome to the Devotional Downloads

This blog is an humble attempt to bring together a collection of devotional and delightful songs in praise of the LORD. It is said that when these mantras or stotras are recited and chanted with a full understanding of the meaning , they are more effective and potent. It also helps us appreciate and understand the LORD more significantly and subtly. All these are already available on the internet and my heartfelt thanks to all the authors and contributors. I have started this blog with a few of my choice and while the list can never be exhaustive I will try and add more time permitting . Where possible, download links have been provided.



Tuesday 8 February 2011

Nirvana shatakam

The Atma shatakam is also known as Nirvana Shatakam , and by other variations of these names. It is a shloka in six stanzas written by Adi Sankara summarising the basic teachings of Advaita Vedanta, or the Hindu teachings of non-dualism. The speaker of the poem is nominally Shiva, but it is generally seen as a statement by a knowing person of identity with Shiva or brahman. The speaker lists in the earlier verses what he (or brahman) is not. He is not body or mind, nor the things that attach them to each other and to the world, including the intellect, the senses, the practices of life, the occurrences of life such as birth and death. In the last verse he says that he permeates through the universe, and that he is consciousness, bliss and the soul, and by implication, the atman and brahman.


Mano budhyahankara chithaa ninaham,
Na cha srothra jihwe na cha graana nethrer,
Na cha vyoma bhoomir na thejo na vayu,
Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham.

Meaning: Neither am I mind, nor intellect,
Nor ego, nor thought,
Nor am I ears or the tongue or the nose or the eyes,
Nor am I earth or sky or air or the light,
I am Shiva, I am Shiva, the nature of Bliss.


Na cha praana sangno na vai pancha vaayuh,
Na vaa saptha dhathur na va pancha kosa,
Na vak pani padam na chopastha payu,
Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham.

Meaning: Neither am I the movement due to life,
Nor am I the five airs, nor am I the seven elements constituting the body (Dhatu),
Nor am I the five sheaths which invest the soul,
Nor am I voice or hands or feet or other organs,
I am Shiva, I am Shiva, the nature of Bliss.


Na me dwesha raghou na me lobha mohou,
Madho naiva me naiva matsarya bhava,
Na dharmo na cha artha na kamo na moksha,
Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham.

Meaning: I am not the state of envy and passion or the emotions of hatred, greed and attachment,
Neither I am intoxication nor I am the emotion of jealousy,
And I am not even the four Purushartha — Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha,
I am Shiva, I am Shiva, the nature of Bliss.


Na punyam na paapam na soukhyam na dukham,
Na manthro na theertham na veda na yagna,
Aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhoktha,
Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham.


Meaning: I am not Punya (good deed), Paap (Sin), Saukhya (friendship), or Dukha (Grief),
Neither I am holy chants (Mantra) or holy Shrine (Teertha) nor I am the Veda or the Sacrifice and Oblation,
I am neither food or the consumer who consumes food,
I am Shiva, I am Shiva, the nature of Bliss.


Na mruthyur na sankha na me jathi bhedha,
Pitha naiva me naiva matha na janma,
Na bhandhur na mithram gurur naiva sishyah,
Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham.

Meaning: I do not have death or doubts or distinction of caste,
I do not have either father or mother or even birth,
And I do not have relations or friends or teacher or students,
I am Shiva, I am Shiva, the nature of Bliss.


Aham nirvi kalpo nirakara roopo,
Vibhuthwascha sarvathra sarvendriyanaam,
Na chaa sangatham naiva mukthir na meyah
Chidananada Roopa Shivoham, Shivoham.

Meaning: I am free from changes, and lack all the qualities and form,
I envelope all forms from all sides and am beyond the sense-organs,
I am always in the state of equality — there is no liberation (Mukti) or captivity (Bandha),
I am Shiva, I am Shiva, the nature of Bliss.

- Sri Jagadguru Adi Sankaracharya

Download Links:

Nirvana Shatakam in Sanskrit with meaning PDF Format
Nirvana Shatakam in English with meaning PDF Format
Nirvana Shatakam in Telugu with meaning PDF Format
Nirvana Shatakam MP3


1 comment:

  1. The virtue of Sanatanadharma is being exposed by Adi Sankara generally known as advaitha philosophy. but in fact it is, Visistadwaita, the same is expressed by him in his writing of Atmabodha. Ther is a great similarity between Saiva Visistadwaita of Sanatan Kashmiry Saivism. Adi Sankara's contribution is extraordinary and very rich for Sanatana Dharma.

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