Om Namah Shivaya is a powerful mantra in Hinduism, particularly in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism that focuses on the worship of Lord Shiva. The mantra consists of five syllables: "Om", "Na", "Mah", "Shi", and "Va", which together mean "I bow to Shiva."
The mantra is considered to be one of the most significant and sacred mantras in Sanatan Dharama and is believed to have numerous physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. Chanting this mantra is said to bring inner peace, harmony, and a deep connection with Lord Shiva.
The mantra is also associated with the awakening of the Kundalini, the dormant spiritual energy that lies at the base of the spine. Chanting this mantra can help to activate this energy and bring about a state of enlightenment or self-realization.
In Shaivism, Lord Shiva is considered to be the supreme being, the destroyer of evil and the transformer of the universe. He is also known as the Lord of Yoga, and his worship is closely associated with the practice of yoga and meditation.
Overall, the Om Namah Shivaya mantra is a powerful tool for spiritual growth, transformation, and healing. It is believed to help purify the mind and body, awaken the inner consciousness, and bring one closer to the divine.
PHYSICAL EFFECTS
• Helps fight physical illness and has healing powers on the body.
• Improves body metabolism.
• Boosts immunity.
• Reduces body toxicity.
• Lowers blood pressure, improves blood circulation, and promotes regular heart rhythm, reducing the risk of heart strokes and organ failure.
• Tightens pores naturally, giving the body and skin a radiant glow.
• Strengthens vocal cords and muscles around it, improving voice quality.
• Strengthens the spinal cord and supporting muscles.
• Purifies the five elements that make up the body.
• Promotes a straight body structure.
MENTAL EFFECTS
• Brings stability and peace to a restless mind.
• Promotes calmness, especially during challenging times.
• Helps control anger, aggression, and rude behavior by cooling the mind.
• Reduces the fear of death, making one fearless.
• Relieves stress and anxiety, helping to relax and unwind.
• Aids in fighting mental illness, such as panic, stress, insomnia, depression, and insanity.
• Facilitates the development of dispassion (vairagya).
• Eliminates eroticism and lust, freeing one from animal passions.
• Stabilizes thoughts and enlightens the inner thought process.
• Helps gain control over senses and nerves, eventually governing the mind.
• Increases focus, concentration, and persistence, facilitating the achievement of goals.
• Provides a sense of direction and purpose in life.
• Enhances clear perception and the power of judgment, enabling one to make the right decisions in life.
• Awakens the subconscious mind, creating significant vibrations within it.
• Eliminates inner evil, such as ego, vanity, jealousy, cruelty, and greed, making one a better person and stopping the use of abusive language.
• Promotes selflessness and respect for all living beings in the Universe.
• Provides a feeling of internal ecstasy, increasing happiness and eternal joy, and bringing a constant smile to one's face.
• Improves memory power.
• Facilitates the understanding and acquisition of all topics and meanings.
• Increases creativity and intelligence.
• Gives better control over emotions, allowing clear and rational thinking in any situation.
• Helps in removing ignorance.
ENERGY EFFECTS
• Infuses positive energy and removes negative energy.
• Helps nullify the effects of malefic planets in one's horoscope.
• The mantra provides Moksha (enlightenment/self-realization).
• Makes one feel light.
• Opens and balances all chakras.
• Aids in awakening Kundalini Shakti.
SPIRITUAL EFFECTS
• Purifies environment around us and creates positive vibrations.
• Lifts one’s spirits into previously unexplored planes of existence - The mantra is designed to clear the cobwebs of karma so that your perception is enhanced and you become available to a larger dimension of existence.
• It destroys that which is standing as a barrier between you and the larger possibilities of life.
• Rubbing your hands together while chanting Om Namah Shivaya and putting those charged hands on different parts of the body heals or activates those body parts.
• This mantra is the seed of all Vedas, Tantras, Shastras and all their ancillaries in a very subtle form. If anyone has firmly established and stabilized this mantra by frequent practice (Mantra Siddhi), he has learnt all, heard all and performed all.
• This mantra contains the whole universe, if you constantly chant it, all powers of universe will help you as no power can overrule Lord Shiva.
• A person steady in the Japa of this mantra is released from the cage of sins whether he be a base-born, fool or a learned man.
• Mantra affords protection from the fear of worldly existence to those whose minds are inclined towards Shiva although they may be of distorted outlook, greedy, deceitful, ruthless, ungrateful and defiled by unimaginable and inexpressible faults - mental, verbal and physical.
• Even a fallen man may become liberated from all bondages through the weightiness of this Mantra alone, if he is Shiva’s devotee.
• He who worships Shiva with this Mantra with devotion and celibacy attains similarity to Shiva.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Shiva says –
• The devotee shall worship me with Japa, Homa, etc., mentally, verbally and physically through this Mantra. Let it be in accordance with their intellect, injunction in the scripture, time, inclination, capacity, wealth and their taste.
• My worship will lead to salvation whenever, wherever and by whomsoever it may be done if it is with devotion.
• Whatever is done unto me by one whose mind is attached to me, whether in the proper order or in the reverse order, is dear and is auspicious to me.
• This mantra is not ineffective when repeated by a person whether walking or standing or doing any other work or whether he is pure or impure.
• This mantra is not ineffective even if it is not properly imparted by the guru.
• It is not ineffective even in the case of persons not caring for good conduct and who have not purified the six paths.
• This mantra is not ineffective in the case of a base-born, a fool, a deluded person, a fallen man and a lowly one transgressing the bounds of decency.
• In the case of this mantra, the auspicious hour, date, star, day of the week etc. need not be taken into consideration too much.
• The defects found in the other mantras are not found in this mantra. • It is ever wakeful and activated not slumbering.
• This great mantra is never harmful to anyone.
• If this mantra is achieved all the other mantras will be achieved.
• I am not achieved even if the other gods are attained but if I am attained the other gods too are attained so also is the case with the Mantras.
• However, this mantra shall not be used for the trivial benefits or against insignificant opponents. Only then, this is very efficacious.
Sadhguru says – Through the history of time, probably the maximum number of people have realized their ultimate potential through these five syllables.
Shiv Puran says – Chant it 10 crore times, and you will get enlightenment
This is one sadhana that is worth dedicating your life to. Mantra Siddhi, which is the attainment of mastery over a mantra, depends more on the intensity and quality of one's practice rather than following any numerical injunctions. So, what are you waiting for…
