Shivoham Shivoham - I am Shiva, I am Shiva.

I am not the manas, buddhi, ahaṅkāra, or chitta (thinking, analyzing faculties, or the ego or the chitta), nor the ears, tongue, nose, or eyes, nor the sky or the earth, or the light or the wind, in the form of chit and ānanda, I am the the śhiva, I am the the śhiva.

मनोबुद्ध्यहङ्कारचित्तानि नाहं

न च श्रोत्रजिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे ।

न च व्योमभूमिः न तेजो न वायुः

चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहम् ॥ १॥

manobuddhyahaṃkārachittāni nāhaṃ

na cha śhrotrajihve na cha ghrāṇanetre ।

na cha vyomabhūmiḥ na tejo na vāyuḥ

chidānaṃdarūpaḥ śhivo'haṃ śhivo'ham ॥ 1॥

The processors

Manas, buddhi, ahaṅkāra and chitta are the qualitative differentiation within the mind. They are used interchangeably based on context, and yet they are different.

Manas is the faculty of perception, the instrument by which the objects of senses affect the Atman. It is the faculty of thought, desire, imagination. Buddhi is the intellect, by which one discerns, comprehends. Ahaṅkāra is the sense of identity, that which creates 'I-ness', ego. Chittam is the one that observes, is aware. All these are the faculties that process what comes from outside.

I am none of these processors.

The instruments

Shrotra is the ear, the organ of hearing. Jihvā is tongue, the organ of tasting. Ghrāṇa is nose, the sense of smelling. And netra is eye, the sense of seeing.

I am none of these instruments.

The building blocks of matter

Vyoma is the space, the gap between the matter. It is the space between planetary bodies as well as the space around Earth, and even the space inside anything. It is also one of the five basic elements.

Bhūmi is the Earth, or the solid matter.

Tejas is the heat or light (both interconnected) like the fire or the Sun.

Vāyu is the wind, the circulating forces, not just on Earth but also inside our bodies, responsible for circulating whether nutrition or blood etc.

I am none of these building blocks of which the material world is made.

The faculties get the information using the senses about the outside world.

I am none of them.

I am pure bliss form of consciousness.
I am Shiva, I am Shiva.


Adi Shankara is without doubt a great force in Indian wisdom tradition, who literally stormed the scene. Today is his birthday as per he Indian calendar.

And now the language aspects:

First, let us break the sandhi.

मनः-बुद्धि-अहङ्कार-चित्तानि न अहं
न च श्रोत्र-जिह्वे न च घ्राण-नेत्रे ।
न च व्योमभूमिः न तेजः न वायुः
चित्-आनन्द-रूपः शिवः अहं शिवः अहम् ॥ १॥

manaḥ-buddhi-ahaṃkāra-chittāni na ahaṃ
na cha śhrotra-jihve na cha ghrāṇa-netre ।
na cha vyoma-bhūmiḥ na tejaḥ na vāyuḥ
chit-ānanda-rūpaḥ śhivaḥ-ahaṃ śhivaḥ-aham ॥ 1॥

manaḥ-buddhi-ahaṃkāra-chittāni = mind-intellect-ego-thought (plural)
na ahaṃ = no,t I (am)

na cha = not, and
śhrotra-jihve = ear-tongue (dual) / shrotram = ear; jihvā = tongue
na cha ghrāṇa-netre = not, and, nose-eye (dual) / ghrāṇa-netram

na cha vyoma-bhūmiḥ = not, and, space-land
na tejaḥ = not, light
na vāyuḥ = not, wind/air

chit-ānanda-rūpaḥ = consciousness-bliss-form = the form of bliss of consciousness
śhivaḥ ahaṃ = shiva I (am)
śhivaḥ aham = shiva I (am)


[ From Nirvāṇāṣhaṭkam (निर्वाणषट्कम्) by Adi Shankara]

(c) Shashikant Joshi । शशिकांत जोशी । ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः ।
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