Shiva Panchakshara Stotra



The Shiva Panchakshara Stotra (शिवपञ्चाक्षरस्तोत्र) is a Hindu religious hymn (stotra) dedicated to god Shiva. Comprising five stanzas, it is regarded to have been composed by the philosopher Adi Shankara.

Description
The panchakshara (Sanskrit: पञ्चाक्षर) literally means "five syllables" in Sanskrit, referring to the five syllables of na, ma, śi, vā, and ya forming the mantra Om Namah Shivaya. This hymn explains the significance of these five syllables and their affiliation with the deity.

According to some texts, these five syllables are regarded to represent the five elements of the human body, the chanting of which is believed to energise them. Na is associated with prithvi (earth), ma is associated with jala (water) śi is associated with agni (fire) va is associated with vayu (air), and ya is associated with akasha (space).



Hymn
The first stanza of the Shiva Panchakshara Stotram is as follows: