Once we enter into the deep meditation we understand that we are beyond our name, body, mind, fame, degrees, accomplishments and our identity is one with the Universal Consciousness.
Ahankar or Ego primarily indicates I am the body, the mind, the intellect, the name and the fame. These identifications express with the body (sense of doership), mind (thinking, thoughts and memories), senses (enjoyership) and knowership (Intellect).
These along with the ideas of me and mine are the attachments. Dropping these attachments result in Self realisation or Atmajnana.
Once the mind fully believes in the real identity and gets established in that state of Turiya or fourth state of consciousness only Aham (real I) remains. Aham by itself is an expression of Self awareness, when the Consciousness becomes aware of itself. And then what Aham or real I says after self realisation, is beautifully narrated by Sri Shankaracharya in Nirvana Shatkam.
Nirvana Shatkam, also known as Atma shatkam, is a devotional composition consisting of 6 verses. It was written in 8th century. Its an essence of all that the Upanishad’s explain. It follows the Neti Neti approach ( I am not this or not that ). Shankaracharya explains that in reality we are pure Consciousness. The chant expresses the core doctrine of Advaita Vedanta.
Nirvana means “formless” and Shat-kam means six-verses. The Nirvana Shatakam is the description of the formless state of Nirakara ParaShiva. It was composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya summarizing the basic teachings of Advaita Vedanta or Nondualism. Nirvana Shatkam is popular singing stotra that has six verses all ending with “Chidananda Roopah Shivoham Shivoham”.
🌷Chidananda Roopah Shivoham🌷
Chidananda means Lord Shiva or Consciousness immersed in total Bliss or Universal soul.
Shivoham means “I am Shiva. I am that pure Consciousness.” I am the Eternal knowing, Pure Consciousness and Bliss and the Auspicious (Shivam).
Nirvana Shatkam is for Self-realisation ie. to understand
true Self and to gain peace and tranquility in life. It nourishes with the power to accept and embrace pure Consciousness as it manifests itself during yoga meditation.
The benefits of chanting Shivoham: it helps to detoxify our body and mind, activate our third eye and enlighten us.
🌷 Nirvana Shatakam🌷 –
Shivoham Shivoham Shivoham
1
मनोबुद्ध्यहङ्कार चित्तानि नाहं
न च श्रोत्रजिह्वे न च घ्राणनेत्रे ।
न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥१॥
mano buddhi ahankara chittani naaham
na cha shrotravjihve na cha ghraana netre
na cha vyoma bhumir na tejo na vaayuhu
chidananda rupah shivo’ham shivo’ham
Meaning:
I am not the mind, the intellect, the ego or the chitta,
I am not the ears, the tongue, the skin, the nose or the eyes,
I am not space, not earth, not fire, water or wind,
I am the form of Blissful Consciousness,
I am the Eternal Shiva…
2.
न च प्राणसंज्ञो न वै पञ्चवायुः
न वा सप्तधातुः न वा पञ्चकोशः ।
न वाक्पाणिपादं न चोपस्थपायु
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥२॥
na cha prana sangyo na vai pancha vayuhu
na va sapta dhatur na va pancha koshah
na vak pani-padam na chopastha payu
chidananda rupah shivo’ham shivo’ham
Meaning:
I am not the breath, nor the five vayus,
I am not seven dhatu, nor the five koshas,
Nor am I the speech, the hands, or the feet or payu,
I am the form of Blissful Consciousness,
I am the Eternal Shiva…
3.
न मे द्वेषरागौ न मे लोभमोहौ
मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः ।
न धर्मो न चार्थो न कामो न मोक्षः
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥३॥
na me dvesha ragau na me lobha mohau
na me vai mado naiva matsarya bhavaha
na dharmo na chartho na kamo na mokshaha
chidananda rupah shivo’ham shivo’ham
Meaning:
I am not dvesha(hateredness) or raga (affliction), I am not lobha (greed) or moha (delusion),
I know not mada (pride) or maatsarya (jealousy),
I have no duty, no desire for wealth, lust or liberation,
I am the form of Blissful Consciousness,
I am the Eternal Shiva…
4.
न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दुःखं
न मन्त्रो न तीर्थं न वेदा न यज्ञाः ।
अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥४॥
na punyam na papam na saukhyam na duhkham
na mantro na tirtham na veda na yajnah
aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhokta
chidananda rupah shivo’ham shivo’ham
Meaning:
No virtue or vice, no pleasure or pain,
I need no mantras, no pilgrimage, no scriptures or rituals,
I am not the experienced, nor the experience itself,
I am the form of Blissful Consciousness,
I am the eternal Shiva…
5.
न मृत्युर्न शङ्का न मे जातिभेदः
पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्मः ।
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्यं
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥५॥
na me mrtyu shanka na me jati bhedaha
pita naiva me naiva mataa na janmaha
na bandhur na mitram gurur naiva shishyaha
chidananda rupah shivo’ham shivo’ham
Meaning:
I have no fear of death, no caste or creed,
I have no father, no mother, for I was never born,
I am not a relative, nor a friend, nor a teacher nor a student,
I am the form of Blissful Consciousness,
I am the eternal Shiva…
6.
अहं निर्विकल्पो निराकाररूपो
विभुत्वाच्च सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् ।
न चासङ्गतं नैव मुक्तिर्न मेयः
चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥६॥
aham nirvikalpo nirakara rupo
vibhut vatcha sarvatra sarvendriyanam
na cha sangatham naiva muktir na meyaha
chidananda rupah shivo’ham shivo’ham
Meaning:
I am devoid of duality, my form is formlessness,
I exist everywhere, pervading all senses,
I am neither attached, neither free nor captive,
I am the form of Blissful Consciousness,
I am the eternal Shiva……..
Adi Shankaracharya in Vivekachudamani explains that
to remove the bondage we should discriminate between the Self and the non-Self.
By that alone we come to know our real Self as Chidananda rupah Shivo’ham. I am the form of Blissful Consciousness, I am the eternal Shiva, the Sat Chit Ananda.
Love Light and Grace …
Amitabh