Om Namah Shivaya means, ‘I salute Shiva,’ and ‘I bow down to Shiva.’ According to Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, there are six different mantras in Om Namah Shivaya:

First Om, second Na, third Mah, fourth Shi, fifth Va and sixth Ya. All six sounds are interconnected with different chakras. When you say Na, Mah, Shi, Va, Ya, you are touching different chakras. When you say the mantra Om, you are activating the ajna chakra. When you say Ya, it is the anahata chakra. When you say Va, you are energizing the swadhishthana chakra, when you say Shi, you are activating the visshudhi chakra. When you say Namah you are activating the manipura chakra.

So, these different sounds relate to different chakras, energy systems and systems of the mind. The mooladhara chakra is the residence of the Kundalini. Om Namah Shivaya is a middle range mantra which is utilized to remove stress, to focus the mind and internalize awareness.

Aim Hrim Klim