Meditating on Inherent Divinity
C A REDDY
Introduction
Man is divine by nature. This is the basic
truth Vedanta teaches. Though divine, we
identify ourselves with matter and that is the
source of all troubles and sufferings. The best
way to overcome this false identification is to
meditate, constantly and repeatedly, on one’s
divine nature. In the Hindu spiritual tradition,
many texts have been quite popular as aids in
fixing the mind on one’s innate divine
substance.
Nirvana shatakam, attributed to Adi
Shankaracharya, one of the greatest philoso-
pher-saints who lived in seventh century India,
is a hymn popular with all those who feel
drawn to the practice of Vedantic spiritual
practices. One can gauge its popular appeal
by the fact that devotees in different parts of
India memorize and regularly chant it. It is
also recited on important occasions in Hindu
temples, prayers meetings, and satsangs. As
this is a dhyana stotra, a hymn for meditation,
it is of special significance and importance.
The word shatakam means six and the
word nirvana means freedom or liberation. It
is thus a hymn of six verses on liberation, each
of which is like a jewel in the garland of
Vedanta. It is also called as atma shatakam or
six verses on the nature of the Self. The first
three lines in each of the first five verses negate
all that is not Atman, while the last line in
each verse strongly affirms what atman is.
The author is a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University,
USA, and occasionally contributes to The Vedanta Kesari.
V e d a n t a K e s a r i
Sri Ramakrishna himself used to like the
Nirvana shatakam and it was sung for him at
least on two occasions. The first time was in
Dakshineswar when it was sung for him by
Mahimacharan.1 On the second time, Swami
Vivekananda sang it when Sri Ramakrishna
was staying in the Cossipor garden-house a
few months before Sri Ramakrishna’s maha
samadhi.2
The central theme of Nirvana shatakam is
Adi Shankaracharya’s own intimate experience
of the bliss of Self-realization. While the verses
represent Shankara’s direct and intimate
experience in his deep meditative state, they
are of much spiritual profit for all seekers.
While those who are familiar with Sanskrit
can understand the meaning of the verses,
there are many who are at a disadvantage in
this matter. Following is an English translation,
with free transliteration of each verse, word-
by-word meaning, and some notes. Alternate
versions of the Sanskrit text are also referred
to wherever necessary.
Verse One
_Zmo~wÜÚh‘>ma{MÎmm{Z Zmh§
Z M lmoÌ{Oˆo Z M K«mUZoÌo &
Z M ì`mo_^y{_Z© VoOmo Z dm`w:
{MXmZÝXê$n:{edmo@h§ {edmo@h_² &&
manobuddhy-ahamkara chittani naham
na cha shrotra jihve na cha ghrana netre
…
~ 175 ~ M A Y 2 0 0 7
 16
na cha vyomabhumirna tejo na vayuh
chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham
manah mind buddhih intellect ahamkarah
ego (I-consciousness) chittani memory na not
aham I na not cha and shrotra ear (organ of
hearing) jihve tongue na not; cha and ghrana
nose (organ of smell) netre eyes; na not cha
and vyomah space bhumih earth na not tejah
fire (light) na not vayuh air chidananda rupah
nature of pure consciousness shiva Shiva aham
I shiva Shiva aham I
1. I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or
memory; nor the ear or tongue; nor the nose
nor eye; nor the space, earth, fire, or air (and
water), I am of the nature of Pure
Consciousness-Bliss-Absolute, I am Shiva, I am
(verily) Shiva.
Notes:
Mind (manah), intellect (buddhih), ego (ahamkara),
and memory (chittani) together are referred to by the
technical term antah karana or internal instrument. Ear,
tongue, nose, eyes, and skin together are the five jnana
indriyas. Space, earth, fire, air, and water are the five
elements (pancha bhutas).
Swami Vivekananda re-stated the gist of this
idea thus:
‘Ye are the Children of God, the sharers of
Immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. Ye
divinities on earth—sinners? It is a standing libel
on human nature . . . .ye are not matter, ye are
not bodies; matter is your servant, not you the
servant of matter.’3
Verse Two
Z M àmUg§kmo Z d¡ nÄOdm`w:
Z dm gáYmVwZ© dm nÄOH$moe: &
Z dmŠnm{UnmX§ Z MmonñYnm`y
{MXmZÝXê$n: {edmo@h§ {edmo@h_² &&
na cha prana-samjno na vai panchavayuh
na va saptadhaturna va panchakosah
V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 176 ~
na vakpanipadam na chopasthapayu
chidanandarupah shivoham shivoham
na not cha and pranah life-breath samjnah
sign na vai neither pancha vayuh five vital airs
na not va or sapta dhatuh seven basic elements
(of the body) na not va or panchakoshah five
sheaths na not vak organ of speech pani hand
padam foot (or leg) na not cha and upasthapayuh
generative and excretory organs chidananda
rupah nature of pure consciousness shivo Shiva
(the auspicious one) aham shivo shiva aham I
2. I am not indicated by prana, nor the
five-fold vital airs nor the seven elements (sapta
dhatuh) of the body, nor the five sheaths; nor
the organs of speech, nor hand, nor leg; and
not generative or excretory organs, I am of the
nature of Pure Consciousness-Bliss-Absolute,
I am Shiva, I am (verily) Shiva.
Notes:
Five vital airs are : Prana (controls respiratory
system), Apana (controls excretory system), Vyana
(controls circulatory system); Samana (controls
digestive system), and Udana (controls ejection of the
prana from the physical body).
Seven basic elements (sapta dhatuh) consist of:
skin, flesh, fat, bone, blood, bone marrow, and semen.
Five sheaths (pancha kosha) are believed to veil
our understanding of the atman include, in order from
gross (outer most) to the subtle (inner most): annamaya
kosha (food sheath); pranamaya kosha (vital air sheath);
manomaya kosha (mind sheath); vijnanamaya kosha
(intellectual sheath); and anandamaya kosha (bliss
sheath).
Verse Three
Z _o ÛofamJm¡ Z _o bmo^_mohm¡
_Xmo Z¡d _o Z¡d _mËg`©^md: &
Z Y_m} Z MmWm} Z H$m_mo Z _moj:
pMXmZÝXê$n:{edmo@h§ {edmo@h_² &&
na me dvesha-ragau na me lobha mohau
mado naiva me naiva matsaryabhavah
M A Y 2 0 0 7

na dharmo nacha-artho na kamo na mokshah
chidanandarupah shivoham shivoham
na not me to me dvesah hatred (aversion)
ragah attachment na not me to me lobhah greed
mohah delusion madah arrogance na not eva
only me na eva not to me matsarya bhavah feeling
of jealousy na not dharmah dharma na not cha
and arthah wealth (money) na not kamah desire
na not mokshah liberation chidananda rupah
nature of pure consciousness shiva Shiva aham
I shiva Shiva aham I
3. I have neither aversion nor attachment,
neither greed nor delusion; I have neither
arrogance nor jealousy; I have no duty (to
perform) nor any wealth (to acquire); neither
desire nor liberation; I am of the nature of
Pure Consciousness-Bliss Absolute, I am Shiva,
I am (verily) Shiva.
Notes:
Greed, delusion, pride and jealousy together
with lust and anger constitute shad ripu (also called ari
shad varga), the six-fold internal enemies of a human
being.
Dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), kama
(desire), and moksha (liberation) are together known
as purusharthas, the four objectives of a human being.
Verse Four
Z nwÊ`§ Z nmn§ Z gm¡»`§ Z Xw:I_²
Z _ÝÌmo Z VrWª Z doXm Z `km: &
Ah§ ^moOZ§ Z¡d ^moÁ`§ Z ^moº$m
{MXmZÝXê$n: {edmo@h§ {edmo@h_² &&
na punyam na papam na saukhyam na duhkham
na mantro na tirtham na veda na yajnah
aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhokta
chidanandarupah shivoham shivoham
na punyam not virtue na papam not sin na
saukhyam not pleasure (material happiness) na
duhkham not sorrow (pain) na mantrah not a
sacred chant; na tirtham not a holy place of
V e d a n t a K e s a r i
17
pilgrimage na veda not Vedas (not scriptures)
na yajnah not sacrificial fire rituals aham I
bhojanam na eva not the act of enjoying
bhojyam (nor) the object of enjoyment na bhokta
not the enjoyer chidananda rupah nature of
pure consciousness shiva Shiva aham I shiva
Shiva aham I
4. Neither virtue (punyam) nor sin (papam)
nor happiness nor sorrow; nor a holy chant
nor a holy place of pilgrimage nor Veda nor
sacrifice; I am neither enjoyment, nor enjoyable
object, nor the enjoyer; I am of the nature of
Pure Consciousness-Bliss Absolute, I am Shiva,
I am (verily) Shiva.
Verse Five
Z _o _¥Ë`w e‘>m Z _o Om{V^oX:
{nVm Z¡d _o Z¡d _mVm Z OÝ_ &
Z ~ÝYwZ© {_̧ JwéZ£d {eî`:
pMXmZÝXê$n: {edmo@h§ {edmo@h_² &&
na me mrityushanka na me jati bhedah
pita naiva me naiva mata na janma
na bandhurna mitram gururnaiva shishyah
chidanandarupah shivoham shivoham
na me not to me mrityuh shanka fear of
death na me not to me jati caste (and creed)
bhedah distinction pita father na eva not either
me to me na eva mata nor mother na janma not
(even) birth na bandhuh nor relation na mitram
nor a friend guruh guru na eva not either
shishyah a disciple chidananda rupah nature of
pure consciousness; shiva Shiva aham I shiva
Shiva aham I
5. I have no apprehension of death;
neither do I have any distinction of caste (or
creed); I have neither father, nor mother, nor
(even) birth; neither friend nor kith and kin;
neither teacher (guru) nor disciple; I am of the
nature of Pure Consciousness-Bliss-Absolute,
I am Shiva, I am (verily) Shiva.
~ 177 ~ M A Y 2 0 0 7
 18

Notes: omnipresent; vyapya pervading (spread out)

(In some versions, the first line is listed as: na
mrutyurna shanka na me jati bhedah)
Compare this with what Swami Vivekananda
says in one of his lectures:
‘Why weepest thou, brother? There is neither
death nor disease for thee. Why weepest thou,
brother? There is neither misery nor misfortune
for thee. Why weepest thou, brother? Neither
change nor death was predicated of thee. Thou
art Existence Absolute. . . .Be your own self.’4
Verse Six
Ah§ {Z{d©H$ënmo {ZamH$maê$nmo
{d^wì`m©ß` gd©Ì gd}pÝÐ`mUm_² &
gXm _o g_Ëd§ Z _w{º$Z© ~ÝY:
pMXmZÝXê$n: {edmo@h§ {edmo@h_² &
aham nirvikalpo nirakararupo
vibhurvyapya sarvatra sarvendriyanam
sada me samatvam na muktirna bandhah
chidanandarupah shivoham shivoham
aham I nirvikalpah without dualities
nirakara rupah without a form; vibhuh
sarvatra everywhere sarva all indriyanam sense
organs sada always; me samatvam I am
equanimous na muktih neither liberation na
bandha not bondage chidananda rupah nature
of pure consciousness; shiva Shiva aham I shiva
Shiva aham I
6. I have neither dualities nor shape or
form; I am present everywhere (omnipresent)
and pervade all the senses; I am always
equanimous; I am neither liberation nor
bondage; I am of the nature of Pure
Consciousness-Bliss-Absolute, I am Shiva, I am
(verily) Shiva.
Conclusion
Swami Vivekananda’s well-known
words aptly sum up the profound meaning of
the nirvana shatakam:
‘Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to
manifest this divinity within by controlling
nature, external and internal.’5
The more one thinks of one’s inherent
divinity, the more joy and strength one has. †

I
I
References
1. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 389 2. ibid, p. 1967 3. CW, 1: 9
4. CW, 5: 275 5. CW, 1: 257

‘It is the God within your own self that is propelling you to seek for Him, to realise
Him. After long searches here and there, in temples and in churches, in earths and in
heavens, at last you come back, completing the circle from where you started, to your
own soul and find that He for whom you have been seeking all over the world, for
whom you have been weeping and praying in churches and temples, on whom you were
looking as the mystery of all mysteries shrouded in the clouds, is nearest of the near, is
your own Self, the reality of your life, body, and soul. That is your own nature. Assert
it, manifest it. Not to become pure, you are pure already. You are not to be perfect, you
are that already. Nature is like that screen which is hiding the reality beyond. Every
good thought that you think or act upon is simply tearing the veil, as it were; and the
purity, the Infinity, the God behind, manifests Itself more and more.’
—Swami Vivekananda, CW, 2: 81-82

V e d a n t a K e s a r i ~ 178 ~ M A Y 2 0 0 7