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People generally believe that "Shiva" is not mentioned in Vedas but "Shiva" is mentioned in the Śatarudrīya in the eighth anuvaka of the Sri Rudram of Yajurveda. That text is the origin of the Pranava Panchakshari Mantra "Om Namah Shivaya".

Can anyone please provide that verse in Sanskrit with English translation?

student
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The Destroyer
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    The first Anuvaka of Sri Rudram Namkam itself contains the word "Shiva" viz-Yata ishhuh shivatama shivam babhuva te dhanuh Shiva sharavya ya tava taya no rudra mridaya

    Yaa te rudra shiva tanu raghoraapapakashini Taya nastanuva shantamaya girishantabhichakashihi

    – Rickross Feb 29 '16 at 08:06
  • The ending verse of anuvaka 1 contains sadashivaya namah,viz,-"Namaste astu bhagavanh vishveshvaraya mahadevaya tryambakaya tripurantakaya trikagni kalaya kalagnirudraya nilakanthaya mrutyunjayaya sarveshvaraya sadashivaya shrimanmahadevaya namah" – Rickross Mar 01 '16 at 18:10
  • Hence Rudra is being identified with Sada Shiva among others . – Rickross Mar 01 '16 at 18:11

2 Answers2

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Sri Rudram is inside Samhita of Vedas. Samhitas are the most important part because they are the direct revealed words during meditation to the seers. _____________________________________

Sri Rudram is in Prapathaka 5 of the Fourth Kanda of the Taittiriya Samhita of the Yajur Veda. Sri Rudram is also in Adhyaya 16 of Vajasena Samhita of Shukla Yajur Veda. Vajasaneyi Samhita consists of 66 verses in Sri Rudram.

Although commonly Sri Rudram refers to 4.5 of Taittariye Samhita of Yajur Veda. Both the Taittariye Samhita and Vajapayena Samhita mentions Panchakshari mantra Namah Shivaya

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There are 11 Anuvak in Rudram. These 11 Anuvaks are directly from Taittariyea Samhita from 4.5.1 to 4.5.11

Sri Rudram mentions the word Shiva in plenty of places, the most important being Namah Shivaya

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The second verse of 1st Anuvaka itself mentions the word Shiva.

यात इषुः शिवतमा शिवं बभूव ते धनुः ।
शिवा शरव्या या तव तया नाे रुद्र मृडय ॥ १ -२॥

Ya ta Ishu shivatama shivam babhuva te dhanuh |
Shiva sharavya ya tava taya no Rudra mrudaya ||

The third verse of the 1st Anuvaka also mentions the word Shiva.

या ते रुद्र शिवा तनू-रघाेराऽपापकाशिनी ।
तया नस्तनुवा शन्तमया गिरिशंताभिचाकशीहि ॥ १ -३॥
Ya te Rudra Shiva tanura ghora papakashini |
taya nastanuva shantamaya girishanta bhichakashihi ||

The fourth verse of the 1st Anuvaka also mentions the word Shiva

यामिषुं गिरिशंत हस्ते बिभर्ष्यस्तवे ।
शिवां गिरित्र तां कुरु मा हिसीः पुरुषं जगत् ॥ १ -४॥

Yamishum giri shanta haste bibharsya stave |
shivam giritra tam Kuru ma higmsih purusham jagat ||

The fifth verse of the 1st Anuvaka also mentions the word Shiva

शिवेन वचसा त्वा गिरिशाच्छा वदामसि ।
यथा नः सर्वमिज्जगदयक्ष्मसुमना असत् ॥ १ -५॥

Shivena vachasa tva giri shacchavadamasi |
Yatha nah sarvam ijjaga dayakshmam sumana asatthu ||

The 11th verse of 1st Anuvaka also mentions the word Shiva

अवतत्य धनुस्त्व सहस्राक्ष शतेषुधे ।
निशीर्य शल्यानां मुखा शिवाे नः सुमना भव ॥ १-११॥

Avatatya dhanustvam sahasraksha Shatesudhe |
Nishirya shalyanam mukha shivo nah sumana bhava ||

Most importantly 1st verse of 8th Anuvaka mentions the word Shiva as:

नमः साेमाय च रुद्राय च नमस्ताम्राय चारुणाय च नमः शड़्गाय च पशुपतये च नम उग्राय च भीमाय च नमाे अग्रेवधाय च दूरेवधाय च नमाे हन्त्रे च हनीयसे च नमाे वृक्ष्यभ्यो हरिकेशेभ्याे नमस्ताराय नमः शंभवे च मयाेभवे च नमः शंकराय च मयस्कराय च नमः शिवाय च शिवतराय च ॥ ८ -१॥

Namah somaya cha Rudraya cha
Namastamraya charunaya cha
Nama shangaya cha pashupataye cha
Nama ugraya cha bhimaya cha
Namo Agrevadhaya cha dure vadhaya cha
Namo hantre cha haniyase cha
Namo vrukshebhyo harikeshebhyo
Nama staraya
Namash shambhave cha mayo bhave cha
Namah shankaraya cha mayaskaraya cha
Namah Shivaya cha shivataraya cha

The second verse of 10th Anuvaka also mentions the word Shiva:

या ते रुद्र शिवा तनूः शिवा विश्वाह भेषजी ।
शिवा रुद्रस्य
भेषजी तया नाे मृड जीवसे ॥ १० -२॥

Ya te Rudra Shiva tanu Shiva vishvaha bheshaji, Shiva Rudrasya
Bhesaji tasya no mruda jivase

The 10th verse of 10th Anuvaka also mentions the word Shiva

मीढुष्टम शिवतम शिवाे नः सुमना भव ।
परमे व्रुक्ष अायुधं निधाय कृत्तिं वसान अाचर पिनाकं विभ्रदागहि ।।१०-१०॥
Midhushthama shivatama shivo nah sumana bhava parame vriksha Ayudhan
nidhaya krittim vasana achara pinakam bibhradagahi |

Inside Sri Rudram after 11th Anuvaka some verses from other samhitas of Vedas are taken like Mahamrityunjaya mantra of Rig Veda Samhita is taken. One of the verse is

अयं मे हस्ताे भगवानयं मे भगवत्तरः । अयं मे विश्व-भेषजाेऽय शिवाभिमर्शनः ॥ ४॥

Ayam me hasto bhagwanayam me bhagawattara
Ayam me vishvabhesajoya shivabhimarshanaha

Also, In the Rudram at the end of 1st Anuvaka this verse is chanted:

नमस्ते अस्तु भगवन् विश्वेश्वराय महादेवाय त्र्यंबकाय त्रिपुरान्तकाय त्रिकाग्नी कालाय कालाग्निरुद्राय त्रिकालाग्नि नीलकण्ठाय मृत्युंजयाय सर्वेश्वराय सदाशिवाय श्रीमन्महादेवाय नम :
Namaste astu bhagavanh vishveshvaraya mahadevaya tryambakaya tripurantakaya trikagni kalaya kalagnirudraya nilakanthaya mrutyunjayaya sarveshvaraya sadashivaya shrimanmahadevaya namah

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The Rudram consists of Prapathaka 5 of the Fourth Kanda of the Taittiriya Samhita of the Yajur Veda. Here is the eighth Anuvaka of the Rudram in Sanskrit:

Sanskrit Eighth Anuvaka
As you can see, the Panchakshari mantra "namah shivaya" occurs at the end of the first part of the Anuvaka. In any case, here it is in English:

a Homage to Soma, and to Rudra.
b Homage to the dusky one, and to the ruddy one.
c Homage to the giver of weal, and to the lord of cattle.
d Homage to the dread, and to the terrible.
e Homage to him who slayeth in front, and to him who slayeth at a distance.
f Homage to the slayer, and to the special slayer.
g Homage to the trees with green tresses.
h Homage to the deliverer.
i Homage to the source of health, and to the source of delight.
k Homage to the maker of health, and to the maker of delight.
I Homage to the auspicious, and to the more auspicious.
m Homage to him of the ford, and to him of the bank.
n Homage to him beyond, and to him on this side.
o Homage to him who crosseth over, and to him who crosseth back.
p Homage to him of the crossing, and to him of the ocean.
q Homage to him in the tender grass, and to him in foam.
r Homage to him in the sand, and to him in the stream.

"Namah shivaya" is being translated here as "homage to the auspicious", since the word "shiva" literally means auspicious.

Keshav Srinivasan
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  • BTW, this from Anuvaka 8 of Sri Rudram Namakam and not Chamakam.The Chamakam part starts with--"Om Agnaavishhnuu sajoshhasemaa vardhantu vaam girah Dyumnairvaajebhiraagatamh Vaajashcha me prasavashcha me prayatishcha me...." – Rickross Feb 29 '16 at 08:23
  • @Rickross is that Namakam or Chamakam that contains "Namah Shivaya"? – The Destroyer Feb 29 '16 at 08:38
  • Anuvaka 8 of Namakam.Not Chamakam. – Rickross Feb 29 '16 at 08:56
  • @AnilKumar The Sri Rudram, also known as the Namakam, is Prapathaka 5 of the Fourth Kanda of the Taittiriya Samhita. The Chamakam, on the other hand, is Prapathaka 7 of the Fourth Kanda. – Keshav Srinivasan Feb 29 '16 at 09:02
  • @KeshavSrinivasan Namakam(Yajurveda ch 16)+Chamakam(Yajuerveda ch 18)=Sri Rudram.With Namakam, containing 11 anuvakas ,mentioning the word "Shiva" a number of times with the famous panchakshari being explicitly mentioned ,as pointed out in your answer,in its Anuvaka 8. – Rickross Feb 29 '16 at 09:06
  • @Rickross When you say 16 and 18, I think you may be referring to the Shukla Yajur Veda whereas I'm referring to thee Taittiriya Samhita of the Krishna Yajur Veda. In any case, strictly speaking the Shatarudriya or Sri Rudram only refers to the eleven Anuvakas, also known as the Namakam. It's just that it's customary to recite the Chamakam after you chant the Rudram, so people often consider the mantras of the Chamakam as part of the Rudram. – Keshav Srinivasan Feb 29 '16 at 09:16
  • @KeshavSrinivasan Yes,but a proper recitation of Sri Rudram begins with the Shiva Suktam which is contained in the Chamakam.Viz-"Sancha me Mayas cha me...sudinam cha me".After that recitation begins from Anuvaka 1 . – Rickross Feb 29 '16 at 09:24
  • @Rickross Well, at least a "proper recitation" done in the context of Shaivite worship includes the Chamakam. But when the Rudram was used in Vedic Yagnas, the Chamakam was not chanted at all. – Keshav Srinivasan Feb 29 '16 at 09:43
  • @AnilKumar I told you, the Rudram or Namakam is Prapathaka 5 of the Fourth Kanda of the Yajur Veda, and the Chamakam is Prapathaka 7 of the Fourth Kanda. In terms of use in Vedic Yagnas, the Rudram is a hymn to the Rudras recited during the offering to the Rudras, whereas the Cahamakam is a hymn asking for the fulfillment wishes recited during the piling up of bricks for the altar ofte Yagna. But nowadays, it is customary to chant the Rudram and the Chamakam together as a way of worshiping Shiva. Does that make sense? – Keshav Srinivasan Feb 29 '16 at 14:07
  • @KeshavSrinivasan "After praying and identifying Rudra with everything in the Namakam, the Chamakam is recited, in which the devotee identifies himself with Lord Shiva and asks him to give him everything!! These excellent prayer is intended for the bulk of the people and every thing to be cherished in the world is included in this ascend to the state of Jnani to attain Moksha i.e. eternal happiness. Chamakam assures granting of what all you ask in a full-throated manner unabashed.The creator makes no distinction between the things of the world and the other world. Both belong to him – Rickross Mar 01 '16 at 18:01
  • *and desire born out of Virtue is really manifestation of divinity and Dharma." – Rickross Mar 01 '16 at 18:02
  • @Rickross Well, that may be how Advaitins of a Shaivite bent might view it today, but that's certainly not how it was used in Vedic Yagnas. – Keshav Srinivasan Mar 01 '16 at 18:52