12 Intriguing Benefits of Chanting the Mahamantra – Aum Namah Shivaya (ॐ नमः शिवाय)
Last updated on March 15th, 2025 at 01:21 pm
Chanting of a mantra helps you focus and come to a meditative state, silencing the noise within and letting you experience a sense of calm. Devotees of Lord Shiva would prefer chanting the Aum Namah Shivaya mantra while devotees of other Gods might like to chant a mantra of the God they believe in, but the process of ‘chanting’ itself is calming in its own way, as it cuts away distractions, helps you concentrate, and helps channelize your thoughts positively.
Mystic Takeaway by Sadhguru
Repeating ‘Aum Namah Shivaya’ with mindful awareness has been a fundamental practice across various spiritual paths worldwide.
The Aum Namah Shivaya mantra serves both as a purifying process and a foundation for meditation. For many, maintaining meditativeness is challenging without the vibrational support of mantras. Incorporating a mantra in life provides a foundational vibration, preventing mental and physical energies from sinking below a certain level.
In Yoga, it is believed that the entire existence is an intricate combination of sound. The fundamental mantra in Yogic culture, regarded as the mahamantra is ‘AUM Namah Shivaya.’ The mantra “Aum Namah Shivaya” is believed to cleanse our system and cultivate a meditative state.
Sadhguru emphasizes the significance of chanting this mantra correctly, highlighting that it should be recited as “Aum Namah Shivaya” rather than “Om Namah Shivaya.”
Importance of Mahamantra ‘Aum Namah Shivaya’
Aum is the vibration that represents the creation of the universe. Namah means bowing down. Shivaya means inner self. Thus, you can see that the mahamantra ‘Aum Namah Shivaya’ is about bowing down to the inner self, which means accepting it as a part of the collective consciousness, which is supreme.
Here we will look at the benefits of chanting the mantra Aum Namah Shivaya.
12 Amazing Benefits of Chanting Aum Namah Shivaya
1. According to Sadhguru, chanting ‘Aum Namah Shivaya’ facilitates removal of barriers hindering greater life possibilities. Its purpose is to clear karmic obstacles, enhancing perception and opening doors to a broader dimension of existence.
2. Aum is the sound of the universe and the syllables Na, Ma, Shi, Va and Ya represent the five elements Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. So, the chanting of Aum Namah Shivaya is said to help harmonize the five elements.
3. Aum Namah Shivaya fills your mind with a positive energy and helps relieve your stress.
4. Chanting Aum Namah Shivaya enhances your energy and cleanses the environment. The energy of Shiva and Shiva tattva, which can be described as the absolute nothingness within us, can be experienced by chanting Aum Namah Shivaya. That’s the power of this chant.
5. Chanting the mantra Aum Namah Shivaya is believed to be of help in mastering the five elements within us, leading us to experience a divine silence, which is the Shiva tattva. Thus, chanting Aum Namah Shivaya can help you access Shiva.
6. The chanting of this mantra helps you achieve control over your senses and your mind. Long years of practice can give you a sense of direction and help you understand your life’s purpose.
7. The positive vibrations generated by the chanting of Aum Namah Shivaya can lift your spirits, help you surrender your ego and achieve self-realization.
8. According to the Shiva Purana, by chanting the panchakshari (having 5 letters/syllables) mantra ‘Namah Shivaya’ for several years, you can attain the abode of Shiva.
9. Chanting this mantra can purify your soul and lead you onto a virtuous path.
10. This mantra is believed to be so powerful that after decades of practicing the chanting of Aum Namah Shivaya, you may attain the status of Lord Shiva himself.
11. An astrological aspect to chanting Aum Namah Shivaya is that, this mantra can help negate the ill effects of certain planets since Lord Shiva governs all the planets.
12. Sadhguru eloquently shares in the following video how incorporating a simple form of yoga into your life begins with this chant. Especially in the current context, where the World Health Organization addresses the possibility of an emerging mental health pandemic, this practice emerges as a potential saviour for humanity.
These were some of the greatest benefits of chanting Aum Namah Shivaya. Among the different mantras or chants, Aum Namah Shivaya is considered one of the most powerful and beneficial ones, as it is the mantra of Lord Shiva who is believed to be an invincible divine power, the destroyer of evil and the greatest of all Gods.
Best Time to Chant Aum Namah Shivaya
This mahamantra of Lord Shiva should be chanted in the morning after taking a bath. It can be chanted anytime during the day, but the best time to chant this mantra is during sunrise and sunset. You may chant it aloud or silently in your mind. It is advisable to chant it 108 times to gain the best experience.
The benefits of chanting Aum Namah Shivaya, or any other mantra for that matter, can be experienced only after practicing it religiously and for a long time. So, start today, if you haven’t yet, and take your first step towards attaining mental well-being and inner peace.
After all, the symphony of serenity begins with the sacred vibrations of Aum Namah Shivaya.