Selected reading version. Scope and sources
श्रीगणेशाय नमः॥
śrīgaṇeśāya namaḥ||
English meaning: Salutations to Ganesha. This is the print's opening invocation, not one of the five syllable verses.
हिंदी अर्थ: गणेश को प्रणाम। यह मुद्रित पाठ का आरम्भिक मंगलाचरण है, पाँच अक्षर-श्लोकों में से एक नहीं।
Roman Hindi meaning: Ganesh ko pranam. Yeh mudrit paath ka aarambhik mangalacharan hai, paanch akshar-shlokon mein se ek nahin.
नागेंद्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्मांगरागाय महेश्वराय।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगंबराय तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय॥
nāgeṃdrahārāya trilocanāya bhasmāṃgarāgāya maheśvarāya|
nityāya śuddhāya digaṃbarāya tasmai nakārāya namaḥ śivāya||
English meaning: Salutations to Shiva as the syllable na: the three-eyed great Lord with a serpent king as his garland and ash upon his body, eternal, pure and clothed in the directions.
हिंदी अर्थ: न अक्षर के रूप में शिव को प्रणाम: सर्पराज का हार धारण करने वाले, त्रिनेत्र, भस्म से अङ्ग सजाने वाले महेश्वर, जो नित्य, शुद्ध और दिशाओं को वस्त्र मानने वाले दिगम्बर हैं।
Roman Hindi meaning: Na akshar ke roop mein Shiv ko pranam: sarparaj ka haar dharan karne wale, trinetra, bhasm se ang sajane wale Maheshwar, jo nitya, shuddh aur dishaon ko vastra maanne wale Digambar hain.
मंदाकिनीसलिलचंदनचर्चिताय नंदीश्वरप्रमथनाथमहेश्वराय।
मंदारपुष्पबहुपुष्पपूजिताय तस्मै मकाराय नमः शिवाय॥
maṃdākinīsalilacaṃdanacarcitāya naṃdīśvarapramathanāthamaheśvarāya|
maṃdārapuṣpabahupuṣpapūjitāya tasmai makārāya namaḥ śivāya||
English meaning: Salutations to Shiva as the syllable ma: anointed with Mandakini water and sandal, lord of Nandi and the Pramatha attendants, worshipped with mandara flowers and many other flowers. The print has mandara-pushpa, where the compared Sringeri text has mandara-mukhya.
हिंदी अर्थ: म अक्षर के रूप में शिव को प्रणाम: मन्दाकिनी के जल और चन्दन से चर्चित, नन्दी तथा प्रमथ गणों के स्वामी महेश्वर, मन्दार-पुष्प और अनेक पुष्पों से पूजित। मुद्रित पाठ में मन्दारपुष्प है, जबकि तुलना किए श्रीङ्गेरी पाठ में मन्दारमुख्य है।
Roman Hindi meaning: Ma akshar ke roop mein Shiv ko pranam: Mandakini ke jal aur chandan se charchit, Nandi tatha Pramath ganon ke swami Maheshwar, mandara-pushpa aur anek pushpon se poojit. Mudrit paath mein mandara-pushpa hai, jabki tulna kiye Sringeri paath mein mandara-mukhya hai.
शिवाय गौरीवदनाब्जवृंदसूर्याय दक्षाध्वरनाशकाय।
श्रीनीलकंठाय वृषध्वजाय तस्मै शिकाराय नमः शिवाय॥
śivāya gaurīvadanābjavṛṃdasūryāya dakṣādhvaranāśakāya|
śrīnīlakaṃṭhāya vṛṣadhvajāya tasmai śikārāya namaḥ śivāya||
English meaning: Salutations to Shiva as the syllable shi: auspicious Lord, the sun for the lotus-cluster image of Gauri's face, destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice, blue-throated and bearing a bull on his banner. The lotus-cluster wording follows this print.
हिंदी अर्थ: शि अक्षर के रूप में शिव को प्रणाम: कल्याणस्वरूप, गौरी के मुखरूपी कमल-समूह के लिए सूर्य, दक्ष के यज्ञ का नाश करने वाले, श्री नीलकण्ठ और वृषभ-ध्वजधारी। कमल-समूह का पद इसी मुद्रित पाठ के अनुसार है।
Roman Hindi meaning: Shi akshar ke roop mein Shiv ko pranam: kalyan-swaroop, Gauri ke mukh-roopi kamal-samooh ke liye Surya, Daksh ke yagya ka naash karne wale, Shri Neelkanth aur vrishabh-dhwajdhari. Kamal-samooh ka pad isi mudrit paath ke anusaar hai.
वसिष्ठकुंभोद्भवगौतमादिमुनींद्रदेवार्चितशेखराय।
चंद्रार्कवैश्वानरलोचनाय तस्मै वकाराय नमः शिवाय॥
vasiṣṭhakuṃbhodbhavagautamādimunīṃdradevārcitaśekharāya|
caṃdrārkavaiśvānaralocanāya tasmai vakārāya namaḥ śivāya||
English meaning: Salutations to Shiva as the syllable va: whose head is honoured by the gods and great sages including Vasishtha, the vessel-born sage and Gautama, and whose eyes are moon, sun and fire. The vessel-born epithet is translated without adding an unprinted personal name.
हिंदी अर्थ: व अक्षर के रूप में शिव को प्रणाम: वसिष्ठ, कुम्भ से उत्पन्न ऋषि, गौतम आदि श्रेष्ठ मुनियों और देवताओं द्वारा पूजित मस्तक वाले, जिनके नेत्र चन्द्र, सूर्य और अग्नि हैं। कुम्भोद्भव पद का अर्थ रखा गया है, बिना स्रोत में न लिखा व्यक्तिगत नाम जोड़ने के।
Roman Hindi meaning: Va akshar ke roop mein Shiv ko pranam: Vasishth, kumbh se utpann rishi, Gautam adi shreshth muniyon aur devtaon dwara poojit mastak wale, jinke netra Chandra, Surya aur Agni hain. Kumbhodbhav pad ka arth rakha gaya hai, bina srot mein na likha vyaktigat naam jodne ke.
यक्षस्वरूपाय जटाधराय पिनाकहस्ताय सनातनाय।
दिव्याय देवाय दिगंबराय तस्मै यकाराय नमः शिवाय॥
yakṣasvarūpāya jaṭādharāya pinākahastāya sanātanāya|
divyāya devāya digaṃbarāya tasmai yakārāya namaḥ śivāya||
English meaning: Salutations to Shiva as the syllable ya: appearing in yaksha form, with matted hair and the Pinaka bow in his hand, eternal, divine and clothed in the directions. No additional yaksha episode is inferred.
हिंदी अर्थ: य अक्षर के रूप में शिव को प्रणाम: यक्षस्वरूप, जटाधारी, हाथ में पिनाक धनुष धारण करने वाले, सनातन, दिव्य देव और दिगम्बर। कोई अतिरिक्त यक्ष-कथा नहीं जोड़ी गई है।
Roman Hindi meaning: Ya akshar ke roop mein Shiv ko pranam: yaksha-swaroop, jatadhari, haath mein Pinak dhanush dharan karne wale, sanatan, divya dev aur Digambar. Koi atirikt yaksha-katha nahin jodi gayi hai.
पंचाक्षरमिदं पुण्यं यः पठेच्छिवसन्निधौ।
शिवलोकमवाप्नोति शिवेन सह मोदते॥
paṃcākṣaramidaṃ puṇyaṃ yaḥ paṭhecchivasannidhau|
śivalokamavāpnoti śivena saha modate||
English meaning: Phalashruti: the verse says that one who reads this holy Panchakshara hymn in Shiva's presence attains Shiva's world and rejoices with him. This is the text's devotional assurance, not a guaranteed result; it is separate from the five syllable verses.
हिंदी अर्थ: फलश्रुति: श्लोक कहता है कि शिव के सान्निध्य में इस पुण्य पञ्चाक्षर स्तोत्र को पढ़ने वाला शिवलोक पाता और शिव के साथ आनन्दित होता है। यह पाठ का भक्तिपरक आश्वासन है, निश्चित परिणाम की गारंटी नहीं; यह पाँच अक्षर-श्लोकों से अलग है।
Roman Hindi meaning: Phalashruti: shlok kehta hai ki Shiv ke sannidhya mein is punya Panchakshar stotra ko padhne wala Shivlok paata aur Shiv ke saath anandit hota hai. Yeh paath ka bhakti ka aashvasan hai, nishchit parinam ki guarantee nahin; yeh paanch akshar-shlokon se alag hai.
इति श्रीमच्छंकराचार्यविरचितं शिवपंचाक्षरस्तोत्रं संपूर्णम्॥
iti śrīmacchaṃkarācāryaviracitaṃ śivapaṃcākṣarastotraṃ saṃpūrṇam||
English meaning: The closing line declares the Shiva Panchakshara Stotra complete and attributes it to Shankaracharya. This reports the print's attribution, not independently verified authorship, and is not a numbered verse.
हिंदी अर्थ: समापन पंक्ति शिवपञ्चाक्षर स्तोत्र को पूर्ण कहती और शङ्कराचार्य को रचनाकार बताती है। यह मुद्रित स्रोत का श्रेय है, स्वतंत्र रूप से सत्यापित रचनाकार नहीं; यह क्रमांकित श्लोक नहीं है।
Roman Hindi meaning: Samapan pankti Shiv Panchakshar stotra ko poorn kehti aur Shankaracharya ko rachnakar batati hai. Yeh mudrit srot ka shrey hai, swatantra roop se satyapit rachnakar nahin; yeh kramankit shlok nahin hai.
Shiv Panchakshara Stotram is a hymn to Shiva whose five core verses honour the syllables na, ma, shi, va and ya of Namah Shivaya. This complete selected 1912 edition includes its opening Ganesha invocation, all five verses, a separate sixth phalashruti verse and the colophon. The colophon attributes it to Shankaracharya; that attribution is reported, not independently verified.
The core stanzas correspond to na, ma, shi, va and ya. The opening Ganesha salutation, sixth phalashruti and colophon are retained separately, not counted as additional syllable verses. This hymn is distinct from the neighbouring Shadakshara hymn in the source; no Om stanza is borrowed from it.
The reader follows item 42 on printed page 107 of the public-domain 1912 Brihat Stotra Ratnakara. It retains mandara-pushpa-bahu-pushpa-pujitaya in verse 2 and Gauri-vadanabja-vrinda in verse 3. The compared Sringeri text uses different flower and face-lotus wording and ends after the fifth verse; those differences are documented, not blended.
The serpent garland, ash, three eyes, Gauri, Daksha, sages, yaksha form and Pinaka bow are translated as the hymn's devotional imagery. No purchases, ritual initiations or fixed counts are prescribed. Its promise of Shiva's world is presented as a traditional assurance, not a guaranteed outcome. The colophon's attribution does not establish a historical biography.