śiva pañcākṣara stotram

Salutations to Shiva, who wears the King of snakes as a garland, the Three-eyed God, whose body is smeared with ashes, the great Lord, the eternal and pure One, who wears the directions as His garment, and who is represented by the 'na' kAra (term).

I bow to Shiva, who has been worshipped with water from the gangA (mandAkini) and annointed with sandalwood paste, the Lord of nandI, the Lord of the host of goblins and ghosts, the great Lord, who is worshiped with mandAra and many other kinds of flowers, and who is represented by the syllable 'ma'.

Salutations to Shiva, who is all-auspiciousness, Who is the sun that causes the lotus face of GaurI (PArvatI) to blossom, Who is the destroyer of the Yajna of dakSha, whose throat is blue (nIlakaNTha), whose flag bears the emblem of the bull, and who is represented by the syllable 'shi'.

VasiShTha, agastya, Gautama, and other venerable sages, and Indra and other Gods have worshipped the head of (Shiva's linga). I bow to that Shiva whose three eyes are the moon, sun and fire, and who is represented by the syllable 'va'.

Salutations to Shiva, who bears the form of a YakSha, who has matted hair on His head, Who bears the pinAka bow in His hand, the Primeval Lord, the brilliant God, who is digambara (naked), and who is represented by the syllable 'ya'.

Anyone who recites this sacred five-syllabled mantra, (namaH shivAya) near the Shiva (linga), attains the abode of Shiva and rejoices there with Shiva.