Om Namah Shivaya: A Pachamama Circle Recording

“Om Namah Shivaya” is one of the oldest and best-loved mantras of India. Here it is sung in a Pachamama ceremony in Brazil in 2015, with Vera Fróes and Marcio Purusha.

What the mantra means

Om Namah Shivaya is Sanskrit. It is usually translated as “I bow to Shiva”, and it is often understood as a bow to the deepest self within each of us. It has only five syllables after the Om, and it is repeated again and again, until the words become breath.

The Pachamama circle

The Pachamama Church, founded by Marcio Purusha, brings together songs from many traditions, from the Amazon to India, in ceremonies that honour the Earth. Our recordings from those circles are on SoundCloud.

How to listen

Sing along from the first round. There’s nothing to learn beyond the five syllables. Let each round be a little slower and quieter than the last.

Continue

• Madre Tierra, Madre Vida, sung by the Pachamama Sanga Band
• Eu Vi um Caboclo na Mata, from the Pachamama Circle of Light
• All our medicine songs