Maha Shivratri mantra: what to chant through the night
The Maha Shivratri mantras, Om Namah Shivaya, Mahamrityunjaya and Rudra Gayatri, with meaning, plus a simple plan for the four prahars of the night.
The main mantra for Maha Shivratri is Om Namah Shivaya, the five-syllable mantra of Shiva, chanted through the night of the festival. Many devotees also chant the Mahamrityunjaya mantra and the Rudra Gayatri, often one for each of the four prahars (watches) of the night. In 2027, Maha Shivratri falls on Saturday 6 March.
Dates are for New Delhi; tithi timings shift slightly by city.
What Maha Shivratri is
Maha Shivratri, "the great night of Shiva", falls on the fourteenth night of the waning moon in the month of Phalguna (Magha in the southern calendar). Many families remember it as the night of Shiva and Parvati's wedding; others remember it as the night Shiva appeared as an endless pillar of light. Either way, it is a night for staying awake, keeping a simple fast, and turning the mind towards Shiva.
There is no single correct way to keep it. Some people visit a temple for the night-long abhishek, some sit at home with a lamp and a mala, and some simply listen. If your family has its own custom, follow it.
The main Maha Shivratri mantras
Om Namah Shivaya
ॐ नमः शिवाय Om Namah Shivaya
"I bow to Shiva." Om is the first sound, namah means "I bow", and Shivaya names Shiva, the auspicious one. It is the heart of Shiva worship and traditionally chanted for a calm, steady mind. Anyone can chant it, at any time, with no special preparation. Listen on Mahakatha.
Mahamrityunjaya mantra
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् | उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मोक्षीय माऽमृतात् || Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam, Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mokshiya Maamritat
"We worship the three-eyed One, fragrant, who nourishes all beings. As a ripe cucumber is freed from its vine, may we be freed from the fear of death, and not from the deathless." From the Rig Veda, it is traditionally chanted for courage in the face of fear, illness and loss. Mantras support calm; they are not a replacement for a doctor when you need one. Listen on Mahakatha.
Rudra Gayatri
ॐ तत्पुरुषाय विद्महे महादेवाय धीमहि तन्नो रुद्रः प्रचोदयात् Om Tatpurushaya Vidmahe, Mahadevaya Dhimahi, Tanno Rudrah Prachodayat
"We know the supreme Being, we meditate on the great God: may Rudra light up our minds." It is traditionally chanted to clear negative thoughts and doubt. Listen on Mahakatha.
Shiva Panchakshara Stotram (first verse)
नगेन्द्रहराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्मांगरागाय महेश्वराय नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय तस्मै 'न' कराय नमः शिवाय Nagendraharaya Trilochanaya, Bhasmangaragaya Maheshvaraya, Nityaya Shuddhaya Digambaraya, Tasmai Nakaraya Namah Shivaya
"To the three-eyed One garlanded with the king of serpents, covered in sacred ash, eternal and pure, clothed by the sky itself: I bow to that Shiva, who is the syllable Na." Each of its verses honours one syllable of Na-Ma-Shi-Va-Ya. Listen on Mahakatha.
Karacharana Kritam (prayer for forgiveness)
करचरणकृतं वा कायजं कर्मजं वा श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वापराधम् Karacharana Kritam Vaa Kaayajam Karmajam Vaa, Shravana Nayanajam Vaa Maanasam Vaaparadham
"Whatever wrong I have done with my hands or feet, my body or my actions, my ears, my eyes or my mind, O Shiva, forgive it." Many families chant it at the end of a puja, and it fits the last hours before dawn. Listen on Mahakatha.
The four prahars of the night
Traditionally the night of Shivratri, from sunset to sunrise, is divided into four prahars of about three hours each, and Shiva is worshipped once in each. The most important moment is Nishita Kaal, the deep middle of the night around midnight. Exact prahar times change every year and by city, so check a local panchang for 2027.
A common pattern, followed in many homes and temples, is to bathe the Shivling with a different offering in each prahar. A simple plan for chanting alongside it:
- First prahar (evening): abhishek with milk; chant Om Namah Shivaya 108 times.
- Second prahar (late evening): abhishek with curd; chant the Rudra Gayatri 11 or 21 times.
- Third prahar (around midnight): abhishek with ghee; chant the Mahamrityunjaya mantra 108 times. This prahar includes Nishita Kaal.
- Fourth prahar (before dawn): abhishek with honey; chant the Panchakshara Stotram, then close with Karacharana Kritam.
Water and bilva leaves can be offered in every prahar. If you cannot keep the whole night, keep one prahar well, ideally the third. A quiet hour with full attention is worth more than a tired night of rushing.
How to chant on Shivratri at home
- Bathe and sit facing north or east, with a lamp and, if you have one, a small Shivling or picture of Shiva.
- Offer water, and bilva leaves if you can find them, while saying Om Namah Shivaya.
- Chant with a mala. One round is 108 beads. If you are new to this, see why 108 and how to use a japa mala.
- Rest between rounds. Sitting in silence for a few minutes is part of the practice, not a break from it.
If staying awake all night is not possible, or a full fast does not suit your health, keep a lighter version. Shiva is known as Bholenath, the easily pleased.
Listen through the night
Shiva has more recordings in the Mahakatha library than any other deity, 71 of them. Mahakatha Radio plays Shiva mantras like these, day and night, free and without ads. On Shivratri, tune in and let it keep you company through the prahars.
Keeping the night for someone who is unwell, or in memory of someone you love? You can offer a prayer to be read aloud on Prayer Requests, which airs at 7:00 am and 7:00 pm India time, followed by a mantra chosen for them.
Questions people ask
Which mantra should I chant on Maha Shivratri?
Om Namah Shivaya. It is simple, open to everyone and the centre of Shiva worship. If you want a second mantra, add the Mahamrityunjaya mantra in the third prahar, around midnight.
Are there 10 or 12 main mantras of Shiva?
There is no single fixed list. Shiva is praised through many names, each chanted as a short mantra, such as ॐ सदाशिवाय नमः (Om Sadashivaya Namah). The 108 Names of Shiva are the fullest traditional collection.
What are the three most important Shiva mantras?
Most teachers would name Om Namah Shivaya, the Mahamrityunjaya mantra and the Rudra Gayatri. All three are on this page, with meaning.
Which mantra becomes siddha in one day?
No mantra is truly mastered in a single day. Tradition holds that Shivratri is an especially good night to begin or deepen a practice, but what matters is chanting regularly, with attention, long after the festival ends.
What are the five most powerful Shiva mantras?
Om Namah Shivaya, the Mahamrityunjaya mantra, the Rudra Gayatri, the Panchakshara Stotram and Karacharana Kritam are five of the most widely chanted. For a wider list across deities, see the most powerful mantras.
When is Maha Shivratri in 2027?
Saturday 6 March 2027. The main worship happens through that night, with Nishita Kaal around midnight. Dates are for New Delhi.