Lord Shiva is the destroyer and also has a positive side in that destruction usual leads to new types of existence. Lord Shiva is transcendent, limitless, unchanging and formless. He was called a ”Maha Yogi” because He meditated for many hours for the well-being of the universe. His peaceful state of mind was disturbed only due to extreme reasons, but otherwise, He would always be in a higher state of consciousness. Five-syllable origin This comes from a Hindu stotra, the Shri Rudram Chamakam (dedicated to Rudra – Shiva), which is found in the second oldest of the Vedic texts, the Yajurveda. Additionally, Tamil Saivite hymn starts with the five sacred letters ‘na’ ‘ma’ ‘ci’ ‘vaa’ ‘ya’. Some holy texts refer to the five letters as the forms of Shiva (the seed sounds of the 5 elements of creation – earth, water, fire, air, and ether) – Nagendra (one who wears a garland of snakes), Mandakini Salila (one who is bathed by the water of the Ganges), Shi (the supreme Lord), Vashishta (one who is praised by the sages like Vashishta), and Yaksha (one who takes the form of Yaksha).
Om Namah Shivaya mantra meaning in English: The importance and glory of this are stressed across the Shiva Purana, as the most important and powerful mantra the devotee has to keep like own soul. • Om – comprises 3 parts ”A-U-M”, which encompass the 3 bodies (subtle, gross, and causal), the 3 levels of mind (subconscious, conscious, and unconscious), and the 3 states (sleeping, waking, and dream). • Namah – means adoration, bow, homage, respect. • Shivaya – means Shiva; but more than that, it means the inner self. Also, the word ”Shiva” means perfection and auspiciousness. This Panchakshari mantra is also known as the saranagati mantra.