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Om Hrim Namah Shivaya

Definition - What does Om Hrim Namah Shivaya mean?
Om hrim namah Shivaya om is a traditional Sanskrit mantra considered by yogis to be
particularly powerful because it invokes the spirit of both Lord Shiva and Shakti, existing as a
divine couple in eternal bliss. In this way, it is said to bring together the masculine and the
feminine, and open the mind of those that chant it to the Divine. The mantra is similar to the
well known, Om namah Shivaya, which approximates to “All glory to Shiva,” but also
incorporates the sacred feminine element, hrim, making it even more symbolically powerful.

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Yogapedia explains Om Hrim Namah Shivaya

The meaning of the individual Sanskrit words are as follows:
Oṃ: The sacred syllable and sound of the universe;
Hriṃ: A bija, or seed, mantra, which is believed to lift veils of illusion;
Namah: To honor or salute; and
Shivāya: "To Shiva."
Om and hrim can be considered to represent Shiva and Shakti. They connote pure
consciousness, or the formless, and the infinite creative energy, or the formed. Shakti is the
power of Shiva, through which he manifests worlds. Ultimately, and as shown through this
mantra, they are one and the same.
Many know the Om hrim namah Shivaya om mantra because it is traditionally used to activate
a new mala. This may be carried out in a ceremony in which the mantra is chanted with each
bead of the mala, then the mala is brought to the heart and the third eye in order to create a
spiritual connection between the practitioner and their mala. Finally, due to its uniting of the
male and female, the mantra is also sometimes chanted to strengthen marriages.

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