Om Shiva Om Shiva — Paratpara Shiva
Meaning, pronunciation and the devotional refrain of refuge in Shiva
A gentle devotional refrain built on one feeling — tava śaraṇam, 'I take refuge in You'. It remembers Shiva as Parātpara, the Supreme beyond the highest, and as Oṃkāra, the sacred sound Om; it bows to Shankara, worships him, and takes shelter in Uma-Maheshwara, the Goddess and the Great Lord together.
Devotional Shiva refrain of refuge (śaraṇāgati) · 2h 25m chant
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This is Spiritual Awakening's own long-form recording — the official way to listen. There is no separate audio hosted on this page.
Best suited for: Deep, slow listening before sleep · Devotional surrender (sharanagati) and letting go · Meditation on the sound of Shiva's names · A calm, protective evening atmosphere
Sacred text
Devanagari
ॐ शिव ॐ शिव, परात्परा शिव ओङ्कार शिव तव शरणम् । नमामि शङ्कर भजामि शङ्कर उमामहेश्वर तव शरणम् ॥
IAST transliteration
Oṃ Śiva Oṃ Śiva, Parātparā Śiva Oṅkāra Śiva Tava Śaraṇam | Namāmi Śaṅkara Bhajāmi Śaṅkara Umāmaheśvara Tava Śaraṇam ||
Simple pronunciation
Om Shi-va Om Shi-va, Pa-raat-pa-raa Shi-va, Ong-kaa-ra Shi-va Ta-va Sha-ra-nam; Na-maa-mi Shan-ka-ra, Bha-jaa-mi Shan-ka-ra, U-maa-ma-hesh-wa-ra Ta-va Sha-ra-nam.
In this recording: The long-form recording repeats these two lines slowly as a continuous chant; the words do not change.
Meaning
Om Shiva, Om Shiva — O Shiva, beyond the beyond; O Shiva, the embodiment of the sacred Om — I take refuge in You. I bow to Shankara, I worship Shankara. O Uma-Maheshwara, I take refuge in You.
- Literal meaning
- Oṃ Śiva, Oṃ Śiva. O Śiva higher than the highest, O Śiva who is Oṃkāra — Yours is my refuge. I bow to Śaṅkara, I worship Śaṅkara. O Umā-Maheśvara — Yours is my refuge.
- Devotional interpretation
- This is a chant of taking refuge. Its whole weight rests on two words that return like a heartbeat — tava śaraṇam, 'I take refuge in You'. Between them the names of Shiva are simply named and adored: the Supreme beyond all height, the sound of Om itself, Shankara the giver of peace, and Uma-Maheshwara — the Mother and the Lord together, so that one takes shelter not in a distant God but in a loving presence. There is nothing to achieve here; the mantra only asks the heart to lay itself down at Shiva's feet.
Word-by-word meaning
| Word | IAST | Literal meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ॐ | Oṃ | the primordial sound | The sacred syllable that opens the chant and gathers the mind. |
| शिव | śiva | O Shiva, the auspicious one | The name of Shiva, called in the vocative and repeated softly throughout — 'Oṃ Shiva, Oṃ Shiva'. |
| परात्परा | parātparā | higher than the highest, the Supreme beyond the beyond | parāt (than the high) + para (higher): Shiva as that which is beyond even the highest — the Supreme past all limitation. |
| ओङ्कार | oṅkāra | the sacred syllable Om | 'Oṃ-kāra', the form of Om: Shiva remembered as the very sound Oṃ, the sacred vibration itself. |
| तव शरणम् | tava śaraṇam | Yours is my refuge; I take shelter in You | tava (your) + śaraṇam (refuge, shelter): the heart of the chant — an act of surrender, śaraṇāgati. It returns as the refrain of both lines. |
| नमामि | namāmi | I bow | First-person singular: 'I make my salutation' — reverence offered in person. |
| शङ्कर | śaṅkara | Shankara, the giver of peace and blessings | śaṃ (peace, well-being) + kara (doer): 'the doer of good', a beloved name of Shiva. It is bowed to and worshipped in turn. |
| भजामि | bhajāmi | I worship, I adore | First-person singular: to worship with love, to sing to — devotion offered, not merely reverence. |
| उमामहेश्वर | umāmaheśvara | O Uma-Maheshwara — Uma and the Great Lord together | umā (the Goddess) + maheśvara (the Great Lord, Shiva): the divine pair as one refuge — one takes shelter in the Mother and the Lord together. |
ॐOṃ
- Literal meaning
- the primordial sound
- Explanation
- The sacred syllable that opens the chant and gathers the mind.
शिवśiva
- Literal meaning
- O Shiva, the auspicious one
- Explanation
- The name of Shiva, called in the vocative and repeated softly throughout — 'Oṃ Shiva, Oṃ Shiva'.
परात्पराparātparā
- Literal meaning
- higher than the highest, the Supreme beyond the beyond
- Explanation
- parāt (than the high) + para (higher): Shiva as that which is beyond even the highest — the Supreme past all limitation.
ओङ्कारoṅkāra
- Literal meaning
- the sacred syllable Om
- Explanation
- 'Oṃ-kāra', the form of Om: Shiva remembered as the very sound Oṃ, the sacred vibration itself.
तव शरणम्tava śaraṇam
- Literal meaning
- Yours is my refuge; I take shelter in You
- Explanation
- tava (your) + śaraṇam (refuge, shelter): the heart of the chant — an act of surrender, śaraṇāgati. It returns as the refrain of both lines.
नमामिnamāmi
- Literal meaning
- I bow
- Explanation
- First-person singular: 'I make my salutation' — reverence offered in person.
शङ्करśaṅkara
- Literal meaning
- Shankara, the giver of peace and blessings
- Explanation
- śaṃ (peace, well-being) + kara (doer): 'the doer of good', a beloved name of Shiva. It is bowed to and worshipped in turn.
भजामिbhajāmi
- Literal meaning
- I worship, I adore
- Explanation
- First-person singular: to worship with love, to sing to — devotion offered, not merely reverence.
उमामहेश्वरumāmaheśvara
- Literal meaning
- O Uma-Maheshwara — Uma and the Great Lord together
- Explanation
- umā (the Goddess) + maheśvara (the Great Lord, Shiva): the divine pair as one refuge — one takes shelter in the Mother and the Lord together.
Translations are prepared with editorial review against the Sanskrit text, transliteration and English master meaning. Sanskrit words may carry layers of meaning that no single translation can fully express.
How to chant
Preparation
- Sit or lie down comfortably and let the body soften.
- Read the pronunciation once, then let the words repeat slowly.
Pronunciation notes
- Pa-rāt-pa-rā — the two long 'ā' sounds are gently drawn out.
- Oṅ-kā-ra — ' oṅ' is 'ong' with a soft nasal.
- Ta-va śa-ra-ṇam — the 'ṇa' is a soft retroflex 'n'.
How many times
Repeat it slowly for as long as feels natural — there is no fixed count. Let the two 'tava śaraṇam' refrains carry the surrender.
To close
Rest in the quiet for a few breaths before you move or sleep.
How to use the recording
Chanting along
Repeat the refrain gently along with the recording.
Meditation
Let 'tava śaraṇam' be a single point of return whenever the mind drifts.
Prayer or pūjā
Play it during an evening prayer as a backdrop of surrender.
Sleep listening
Keep the volume low and let the refuge carry you into deep rest.
Morning practice
A few slow minutes to begin the day resting in Shiva.
Background atmosphere
Let it play softly while you wind down at the end of the day.
Background & sourcesClassification, origin, historical context, symbolism, intentions & occasions
What kind of sacred text is this?
This is a devotional refrain — a sung chant of taking refuge (śaraṇāgati) in Shiva, rather than a fixed scriptural mantra. It weaves together classical names of Shiva (Parātpara, Oṃkāra, Śaṅkara, Umā-Maheśvara) around the repeated surrender 'tava śaraṇam'. It is arranged here as a slow, long-form chant for meditation and sleep.
Origin and textual source
- Attribution
- Traditional devotional (bhajan / dhun)
- Variants
- Sung in several regional melodies; wording is stable, though line breaks and repetitions vary between renditions.
- 'parātparā' is also written 'parātpara'; the sung form lengthens the final vowel.
Historical and devotional context
Refrains of refuge — short, repeatable lines that circle around a single act of surrender — belong to the living bhajan and dhun tradition rather than to a fixed canon. This one gathers well-loved names of Shiva around 'tava śaraṇam', a phrase whose roots run deep in devotional Sanskrit, and sets them to a slow, meditative pace.
Because it is a refrain rather than a counted mantra, it is sung freely and repeated for as long as feels natural — often slowly at night, when its single feeling of refuge helps the mind let go. Naming Uma-Maheshwara keeps the Goddess present beside Shiva, so the shelter is felt as tender rather than remote.
Symbolism and inner meaning
- 'Tava śaraṇam', returning twice, makes surrender itself the rhythm of the chant.
- Parātpara (the beyond of the beyond) and Oṃkāra (the sound of Om) hold Shiva as both utterly transcendent and intimately near as sacred sound.
- Uma-Maheshwara places the Goddess beside the Lord, so refuge is taken in a loving presence, not a distant power.
Traditionally associated intentions
Traditional purpose
- Devotional surrender (śaraṇāgati) to Shiva
- Night-time prayer and remembrance
- Slow, repetitive chanting for meditation
Devotional intentions
- Surrender
- Refuge and protection
- Devotion
- Inner peace
This recording is for
- Deep-sleep chanting
- Slow Shiva meditation
- Peaceful listening before sleep
- A calm, protective atmosphere
A note on wellbeing: Many people find slow, repeated chanting settling and calming. This is a devotional and meditative practice — not medical treatment for any condition.
When is it traditionally chanted?
Night-time and before sleep
The slow refrain of refuge suits the letting-go of the day; the recording is arranged as a deep-sleep chant.
Monday and Maha Shivaratri
Shiva-centred days are natural times to sing it, though it suits any evening with devotion.
Related mantras
2h 34mKarpur Gauram Karunavataram — Shiva Stuti
कर्पूरगौरं करुणावतारं संसारसारम् भुजगेन्द्रहारम् । सदावसन्तं हृदयारविन्दे भवं भवानी सहितं नमामि ॥
2h 31mTrimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Mantra
सह्याद्रिशीर्षे विमले वसन्तं गोदावरीतीरपवित्रदेशे । यद्दर्शनात्पातकमाशू नाशं प्रयाति तं त्र्यम्बकमीशमीडे ॥
2h 35mMahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Mantra
अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारं मुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम्। अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थं वन्दे महाकाल-महासुरेशम्॥