Shiva Gayatri Mantra — Rudra Gayatri
Meaning, pronunciation and the Gayatri-form Vedic mantra of Mahadeva
The Shiva Gayatri — also called the Rudra Gayatri — sets the sacred Gāyatrī form to the remembrance of Shiva. In three movements it seeks to know Tatpuruṣa, the Supreme Being; to meditate upon Mahādeva, the Great God; and to ask that Rudra awaken and illumine the intellect.
Gāyatrī-form Vedic mantra of Shiva (Rudra Gāyatrī) · 2h 24m chant
Listen
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: Steady morning meditation and clarity of mind · Daily japa on a mālā · Slow breathing and quiet contemplation · Calm devotional listening before sleep
Sacred text
Devanagari
ॐ तत्पुरुषाय विद्महे महादेवाय धीमहि तन्नो रुद्रः प्रचोदयात् ॥
IAST transliteration
Oṃ Tatpuruṣāya Vidmahe Mahādevāya Dhīmahi Tanno Rudraḥ Pracodayāt
Simple pronunciation
Om Tat-pu-ru-shaa-ya Vid-ma-hey, Ma-haa-day-vaa-ya Dhee-ma-hi, Tan-no Rud-rah Pra-cho-da-yaat
In this recording: The long-form recording repeats these three lines as a continuous chant; the words do not change.
Meaning
May we come to know that Supreme Being; may we meditate upon Mahadeva, the Great God; may Rudra inspire and illumine our understanding.
- Literal meaning
- Oṃ. May we know Tatpuruṣa; may we meditate upon Mahādeva; may that Rudra impel our intellect.
- Devotional interpretation
- Like the well-known Sāvitrī Gāyatrī, this mantra moves in three steps — knowing, meditating, and asking for light. First it turns the mind toward Tatpuruṣa, the Supreme Person beyond ordinary limitation; then it rests in meditation on Mahādeva, the Great Lord; and finally it prays that Rudra — Shiva's transforming grace — impel the intellect toward truth. To chant it is to ask, gently and without demanding, that one's own understanding be turned toward what is real.
Word-by-word meaning
| Word | IAST | Literal meaning | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ॐ | Oṃ | the primordial sound | The sacred syllable that opens the mantra and gathers the mind before the invocation. |
| तत्पुरुषाय | tatpuruṣāya | to that Supreme Person | Dative case: 'toward that Puruṣa'. Tatpuruṣa — literally 'that Person' — is one of the five faces (pañcabrahma) of Sadāśiva and here names the Supreme Being the chant seeks to know. |
| विद्महे | vidmahe | may we know, may we come to realise | First-person plural: 'let us know'. The first movement of every Gāyatrī — turning the mind toward the Divine as something to be truly known. |
| महादेवाय | mahādevāya | upon Mahādeva, the Great God | Dative case: the object of meditation. Mahādeva, 'the Great God', is Shiva as the supreme Lord upon whom the devotee dwells. |
| धीमहि | dhīmahi | may we meditate, may we contemplate | First-person plural: 'let us meditate'. The second movement — resting the attention on Mahādeva. |
| तन्नो | tanno | may that ... our | A sandhi of tat ('that', referring to Rudra) and naḥ ('our', 'us'). It joins the final line: 'may that Rudra ... our intellect'. |
| रुद्रः | rudraḥ | Rudra | Nominative — the one who acts. Rudra is Shiva's powerful, transformative presence, whose grace is sought to remove inner darkness. |
| प्रचोदयात् | pracodayāt | may he inspire, impel, illuminate | The prayer itself: 'may he set in motion'. The third movement — asking that Rudra awaken and guide the intellect toward truth. |
ॐOṃ
- Literal meaning
- the primordial sound
- Explanation
- The sacred syllable that opens the mantra and gathers the mind before the invocation.
तत्पुरुषायtatpuruṣāya
- Literal meaning
- to that Supreme Person
- Explanation
- Dative case: 'toward that Puruṣa'. Tatpuruṣa — literally 'that Person' — is one of the five faces (pañcabrahma) of Sadāśiva and here names the Supreme Being the chant seeks to know.
विद्महेvidmahe
- Literal meaning
- may we know, may we come to realise
- Explanation
- First-person plural: 'let us know'. The first movement of every Gāyatrī — turning the mind toward the Divine as something to be truly known.
महादेवायmahādevāya
- Literal meaning
- upon Mahādeva, the Great God
- Explanation
- Dative case: the object of meditation. Mahādeva, 'the Great God', is Shiva as the supreme Lord upon whom the devotee dwells.
धीमहिdhīmahi
- Literal meaning
- may we meditate, may we contemplate
- Explanation
- First-person plural: 'let us meditate'. The second movement — resting the attention on Mahādeva.
तन्नोtanno
- Literal meaning
- may that ... our
- Explanation
- A sandhi of tat ('that', referring to Rudra) and naḥ ('our', 'us'). It joins the final line: 'may that Rudra ... our intellect'.
रुद्रःrudraḥ
- Literal meaning
- Rudra
- Explanation
- Nominative — the one who acts. Rudra is Shiva's powerful, transformative presence, whose grace is sought to remove inner darkness.
प्रचोदयात्pracodayāt
- Literal meaning
- may he inspire, impel, illuminate
- Explanation
- The prayer itself: 'may he set in motion'. The third movement — asking that Rudra awaken and guide the intellect toward truth.
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 comfortably with the spine easy and the breath slow.
- Read the pronunciation once before you begin.
Pronunciation notes
- Tat-pu-ru-shāya — the 'ṣa' is a soft retroflex 'sh'.
- Dhī-ma-hi — the 'dhī' is a gently lengthened, breathy 'dee'.
- Pra-cho-da-yāt — the 'ca' is 'cha' as in 'church'; the final 'yāt' is lengthened.
How many times
Chant aloud, softly, or silently. Common counts are 3, 9, 27, or 108 (a full mālā); any sincere number is fine.
To close
Sit quietly for a few breaths, letting the mind settle, before you rise.
How to use the recording
Chanting along
Repeat the three lines gently along with the recording.
Meditation
Let the mantra be a single point of return whenever the mind drifts.
Prayer or pūjā
Play it during a simple morning pūjā as a devotional backdrop.
Sleep listening
Keep the volume low and let it be the last sound of the night.
Morning practice
A few minutes at dawn to begin the day with a steadier, clearer mind.
Background atmosphere
Let it play softly while you read, study, or rest.
Background & sourcesClassification, origin, historical context, symbolism, intentions & occasions
What kind of sacred text is this?
This is a Gāyatrī-form Vedic mantra — the Rudra Gāyatrī or Shiva Gāyatrī. It follows the classic three-part Gāyatrī pattern of vidmahe ('may we know'), dhīmahi ('may we meditate'), and pracodayāt ('may he impel'), applied to Shiva as Tatpuruṣa, Mahādeva and Rudra. It is not a prayer for a single outcome but a meditation that turns the understanding toward the Divine.
Origin and textual source
- Tradition / work
- Mahānārāyaṇa Upaniṣad
- Section
- Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda, Taittirīya Āraṇyaka book 10 — among the section of Gāyatrī mantras to the deities
- Attribution
- Vedic; traditional
- Variants
- Commonly written and sung as 'tanno rudraḥ pracodayāt'; some editions read 'tan no rudraḥ' as two words with the same meaning.
- The same Gāyatrī pattern is applied to many deities; here it names Shiva through Tatpuruṣa, Mahādeva and Rudra.
Historical and devotional context
The Gāyatrī metre and its threefold movement — knowing, meditating, and praying for inner light — are among the oldest devices of Vedic prayer. The most famous is the Sāvitrī Gāyatrī addressed to the sun. In the Taittirīya Āraṇyaka the same form is turned toward many deities, and the verse to Rudra became the household Gāyatrī of Shiva devotion, recited at dawn, on the mālā, and in temple worship.
Devotees use the Shiva Gāyatrī as a prayer for clarity and steadiness of mind — a few rounds at first light, or a longer sitting when the thoughts are restless. Because it asks not for any object but for the awakening of understanding, it suits study, meditation, and the quiet before sleep alike.
Symbolism and inner meaning
- The three verbs — vidmahe, dhīmahi, pracodayāt — trace a path: first knowing the Divine, then meditating upon it, then asking that it illumine the mind.
- Tatpuruṣa, Mahādeva and Rudra are three names of one Shiva — the Supreme Person, the Great God, and the transforming grace — so the mantra holds his fullness in a single breath.
- As a Gāyatrī, it prays for light within rather than for any outward gain, which is why it is felt to steady and clarify the mind.
Traditionally associated intentions
Traditional purpose
- Remembrance and worship of Shiva as Rudra and Mahādeva
- A Gāyatrī for clarity, concentration and the awakening of understanding
- Daily morning and evening practice
Devotional intentions
- Clarity of mind
- Concentration
- Devotion
- Inner steadiness
This recording is for
- Long-form japa
- Morning meditation
- Peaceful listening before sleep
- A quiet devotional 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?
Dawn and dusk (sandhyā)
Gāyatrī mantras are traditionally recited at the junctions of the day; the Shiva Gāyatrī suits both.
Monday and Maha Shivaratri
Shiva-centred days are natural times to chant more, though the mantra suits any day 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 30mMangalam Bhagwan Shambhu — Shiva Mangala Sloka
मंगलम् भगवान शम्भु, मंगलम् वृषभध्वज। मंगलम् पार्वती नाथो, मंगलम् तनो हर।।