Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Om Sivoham

From Naan Kadavul · 2009

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
Vijay Prakash
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Naan Kadavul2009

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Hara hara hara haraHara, Hara, Hara, Hara (Lord Shiva, the dispeller of sins)
Hara hara hara haraHara, Hara, Hara, Hara
Mahadev..Mahadev (Great God Shiva)..
Chorus
Hara hara hara haraHara, Hara, Hara, Hara
Hara hara hara haraHara, Hara, Hara, Hara
Mahadev..Mahadev (Great God Shiva)..
Chorus
Om…Om…
Bhairava rudrayaTo the fierce Bhairava Rudra
Maha rudrayaTo the supreme Maha Rudra
Kaala rudrayaTo the Lord of Time, Kaala Rudra
Kalpanta rudrayaTo the destroyer at the end of aeons, Kalpanta Rudra
Veera rudrayaTo the heroic Veera Rudra
Rudra rudrayaTo the roaring Rudra Rudra
Gora rudrayaTo the terrifying Gora Rudra
Aghora rudrayaTo the tranquil yet formidable Aghora Rudra
Maarthanda rudrayaTo the radiant Maarthanda Rudra (Shiva as the Sun)
Anda rudrayaTo the cosmic Anda Rudra
Brahmanda rudrayaTo the universe-spanning Brahmanda Rudra
Chanda rudrayaTo the fiery Chanda Rudra
Prachanda rudrayaTo the intensely fierce Prachanda Rudra
Thanda rudrayaTo the punishing Thanda Rudra
Soora rudrayaTo the valorous Soora Rudra
Veera rudrayaTo the mighty Veera Rudra
Bhava rudrayaTo the source of existence, Bhava Rudra
Bheema rudrayaTo the colossal Bheema Rudra
Athala rudrayaTo the Lord of the Athala realm
Vithala rudrayaTo the Lord of the Vithala realm
Suthala rudrayaTo the Lord of the Suthala realm
Mahathala rudrayaTo the Lord of the Mahathala realm
Rasathala rudrayaTo the Lord of the Rasathala realm
Talatala rudrayaTo the Lord of the Talatala realm
Pathala rudrayaTo the Lord of the Pathala realm
Namo namahaSalutations and bowings unto You
Male
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva (the Supreme Consciousness)..
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Rudra naamam bajeham..I worship and chant the sacred name of Rudra..
Chorus
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Rudra naamam bajeham..I worship and chant the sacred name of Rudra..
Male
Veera badraya agni nethrayaAs Veera Bhadra with eyes of fire
Gora samhaarakaThe terrifying destroyer of evil
Sakala lokaaya sarva boothayaPresent in all worlds and in all living beings
Sathya saakshatkaraThe direct manifestation of Supreme Truth
Chorus
Shambo shambo sankaraShambo, Shambo, Shankara (Giver of peace and bliss)
Male
Aaa…haa..Aaa…haa..
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Rudra naamam bajeham..I worship and chant the sacred name of Rudra..
Chorus :Bajeham..Chorus: I chant and worship..
Chorus
Hara hara hara haraHara, Hara, Hara, Hara
Hara hara hara haraHara, Hara, Hara, Hara
MahadevMahadev
Chorus
Namah somayaSalutations to Him who is with Soma (the Moon/Parvati)
Cha rudrayaAnd to Rudra
Cha namastamraya charunayaSalutations to the copper-red one and the radiant golden one
Cha nama shangayaSalutations to the source of peace
Cha pashupatayeAnd to the Lord of all living beings (Pashupati)
Cha nama ugraya cha bhimayaSalutations to the fierce one and the formidable one
Cha namo agrevadhayaSalutations to Him who strikes from the front
Cha dure vadhaya cha namo hantreAnd who strikes from afar, salutations to the destroyer
Cha haniyaseAnd to Him who slays continuously
Cha namo vrukshebhyo harikeshebhyoSalutations to the Lord of green trees and nature
Nama staraya namash shambhaveSalutations to the liberator, salutations to Shambhu
Cha mayo bhave cha namah shankarayaTo the source of joy, and salutations to Shankara
Cha mayaskaraya cha namah shivayaTo the bringer of happiness, and salutations to Shiva
Cha shivataraya chaAnd to the most auspicious Shiva
Male
Anda brammanda kotiRuler of millions of cosmic eggs and galaxies
Akhila paripaalanaProtector of the entire universe
Chorus :Poorana jagat kaaranaChorus: The ultimate origin of the complete universe
Sathya deva deva priyaThe Supreme Truth, beloved of all gods
Male
Vedha vedhartha saaraThe essence of the Vedas and Vedic knowledge
Yagna yagnomayaThe embodiment and soul of all sacred Yagnas
Chorus :Nishchala dushta nigraghaChorus: The resolute vanquisher of the wicked
Sapta loga samrakshanaThe guardian of all seven worlds
Male
Soma soorya agni lochanaHaving the Sun, Moon, and Fire as His three eyes
Chorus :Swetha rishaba vaaghanaChorus: Mounted upon the sacred white bull (Nandi)
Male :Soola pani bujanga booshanaMale: Holding the trident, adorned with serpents
Chorus :Tripura naasha nardhanaChorus: The cosmic dancer who destroyed the three cities (Tripura)
Male & Chorus :Yoma kesa mahaasena janakaMale & Chorus: Hair spreading like the sky, father of Lord Murugan (Mahaasena)
Pancha vaktra parasu hastha namahaFive-faced Lord holding the axe in hand, I bow to You
Male
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Rudra roopam bajeham..I worship the fierce form of Rudra..
Chorus :Bajeham..Chorus: I chant and worship..
Chorus
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Rudra naamam bajeham..I worship and chant the sacred name of Rudra..
Bajeham..I chant and worship..
Male
Kaala trikaalaLord of Time and Beyond Time (Past, Present, Future)
Nethra trinethraEyes of wisdom and the Three-Eyed One
Soola trisoola dhaatramWielder of the mighty Trident
Male
Sathya prabaavaThe glorious majesty of Supreme Truth
Divya prakaashaThe divine radiant light
Manthra swaroopa mathramThe absolute embodiment of all sacred Mantras
Male
NishprapanchaadhiBeyond the illusion of the material world
NishkalankohamI am stainless, pure, and immaculate
Nija poorna bodha ham hamI am the true, complete infinite consciousness (Hum Hum)
Gathya gathmaagamThe ultimate goal and the spiritual path
Nithya bramhogamI am the eternal Brahman (Absolute Reality)
Swapna kasogam hum humTranscending dreams and all sorrows (Hum Hum)
Male
Sachit pramanamThe absolute proof of truth, existence, and bliss
Chorus :Om omChorus: Om Om
Male :Moola pramegyamMale: The fundamental, unknowable Supreme Being
Chorus :Om omChorus: Om Om
Male :Ayam bramhasmiMale: This Self is Brahman (Ayam Atma Brahma)
Chorus :Om omChorus: Om Om
Male :Aham BramhasmiMale: I am Brahman (Aham Brahmasmi)
Chorus :Om omChorus: Om Om
Chorus
Gana gana gana ganaGana gana gana gana (Resounding cosmic sound)
Gana gana gana ganaGana gana gana gana
Sahasra kanta sapta viharakiResiding in a thousand throats and the seven musical notes
Chorus
Dama dama dama damaDama dama dama dama (Rhythmic drumbeats)
Duma duma duma dumaDuma duma duma duma
Siva damarugha nadha viharakiDelighting in the sound of Shiva's divine Damaru drum
Male
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Rudra naamam bajeham..I worship and chant the sacred name of Rudra..
Bajeham..I chant and worship..
Male
Ruu..karunaaa mayoo sagaaOh ocean overflowing with boundless compassion...
Male
Anda brammanda kotiRuler of millions of cosmic eggs and galaxies
Akhila paripaalanaProtector of the entire universe
Chorus :Poorana jagat kaaranaChorus: The ultimate origin of the complete universe
Sathya deva deva priyaThe Supreme Truth, beloved of all gods
Male
Vedha vedhartha saaraThe essence of the Vedas and Vedic knowledge
Yagna yagnomayaThe embodiment and soul of all sacred Yagnas
Chorus :Nishchala dushta nigraghaChorus: The resolute vanquisher of the wicked
Sapta loga samrakshanaThe guardian of all seven worlds
Male
Soma soorya agni lochanaHaving the Sun, Moon, and Fire as His three eyes
Chorus :Swetha rishaba vaaghanaChorus: Mounted upon the sacred white bull (Nandi)
Male :Soola pani bujanga booshanaMale: Holding the trident, adorned with serpents
Chorus :Tripura naasha nardhanaChorus: The cosmic dancer who destroyed the three cities (Tripura)
Male & Chorus :Yoma kesa mahaasena janakaMale & Chorus: Hair spreading like the sky, father of Lord Murugan (Mahaasena)
Pancha vaktra parasu hastha namahaFive-faced Lord holding the axe in hand, I bow to You
Male
{Om sivoham..{Om, I am Shiva..
Om sivoham..Om, I am Shiva..
Chorus :Rudra naamam bajeham..Chorus: I worship and chant the sacred name of Rudra..
Bajeham..} (2)I chant and worship..} (Repeated twice)

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

‘Om Sivoham’ is a magnificent spiritual and philosophical hymn from the movie Naan Kadavul (2009). The song serves as an intense invocation of Lord Shiva in His fierce form as Rudra, blending extracts from ancient Vedic chants like the Sri Rudram with classical Sanskritized Tamil poetry. It captures the essence of an Aghori sadhu’s cosmic connection with the Divine, depicting Shiva as the ruler of all seven netherworlds (Lokas), the cosmic balance of creation and destruction, and the ultimate truth beyond time and space.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaipu / End Rhyme

Athala rudraya / Vithala rudraya / Suthala rudraya / Mahathala rudraya

Consistent rhyming endings using 'rudraya' across consecutive lines invoking Shiva across various cosmic realms.

Onomatopoeia (Oli-kkurippu)

Gana gana gana gana ... Dama dama dama dama

Rhythmic sound words mimicking the ringing of temple bells and the thunderous beat of Lord Shiva's cosmic drum (Damaru).

Advaita Vedantic Metaphor / Philosophy

Om sivoham ... Ayam bramhasmi / Aham Bramhasmi

Expresses the non-dualistic (Advaita) philosophy that the individual soul is identical to the supreme cosmic reality (Shiva/Brahman).

Alliteration (Monai)

Soma soorya agni lochana

Repetition of initial sibilant sounds ('S') in 'Soma' and 'soorya', describing Shiva's eyes as the Moon and the Sun.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and sung brilliantly by Vijay Prakash with lyrics written by legendary lyricist Vaali, 'Om Sivoham' is a cornerstone track of the movie 'Naan Kadavul' (directed by Bala). The song's lyrics draw extensively from sacred Vedic hymns (Sri Rudram, Chamakam) and Adi Shankara's Nirvana Shatakam to embody the philosophical world of an Aghori mendicant played by actor Arya. Vijay Prakash's powerful vocal rendition of this complex song brought him widespread acclaim in Indian film music.

Keep listening

More from Naan Kadavul