How many times should you chant Om Namah Shivaya?
No one number is fixed for everyone. The mantra is counted on a rudrākṣa mala, and Japa suggests one round of 108 a day, but that figure is Japa's suggestion, not a rule of the tradition. It is recited daily, and especially through the night of Mahāśivarātri. If a teacher gave you a number, keep that one.
Where this page gives a count, it says whose count it is. Śaiva lineages differ, and none of this replaces the guidance of your own tradition.
What the words say
ॐ नमः शिवाय: Oṃ namaḥ śivāya, homage to Śiva. Namaḥ Śivāya is the mantra proper, the pañcākṣara, five syllables: na-ma-śi-vā-ya. Śaiva commentary associates each with one of the five elements and one of Śiva's five faces. The Oṃ is a prefix added in recitation, which is why the mantra is called five-syllabled and not six.
Where it comes from
The phrase sits in the middle of the Śrī Rudram, the hymn to Rudra in the Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda (Taittirīya Saṃhitā 4.5.8), and was drawn out from there as a mantra of its own. It is central to the Śaiva Siddhānta and Vīraśaiva traditions and to the Tamil devotional poetry of the Nāyanārs.
Counting it
The mantra is counted on a rudrākṣa mala, one bead to each recitation. A full mala is 108; half and quarter malas of 54 and 27 are common for shorter sittings. Some people keep one mala a day, some several, and some keep no count at all. None of these is more correct than another in general; what matters is the practice you were given.
Mahāśivarātri
The mantra is recited especially through the night of Mahāśivarātri, the great night of Śiva. Its date and the reckoning behind it are on that page.
Questions
Is 108 the traditional number for Om Namah Shivaya?
108 is the size of a full mala and the round Japa suggests. It is not a number every Śaiva tradition prescribes; follow your teacher or tradition.
Why is it called five-syllabled when it begins with Om?
The mantra proper is Namaḥ Śivāya, five syllables. Oṃ is a prefix added in recitation.
Can I count Om Namah Shivaya online?
Yes. Japa's free mantra counter works in the browser in rounds of 27, 54 or 108, with nothing saved or sent.
Read the texts
Sources
- Taittirīya Saṃhitā 4.5.8 (Śrī Rudram, Namakam)
- Himalayan Academy, Dancing with Śiva, on the pañcākṣara
- Japa practice library, Om Namah Shivaya
Count it in Japa
Japa keeps Om Namah Shivaya in Devanagari with a romanisation beside a large, calm counter. Set your round to 108, 54, 27 or your own number; a haptic marks each bead and an optional bell marks each round.
Counting is free and unlimited on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. No account, no ads, no subscription. Japa is an independent app and is not endorsed by any teacher, lineage or community.