Sri Rudram is the most used Vedic hymn to Rudra, the Vedic form of Shiva. It is found in the Taittiriya Samhita of the Krishna Yajur Veda, and it has two parts. The Namakam (Taittiriya Samhita 4.5) is a hymn of salutations to Rudra, named after the word namah. The Chamakam (4.7) is a hymn of requests, named after the words cha me, “and may it be mine”. In worship the two are chanted together, the Namakam first and the Chamakam after it.
The hymn is also known as the Rudra Prashna, the Rudradhyaya and the Shatarudriya, because of its use in the old fire ritual called the Shatarudriya. It is part of the Vedic tradition that Brahmin priests learn by ear with its three tones, and it is the text most often chanted at the abhishekam (ritual bathing) of the Shiva lingam.
The two parts and where to read them
The Namakam has eleven anuvakas, or sections. The first is a prayer to Rudra’s anger and weapons, asking him to put them aside. The second to ninth are long runs of salutations to him in every kind of being, and the last two return to verse. The full text, with transliteration and meaning, is on two pages: anuvakas 1 to 5 and anuvakas 6 to 11.
The Chamakam also has eleven anuvakas, a list of things asked for, each ending with cha me. It is on one page, the Sri Rudram Chamakam.
The words namah shivaya appear in the eighth anuvaka of the Namakam. The five-syllable mantra of the same sound, treated in its own right, is on the Om Namah Shivaya page.
How it is used
Sri Rudram is chanted at Shiva temples and in homes, most often in the south of India and in Maharashtra. Common occasions are Rudrabhishekam, homas to Shiva, Maha Shivaratri, Mondays and Pradosha. A larger form, the Ekadasha Rudra, chants the Namakam eleven times with a Chamakam anuvaka after each. The Vedic tones can only be learned from a teacher. Those who cannot chant often read the meaning or listen to a recording. For how the night of Maha Shivaratri is kept at home, see the Maha Shivaratri puja guide.
These are customs of the tradition, and the text itself lays down no rule of day, count or posture. The hymn makes no promise of health, wealth or any outcome, and nothing in it replaces medical, legal or financial advice.
Sources
The Devanagari on the full pages follows the Anandashrama Sanskrit Series edition of the Taittiriya Samhita with the commentary of Sayana (Pune, 1903, part 6), read from the page images, with the typed Sanskrit Wikisource text as a second witness. The hymn has no named human author. The meanings on the full pages are our own.
Related mantras and pages
- Namakam, anuvakas 1 to 5: salutations to Rudra
- Namakam, anuvakas 6 to 11: the rest of the Namakam
- Chamakam: the hymn of requests
- Rudrashtakam: eight verses to Rudra
- Shiva Panchakshara Stotram: the five-syllable hymn
- Mahamrityunjaya Mantra: the Rigveda mantra to Rudra
- Maha Shivaratri: the night of Shiva
- All mantras, stotras, chalisas and aartis
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is Sri Rudram?
It is the great Vedic hymn to Rudra from the Taittiriya Samhita, in two parts: the Namakam of salutations and the Chamakam of requests.
↳ Is Sri Rudram the same as the Rudra Prashna?
Yes. It is also called the Rudradhyaya and the Shatarudriya. The names refer to the same text.
↳ Why is it chanted at Shivaratri?
Because it is the Vedic hymn to Rudra, who is Shiva, and it is the text used for the ritual bathing of the lingam. Many temples chant it through the night.
↳ Do I need a teacher to learn it?
For Vedic chanting with its tones, yes. To read it for meaning, the pages on this site are enough.
↳ Where does namah shivaya come from in it?
The words namah shivaya appear in the eighth anuvaka of the Namakam, in the line namah shivaya cha shivataraya cha.