In this website we wrote an article on Swami Vivekananda’s quotes on Soham. And now we are going to write another article on Swami Vivekananda‘s quotations on Shivoham.
The word Shivoham (Devanagari: शिबोऽहम्, Bengali: শিবোহম্) is a combination/joining of two words — “Shiva” (Devangari: शिब, Bengali: শিব) and Aham (Devanagri: अहम, Bengali: অহম্). Shivoham may be translated as “I am Shiva” where “Shiva” is God Shiva and “Aham” means “I”.
Let’s make a collection of Swami Vivekananda‘s quotes on Shivoham.
- I am Existence Absolute Kundalini
Bliss Absolute Circle mother I am He, Shivoham
I am He, Shivoham[Source] - I have heard of a man who lived in a forest and used to repeat day and night, “Shivoham” — I am the Blessed One — and one day a tiger fell upon him and dragged him away to kill him; people on the other side of the river saw it, and heard the voice so long as voice remained in him, saying, “Shivoham” — even in the very jaws of the tiger.[Source]
- Let us say, “We are” and “God is” and “We are God”, “Shivoham, Shivoham”, and march on.[Source]
- Say, “Asti, Asti”—”Everything is!”—cherish positive thoughts. By dwelling too much upon “Nâsti, Nâsti”—”It is not! It is not!” (negativism), the whole country is going to ruin! “So’ham, So’ham, Shivo’ham”—”I am He! I am He! I am Shiva!”[Source]
- There was a man in India, a Sannyâsin, who used to repeat “Shivoham” — “I am Bliss Eternal”; and a tiger jumped on him one day and dragged him away and killed him; but so long as he was living, the sound came, “Shivoham, Shivoham”.[Source]
- When I am on the heights I say, ‘Shivoham, Shivoham: I am He, I am He!’ and when I have the stomachache I say, ‘Mother have mercy on me![Source]
Nirvanashatkam, or Six Stanzas on Nirvana
Nirvana Shatakam or Atma Shatakam is a notable verse of six stanzas written by Adi Shankaracharya. Swami Vivekananda made a translation of the verse. Here in this article we’ll include only the first two stanzas, full verse may be read at Wikisource.
Swami Vivekananda’s translation of Nirvana Shatakam—
I am neither the mind, nor the intellect, nor the ego, nor the mind-stuff ;
I am neither the body, nor the changes of the body ;
I am neither the senses of hearing, taste, smell, or sight,
Nor am I the ether, the earth, the fire, the air ;
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute—
I am He, I am He. (Shivoham, Shivoham).
I am neither the Prâna, nor the five vital airs ;
I am neither the materials of the body, nor the five sheaths ;
Neither am I the organs of action, nor object of the senses ;
I am Existence Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, Bliss Absolute—
I am He, I am He. (Shivoham, Shivoham).Read the entire translation at Wikisource
Audio sample Nirvana Shatakam