An ancient mantra. Simple in form.
Boundless in meaning.
The Literal Meaning
The mantra “oṃ paśupataye namaḥ,” translates to:
“Salutations to Paśupati, the Lord of all beings”
“Paśu” literally means “animal,” but symbolically it refers to all living beings—especially those caught in ignorance, pain, ego, or karmic bondage.
“Pati” means “lord” or “master.”
So Paśupati is Shiva as the one who lovingly guides all beings toward liberation—not from a place of authority, but as an ever-present force within everything that lives.
Lord of the Beasts – and Beyond
At its most literal, Paśupati means “Lord of the Animals.”
This reflects Shiva’s role as a wild, natural, and primordial deity—a forest yogi, a wilderness mystic, a guardian of the untamed.
In many indigenous and tantric traditions, he’s revered as a protector of animals and the Earth itself—not as some distant god, but as a living presence in every corner of nature.
This deep bond with the animal world and the natural order is part of what makes this mantra so profound and healing.
A Mantra for These Times
We’re living in a world that seems increasingly divided.
Lines are drawn quickly. Judgments come fast. There’s often this sense that we’re right, they’re wrong—a shrinking middle ground, and a growing discomfort with imperfection, nuance, or anything that doesn’t fit a polished narrative.
In this climate of overjudgment, performance, and disconnection, this mantra brings me peace, trust, and quiet joy.
Because it reminds me:
We can change.
We can come back to ourselves and begin to meet each other with honesty, respect, and compassion—even across difference, even when it’s hard.
Because at the deepest level, we’re all connected.
All of us—no matter what we look like, believe, or have done—are expressions of the Absolute.
And that Absolute is not a concept.
It’s not a system.
It is Love.
Boundless, unconditional Love.
Shiva, the All-Embracing One
In the ancient stories, Shiva is not just the god of meditation and silence.
He’s also the one who embraces everyone—even demons, outcasts, and shadow beings.
He doesn’t reject. He doesn’t separate.
He simply is—a vast presence, holding space for it all.
In that way, this mantra is also a reminder of who we are beneath the stories:
“I bow to the One who frees me from all I am not—so I can remember who I’ve always been: pure Love.”
The Track
I created a track to carry this mantra into sound.
Not as background music, but as a space to return to yourself.
To reconnect with what was never lost.
May this mantra be a light on your path.
May it remind you of your essence.
May it soften the edges and open your heart—
to yourself, to others, and to all of life.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
