I Am Not the Body, Nor the Mind: The Eternal Song of the Self
There are timeless verses that pierce through the fog of illusion and reveal the unchanging truth of existence. Among them, the Nirvana Shatakam (also called Atma Shatakam), attributed to the great philosopher-sage Adi Shankaracharya, shines like a beacon of clarity and liberation. In these six verses, Shankara condenses the essence of Advaita Vedanta, the non-dual realization of the Self.
When the sage was asked, “Who are you?”, he did not speak of his name, lineage, body, or occupation. Instead, he poured forth these immortal lines that dismantle every illusion of identity and uncover the pure truth:
"Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham"
'I am Consciousness and Bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva."
This refrain is not merely poetic; it is a thunderbolt of awakening. It is an invitation to each of us to look beyond the masks we wear and discover the timeless Self that we truly are.
The Layers We Mistake for Ourselves
Most human beings identify themselves with the shifting layers of personality and form. We say, “I am a man, I am a woman, I am young, I am old, I am Indian, I am American, I am successful, I am a failure.” These labels stick to us like garments, and soon we forget that they are not who we are.
The first verse of the Nirvana Shatakam dismantles this illusion:
मनोबुद्धयहंकारचित्तानि नाहम् न च श्रोत्र जिह्वे न च घ्राण नेत्रे,
न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजॊ न वायु: चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥1॥
मैं न तो मन हूं, न बुद्धि, न अहंकार, न ही चित्त हूं,
मैं न तो कान हूं, न जीभ, न नासिका, न ही नेत्र हूं,
मैं न तो आकाश हूं, न धरती, न अग्नि, न ही वायु हूं,
मैं तो शुद्ध चेतना हूं, अनादि, अनंत शिव हूं।
“I am not the mind, not the intellect, not the ego, not even memory.
I am not the ears, not the tongue, not the nose, not the eyes.
I am not the five elements, space, earth, fire, water, or air.
I am pure consciousness, eternal bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva.”
What we take to be “I” is merely a combination of borrowed parts. The mind is but a flow of thoughts. The body is a temporary arrangement of elements that one day will return to dust. The senses are doors, but not the dweller. None of these ephemeral aspects deserve the throne of the true Self.
“The tragedy of human life is not death, but living without knowing the deathless essence within.” ~ Adarsh Singh
The Freedom Beyond Breath and Body
In the second verse, the sage takes us deeper:
न च प्राण संज्ञो न वै पञ्चवायु:
न वा सप्तधातुर्न वा पञ्चकोश:
न वाक्पाणिपादौ न चोपस्थपायू
चिदानन्द रूप:शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥2॥
मैं न प्राण हूं, न ही पंच वायु हूं
मैं न सात धातु हूं,
और न ही पांच कोश हूं
मैं न वाणी हूं, न हाथ हूं, न पैर, न ही उत्सर्जन की इन्द्रियां हूं,
मैं तो शुद्ध चेतना हूं, अनादि, अनंत शिव हूं।
“I am not the vital breath, not the five currents of life-force.
I am not the seven tissues of the body, nor the five sheaths.
I am not speech, not hands, not feet, nor the functions of excretion.
I am pure consciousness, eternal bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva.”
What we call life is simply the orchestration of breath, metabolism, and movement. Yet behind these mechanical processes shines a luminous awareness. This awareness does not rise or fall with inhalation or exhalation. It is not subject to the decay of the body’s tissues. It is not trapped in the functions of survival.
Here lies the key to spiritual freedom: to know that even when the body withers, the Self remains untouched.
“Breath sustains the body, but awareness sustains the universe. When you discover the latter, fear dissolves.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Beyond Emotions and Desires
Most of us are enslaved by the tides of emotions. Love and hate, joy and sorrow, greed and fear, these become our masters. But the third verse makes a radical claim:
न मे द्वेष रागौ न मे लोभ मोहौ
मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्य भाव:
न धर्मो न चार्थो न कामो ना मोक्ष:
चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥3॥
न मुझे घृणा है, न लगाव है, न मुझे लोभ है, और न मोह,
न मुझे अभिमान है, न ईर्ष्या,
मैं धर्म, धन, काम एवं मोक्ष से परे हूं,
मैं तो शुद्ध चेतना हूं, अनादि, अनंत शिव हूं।
“There is no hatred, no attachment, no greed, no delusion in me.
There is no pride, no jealousy.
I am beyond righteousness, wealth, pleasure, or even liberation.
I am pure consciousness, eternal bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva.”
This is perhaps the most shocking revelation. We often think of spiritual life as a pursuit of virtue, cultivating goodness and earning liberation. But the Self is beyond even these. Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha, the four goals of human existence, are still within the realm of duality. The Self transcends them all.
Here we confront the paradox: the Self does not seek liberation, for it was never bound. The Self does not seek virtue, for it was never tainted. Realization is not an achievement but a remembrance.
“Liberation is not the gaining of freedom, but the discovery that you were never chained.” ~ Adarsh Singh
The Silence Beyond Religion
The fourth verse shatters another layer of illusion:
न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दु:खम्
न मन्त्रो न तीर्थं न वेदार् न यज्ञा:
अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता
चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥4॥
मैं पुण्य, पाप, सुख और दुख से विलग हूं
मैं न मंत्र हूं, न तीर्थ, न ज्ञान, न ही यज्ञ
न मैं भोजन(भोगने की वस्तु) हूं, न ही भोग का अनुभव, और न ही भोक्ता हूं
मैं तो शुद्ध चेतना हूं, अनादि, अनंत शिव हूं।
“I am not virtue or sin, not pleasure or pain.
I am not mantra, pilgrimage, scripture, or ritual.
I am not food, nor the act of eating, nor the eater.
I am pure consciousness, eternal bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva.”
Religion, in its external form, provides paths, symbols, and rituals. They serve as ladders for the seeker. But once the Self is realized, even these ladders are unnecessary.
True spirituality is not about adopting beliefs but about awakening to what has always been. The Self is not found in mantras, temples, or rituals; it is found in the silence behind every thought.
“When you drop the crutches of rituals, you discover the wings of awareness.” ~ Adarsh Singh
The End of Fear and Division
The fifth verse is perhaps the most liberating:
न मे मृत्यु शंका न मे जातिभेद:
पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्म:
न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरुर्नैव शिष्य:
चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥5॥
न मुझे मृत्यु का डर है, न जाति का भेदभाव,
मेरा न कोई पिता है, न माता, न ही मैं कभी जन्मा था,
मेरा न कोई भाई है, न मित्र, न गुरू, न शिष्य,
मैं तो शुद्ध चेतना हूं, अनादि, अनंत शिव हूं।
“I have no fear of death, no distinction of caste.
I have no father, no mother, for I was never born.
I have no brother, no friend, no teacher, no student.
I am pure consciousness, eternal bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva.”
Death terrifies because we identify with the body. Birth captivates because we identify with roles. But when one realizes that the Self was never born and can never die, fear vanishes.
Social distinctions, too, caste, nationality, religion, even familial ties, fade into insignificance when viewed from the Self’s perspective. They are roles in a grand play, but the actor is never limited by the costume.
“Death loses its sting when you realize you were never born.” ~ Adarsh Singh
The Boundless, Formless Self
The sixth verse crowns the journey:
अहं निर्विकल्पॊ निराकार रूपॊ
विभुत्वाच्च सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम्
न चासंगतं नैव मुक्तिर्न मेय:
चिदानन्द रूप: शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ॥6॥
मैं निर्विकल्प हूं, निराकार हूं,
मैं चैतन्य के रूप में सब जगह व्याप्त हूं,
सभी इन्द्रियों में हूं,
न मुझे किसी चीज में आसक्ति है, न ही मैं उससे मुक्त हूं,
मैं तो शुद्ध चेतना हूं, अनादि, अनंत शिव हूं।
“I am without alternative, formless, pervading all.
I exist in all senses, beyond attachment and beyond freedom.
I am pure consciousness, eternal bliss, I am Shiva, I am Shiva.”
Here the sage affirms the positive aspect of realization. Once all negations are complete, ‘I am not this, I am not that’, what remains is boundless Being. It is everywhere, yet untouched by any one thing. It is in the senses but not bound by them. It is free from both bondage and liberation, for these are concepts that cannot touch its infinity.
This is the final discovery: you are not a limited fragment of creation. You are the field of awareness in which creation arises and dissolves.
“You are not in the universe; the universe is in you.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Living the Wisdom of the Self
The Nirvana Shatakam is not just a philosophical text. It is a manual for liberation. Its purpose is not to be admired as poetry but to be internalized as truth. How do we live this wisdom?
Practice Self-Inquiry: Ask, “Who am I?” Peel away every answer, body, mind, role, memory, until only awareness remains.
Witness the Mind: Instead of being swept away by thoughts and emotions, observe them as passing clouds in the sky of consciousness.
Detach from Roles: Play the roles of life fully, but remember they are roles. The actor is untouched by the character.
Embrace Silence: Beyond scriptures and rituals, taste the silence of your own being.
See the Self in All: Recognize that the same consciousness shines in every creature. This dissolves fear, hatred, and division.
When this wisdom flowers, life becomes light. Suffering loses its grip, and joy flows effortlessly. The seeker becomes established in the truth:
“I am not the transient waves, I am the ocean itself.” ~ Adarsh Singh
The Universal Relevance of Nirvana Shatakam
Though composed centuries ago, the Nirvana Shatakam is timeless. In a world obsessed with identity, national, social, personal, these verses remind us of the greater identity beyond all labels. In an age haunted by anxiety and mortality, they whisper the secret of fearlessness.
They are not tied to one religion or culture. They are a song of the soul that can resonate in every heart. They do not demand belief; they invite direct recognition.
The refrain “Chidananda Rupa Shivoham Shivoham” is not a claim of arrogance but an awakening of remembrance. It is not saying, “I am a deity.” It is realizing, “I am not this limited self. I am the very consciousness in which all arises.”
As the waves of life rise and fall, this truth stands still:
You are not the body. You are not the mind. You are not the roles you play.
You are consciousness, eternal, infinite, free.
Carry this awareness into every moment. Then the struggles of life become a play, death becomes a doorway, and relationships become expressions of unity.
Let us end with a reflection:
“To know the Self is to awaken from the dream of limitation and to live as the light of infinity. That is liberation. That is true living.” ~ Adarsh Singh
Tue Sep 16, 2025
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