O Great God of Arms, I beseech your aid against my enemy
Abbreviation of 南無八幡大菩薩. An archaic battle invocation calling on Hachiman, the god of war, for assistance against one's enemy. Not used in modern everyday speech.
See also: 南無八幡大菩薩 (なむはちまんだいぼさつ)
The warrior chanted 'Namu Hachiman' before the battle.
Full form of the invocation; 南無八幡 is the abbreviated version.
Abbreviation of 南無八幡大菩薩 (Namu Hachiman Daibosatsu), a Buddhist-Shinto invocation to Hachiman, the syncretic god of war. 南無 (namu) is a transliteration of Sanskrit 'namo', meaning 'homage to'.