(written by Atmanandanatha, and was located on devipuram.com)
Pancadasakshari Mantra
O
Guru our guiding light. Enlighten us
The Sri Vidya pancadasakshari mantra has fifteen syllables which are
said in a coded manner in the tripuropanishaT and Devi atharvasiropanishaT.
Decoded the mantra runs thus:’Ka E I la hrIm ha sa ka ha la hrIm sa ka la
hrIm’. Nityasodasikarnava and Paramananda Tantra give
us many explanations to the above mantras. Sri Bhaskararaya wrote the Varivasya
Rahasya and a commentary called prakasa for the meanings of this mantra. Of
these meanings, sampradAyArtha, kaulikArtha, nigarbhArthA and rahasyArtha are
discussed here. It is interesting to note that this order is that of the names
of the group of Devatas (yoginis) found in the fourteen, outer and inner ten
and eight triangles of Sri Chakra.
Now let us see that the whole mantra is made of 37 syllables
indicating the 36 tatvas and the tavAtIta parasiva state. The syllables in the
mantra are separated into consonants and vowels The maya bija ‘hrIm’ is made
into 5 parts as ‘h’, ‘r’, ’I’, ’m’ and nada(subtle nasal sound).
VagbhavakUta: Vowel Consonant Nada
Ka = k + a
= 1 1
E = 1
I = 1
La = L + a
= 1 1
hrIm=h+r+I+m+nada= 2 2 1
Total 6 + 4 + 1 = 11
Kamaraja kUta: Vowel Consonant Nada
ha = h + a
= 1 1
sa = s + a
= 1 1
ka = k + a
= 1 1
ha = h + a
= 1 1
La = L + a
= 1 1
hrIm=h+r+I+m+nada= 2 2 1
Total 7 + 7 + 1 =15
sakthi kUta: Vowel Consonant Nada
sa = s + a
= 1 1
ka = k + a
= 1 1
La = L + a
= 1 1
hrIm=h+r+I+m+nada= 2 2 1
Total 5 + 5 + 1 = 11
Hence the total count is 11+15+11=37.
It is interesting to see a harmony and rhythm in the numbers, the
second and third kutas have equal number of consonants and vowels. In the first
kuta the vowels are predominating, i.e the sakthi tatva dominates over siva
tatva (vowels represent sakthi tatva and consonants the siva tatva) - It is
also wonderful to see this kuta in the ‘ka’kAra sahasranama of DaskhinakAli
wherein we find names as ‘Ka E I la hrIm svarUpAyai namah, Ka E I la hrIm prasave
namah’ etc.
Now let us see the individual count.
Vagbhva
Kamaraja Sakthi Total
h 1 3 1 5
I 2 1 1 4
r 1 1 1 3
s 1 1 2
L 1 1 1 3
a 2 5 3 10
k 1 1 1 3
m 1 1 1 3
nada 1 1 1 3
E 1 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 11 15 11 37
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vowel Consonant Nada
Vagbhava kuta = 6
4 1
Kamaraja kuta = 7 7 1
Sakthi kuta
= 5 5 1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 18 + 16 + 3 = 37
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Let us look in the one to one correspondence with the 36 tatvas and
tatvatIta parasiva.
‘E’ represents the tatvAtIta parasiva state. The three ’nada’
represent the Siva, sakthi, suddavidya and prakruti. The three ‘m’ represent
the sadasiva, Isvara, suddavidya, maya, kalA, avidyA, rAga kAla and niyati.
Ahamkara, bhuddi and manas are represented by three ‘k’ and ten ‘a’. The karmendrya
(vak pani pada payu), gynanendrya ( srotra tvak cakshu jihva ghrana), panca
bhuta (akasa vayu vahni jala prthvi) and tanmatra (sabda sparsa rupa rasa
gandha) are represented by five ’h’,
four ‘I’, three ‘r’ , two ‘s’ and three’L’
The five sabda gunas are represented by five ‘h’
The four sparsa gunas are represented by four ‘I’
The three rupa gunas are represented by three ‘r’
The two rasa gunas are represented by two‘s’
The gandha guna is represented by three ‘L’- there are three to
signify the three worlds.
The ten ‘a’ also signify the various states of jives and their
multiplicity.
The three ‘k’ also represent the three states of upasaka sakala,
vigynakala and pralayakala.
The above is as per Sri Bhaskara raya and the nitysodasikarnava
Tantra.
Paramananda Tantra defines this correspondence in a different way,
agreeing only with that the tatvatIta parasiva state is represented by ‘E’ The
rest being as follows:
Prthvi, gandha, ghrana - three ‘L’ ;Apa, rasa, jihva –three ‘k’ ;Teja,
rupa, cakshu –three ‘r’ ; Vayu, sparsa, tvak- three ‘m’;AkAsa, sabda, srotra-
three ‘nada’; Vak pani pada payu uapastha –five ‘h’
Maya, kalA, avidyA, rAga, kAla, niyati, prakruti, ahamkAra, bhuddi,
manas –ten ‘a’
Sadasiva. Isvara, suddavidya, purusha –four ‘I’
Siva and sakthi –two‘s’
A similar study in hadi and sadi vidyas were undertaken to get the
following results
Hadividya: VagbhavaUta:
Vowel Consonant Nada
ha = h + a = 1 1
sa = s + a
= 1 1
ka = k + a
= 1 1
La = L + a
= 1 1
hrIm=h+r+I+m+nada= 2 2 1
Total 6 6 1
The total count of syllables is 13 for Vagbhavakuta
Kamaraja kUta:
Vowel Consonant Nada
ha = h + a
= 1 1
sa = s + a
= 1 1
ka = k + a
= 1 1
ha = h + a
= 1 1
La = L + a
= 1 1
hrIm=h+r+I+m+nada= 2 2 1
Total 7 7 1
The total count of syllables is 15 for kamarajakuta
sakthi kUta:
Vowel Consonant Nada
sa = s + a
= 1 1
ka = k + a
= 1 1
La = L + a
= 1 1
hrIm=h+r+I+m+nada= 2 2 1
Total 5 5 1
The total count of syllables is 11 for sakthikuta
Hence total will be 13+15+11=39, but we find a harmony, all kutas
have equal number of vowels (6+7+5=18) and consonants (6+7+5=18) with three
nadas. Hence this Vidya has siva sakthi samarasya bhava, maybe that is why it
is called sivaadividya in rasmimala.
Vagbhva
Kamaraja Sakthi Total
h 2 3 1 6
I 1 1 1 3
r 1 1 1 3
s 1 1 1 3
L 1 1 1 3
a 4 5 3 12
k 1 1 1 3
m 1 1 1 3
nada 1 1 1 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 13 15 11 39
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vowel Consonant Nada
Vagbhava kuta = 6
6 1
Kamaraja kuta = 7 7 1
Sakth kuta = 5 5 1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 18 + 18 + 3 = 39
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now the tatavatIta parasiva state may be denoted by the three
’nada’; siva by the extra ‘h’ and sakti , prakruti and suddavidya by the extra
‘s’ rest can be explained as before.
For Sadi Vidya:
VagbhavakUta: Vowel Consonant Nada
sa = s
+ a = 1 1
E = 1
I = 1
La = L + a
= 1 1
hrIm=h+r+I+m+nada= 2 2 1
Total 6 + 4 + 1 = 11
Kamaraja kUta: Vowel Consonant Nada
sa = s + a
= 1 1
ha = h + a
= 1 1
ka = k + a
= 1 1
ha = h + a
= 1 1
La = L + a
= 1 1
hrIm=h+r+I+m+nada= 2 2 1
Total 7 + 7 + 1 =15
sakthi kUta: Vowel Consonant Nada
sa = s + a
= 1 1
ka = k + a
= 1 1
La = L + a
= 1 1
hrIm=h+r+I+m+nada= 2 2 1
Total 5 + 5 + 1 = 11
Hence the total count is 11+15+11=37.
Vagbhva
Kamaraja Sakthi Total
h 1 3 1 5
I 2 1 1 4
r 1 1 1 3
s 1 1 1 3
L 1 1 1 3
a 2 5 3 10
k 1 1 2
m 1 1 1 3
nada 1 1 1 3
E 1 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 11 15 11 37
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vowel Consonant Nada
Vagbhava kuta = 6
4 1
Kamaraja kuta = 7 7 1
Sakth kuta = 5 5 1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 18 + 16 + 3 = 37
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now the tatavatIta parasiva state may be said as said for kamaraja
Vidya only that two ‘k; and a ‘s’ will be for the ahamkara, bhuddi and manas.
Rest will be similar to kamaraja Vidya.
SampradAyArthA:
The meaning which is got through the worthy preceptor’s lineage is
meant here. This is likened to the fishermen’s net. The net will have lot of
small mesh. They will be unified at the starting point which will be held by
the fisherman. Thus all sampradayas outwardly seem to be different but all are
united at the initial preceptor. The Initial spanda to create in the Nirguna
Parabrahman resulted in the subtle sound energy being manifested in the subtle
space. This energy took the form of Svaccahnda bhairava and unfolded the
Tantras in a very secret coded form and revealed them to anAsrita siva, who
elaborated them to shAntAtItA devi. She revealed them to SadAsiva, who made
them into the five amnAyA (pathway), Isvara, who is the vidyesvara, then
revealed them to srikhantadi devatas. In this line is our preceptor, from whom these
meanings are revealed.
KaulikArthA:
Kula’s bhava (innate disposition) is kaulika. Kula means inseparable
connection between two or more things or words. The other things/words lose
sense without this word/thing. Consider the trio Father, Mother, child. Without
one the other two cannot have a sense. Father and Mother will not be called so
without the child. They will be called man and woman or husband and wife. The
words Father and Mother will mean that child is there. Again without the father
or mother a child cannot exist i.e. only two of them can neither exist nor have
a meaning. Similarly the Mantra (Srividya), deity (Sri Lalitha), the yantra
(Sri Chakra), Sri Guru and sadhaka have an inseparable connection. Realising
this is kaulikArthA.
NigarbhArthA:
The meaning which is most secret is called nigarbhA (niratAm- wholly
garbha- as secret as in a womb). The identity of Sri Paramasiva and Sri Guru is
well established (see article: Siva Kamesvara-the Guru, for further lights).
Meditating on this identity and
realising the identity of the self with the same by the grace of Sri Guru is NigarbArthA
SamastArthA:
This is in the form of a prayer to Sri Devi Lalitha. The above
pancadasi mantra is in the poetic form making this in the prose order we can
see for the first kuta as: E Ka hrIm I la. The meaning would run as:E- Oh! ;Ka-
parabrahma svarUpini; hrIm- The maya vrttis; I la- remove. So we can infer the
removal of Maya / veil as the prayer from the sadhaka in the first kuta. The
second kuta will run as: ha la ka hrIm ha sa. The meaning would run as: ha la-
the all pervading hrIm – consciousness ka- O parabrahma svarUpini – ha sa –
make me attain Thus this kuta will be a prayer to attain the all pervading
consciousness. The third kuta will be hrIm sa ka la (I la from the first kuta
is also taken here for the completing the meaning) The meaning will be: hrIm –
The all pervading consciousness sa ka la – may be with me at all times; I la –
Let this mental modification all cease to exist and let me attain the sahaja
sthiti.
The total meaning will be a
prayer to remove the veil of Maya, emergence of the all pervading consciousness
and attainment of the sahaja sthiti.
Identity of Pancadasi with Matrukakshara
Matruka aksharas are 51 by sampradaya, they can be divided into
three equal parts of 16 each (1) a to ah (2) ka to ta and (3) tha to ha. La and
la are identical and ksha is a samykatakshara of ka and sha. Hence identifying
each kuta with a part we can realise the identity of Pancadsi with matruka.
(Same idea is there while pratishta of sripatra (vishesharghya) wherein we write
the above trikhanda matruka akshara and the three kutas of pancadasi.)
Matrukas are divided according to another method as (1) svaras – a A
i I u U R RR L LL am and ah. (2) sandhijA ( born out of union of two svaras)- E
Ai O Au (3) sparsagatA (consonants of
touch)- ka to ma (4) antasthA ( in the end) ya ra la va and (5) UshmA (fiery)-
Sa Sha Sa ha. We find a representative of each of the above division in the
pancadasi as (1) a , I and am ; (2) ka , (3) E , (4) ra and la and (5) sa and
ha. Hence in this manner the identity is established.
The anuttara (highest) form of Devi is in the form of the
uninterrupted consciousness is represented as ‘aham’. This has the beginning syllable ‘a’ and the final
syllable ‘ha’, hence can be taken as representing all matruka aksharas. The
verbal meaning being the self who is none other than Sri Lalitha as said in
bhavanopanishaT as ‘ SadAnanda pUrNa svatmAiva paradevatA
LallitA’ and also her verbal form pancadasi ( as seen in Lalita sahasranama from
‘srimadvagbhavakutaika to paryanta svarUpiNi’ the identity of pancadasi with
the physical form of Sri Lalita is well established). Thus we find the highest
identity of the matrukas with pancadasi, Sri Lalita and the self.
Thanks for sharing the article about the Panchadashi mantra.
ReplyDeleteHere I would like to share more information about the Panchadashi.
Can you please advise how to do Matruka nyasa japam?
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