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LALITHAMBIGAI'S PANCHADASI MANTRA

The next five namas 85-89 discuss the mantra form of Lalithambigai. The main mantra of Lalithambigai is
Panchadasi which consists of 15 bijas. A bija need not be a single alphabet in Sanskrit. It could be a
combination of alphabets also. For example ‘sa’ is a bija and it is a single alphabet. If you take ‘hrim’ it is
also a bija but a combination of many alphabets. Each alphabet in Sanskrit has a meaning. If you take the
first letter ‘a’ in Sanskrit alphabet, it means so many things. It is the origin of OM; it also means
unification, non-destruction, etc. The interpretation of meaning for such bijas mostly depends on the
context in which it is used. Since we are going to discuss about the Panchadasi mantra in the next five
verses, instead of discussing it under various namas, it is better for us to discuss and know the secrecy of
the Panchadasi mantra as whole.

Panchadasi means 15. Since this mantra has fifteen letters it is called as Panchadasi. The explanation and
understanding of this mantra is certainly beyond our capacity. But let us try to have a broader
understanding of this mantra. Mantra consists of two phonetics man+tra. Man means repetition and tra
means protection. By repeating a mantra, the sadaka is protected. No mantra will fructify, if the
meanings of the bijas in the mantra are not known to us. Mantra is the second stage in self realization,
the first one being external rituals. Each mantra has dhyan verse. This dhyan sloka or verse gives a
description of the deity, making it easier for the sadaka (practitioner) to visualize the form of the deity.
When sadaka is able to visulaize the deity, the next step is to infuse power to the concerned deity by
chanting the mantra. It is like consecration. After the prescribed number of recitation and after
performing purascharana (ritual involving japa, homa, feeding, tarpana and marjana), the sadaka will
have the vision of the deity concerned. We will discuss about purascharana and the effects of mantras
separately, not in this series.

Panchadasi mantra consists of three lines of bijas and each line is called ‘kuta’ or group. Though there
are different meanings for kuta, I would like to go with the meaning intricate in this context, as each bija
is involved with the potency of this mantra in its own way. The three kutas are known as vakbhava kuta,
kamaraja kuta or madhya kuta and shakthi kuta. Vakbhava kuta represents Lalithai’s face, kamaraja kuta
represents the portion between her neck and hip and the last one shakthi kuta represents the portion
below her hip. The whole form of Lalithambigai is made up of these three kutas. This is one of the
reasons why Panchadasi is considered as very powerful. These three kutas are joined in such a way that
an inverted triangle is formed around her yoni. This is why this mantra is considered as highly secretive.
Vakbhava kuta is the right side of this triangle, kamaraja kuta, the upper side and Shakthi kuta forms the
left side of the triangle. We will discuss more about this later.

Vakbhava kuta consists of five bijas viz. ka-a-e-la-hrim. Madhya kuta consists of six bijas ha-sa-ka-ha-la-
hrim. Shakthi kuta consists of four bijas sa-ka-la-hrim. Thus we have 15 bijas of Panchadasi. This mantra
is considered as the most secretive mantra of Lalithambigai. As a matter of fact this mantra is not
revealed by these bijas, but by the following verse in Sanskrit. “Kaaman yoni: kamala vajrabhanir-
guhahasa madharishvabra mintraha. Punar guha sakala maayayaa cha pooshyaesha vishwamaadhaathi
vidya”. This is the verse where in the fifteen bijas of Panchadasi are hidden. This is a clear indication
about highly secretive nature of this mantra. We will discuss about the importance of each bija in our
next posting, though it is not appropriate for us to discuss the nature and meaning of this mantra

PANCHADASI MANTRA EXPLAINED

Let us now understand how the verse mentioned in the last posting gives the bijas of Panchadasi.
Kaaman (ka) yoni: (a) kamala (e) vajrabhanir (la)-guha (hrim) ha (ha) sa (SA) madharishva
(ka) abram (ha) indraha (la). Punar (punar means again) guha (hrim) sakala (sa, ka, la) maayayaa
cha (hrim) pooshyaesha vishwamaadhaathi vidya”. With this we get all the 15 bijas of
Panchadasi.

Now let us understand the first kuta ‘vakbhava kuta’. This kuta has five bijas ka-a-e-la-hrim. The
entire three kutas end with ‘hrim’ and this hrim is called hrilekha. A lot of importance is attached
to this hrilekha which is also called as maya bija. Vakbhava kuta is also known as Agni kandam
and indicates jnana shakthi of Lalithambigai. ‘Ka’ means Brahma, the creator. ‘a’ means
Sarawathi the goddess of jnana. ‘e’ means Lakshmi, ‘la’ means Indra and ‘hrim’ means the
merger of Shiva and Shakthi. The bija ‘ka’ is the root of kama bija ‘kleem’. ‘ka’ also bestows
peace and prosperity to the sadhaka. The next bija ‘a’ prevents all types of evil events to the
sadaka. ‘e’ bestows wealth and all good things to sadhaka. The bija ‘la’ gives victory to the
sadhaka. Thus the first four bijas give peace, prosperity, prevention of misfortunes,
auspiciousness and a status like Indra or also could mean victory to sadaka in the all the steps he
puts forward. (Indra is the chief of all devas and devis and is victorious in all the battles against
demons).

The last bija of the first kuta is ‘hrim’. This is also known as hrilekha. This bija has a peculiar
form. You will be surprised to know that ‘hrim’ is made up of 12 letters. h+r+i+m+and a bindu.
Bindu is a dot on the letter m. But this is not just a dot. This dot comprises of ardachandra,
rodhini, nada, nadanta, shakthi, vyapika, samana and unmani. Beginning from bindu and
including these eight, is nadaha (total 9). This nadaha comprises of two ‘v’s one above the other
(each ‘v’ has two lines and two ‘v’s together have four lines) and four dots each at the open ends
of ‘v’ and one dot on the top these four dots. This is the combination of the bija ‘hrim’. What we
have discussed about the bija ‘hrim’ is not complete. But it is enough to understand this much at
this point of time. More than these ‘v’s and dots, the pronunciation is important. As a matter of
fact the entire vakbhava kuta consists of 18 alphabets. There is no point in discussing such
minute details. There are specifications of length of timing for pronunciations of each bija. The
entire kuta should be pronounced in 11 matras (a matra is the time taken for a winking, possibly
lesser than a second). There are guidelines for pronouncing the bijas. For example pronunciation
should begin from the throat and released to the ether through mouth and nose. The
pronunciation of vakbhava kuta should commence from muladhara chakra and end at anahat
chakra, contemplating the entire kuta as the fire.

The second and third kutas will be discussed in the next posting.
PANCHADASI, THE SUPREME MANTRA

This is the third and concluding part of our discussion on “Panchadasi”, the supreme mantra of
Lalithambigai. The second kuta is kamaraja kuta or Madhya kuta is to be meditated upon
Lalithambigai’s neck to hip. This kuta has the highest number of bijas viz 6. They are ha-sa-ka-
ha-la-hrim. Out of these we have dealt with, ka, la and hrim, in the first kuta and let us assume
the same meaning for this kuta. There are very detailed interpretations and analysis for each of
these bijas and we are not going into the same at this stage. We have two new bijas in this kuta.
Out of the new bijas ‘ha’ has been repeated twice. The first ‘ha’ means Shiva; the second ‘ha’
means akash element (Soundarya Lahari 32 refers this second ‘ha’ as the sun) and ‘sa’ in this
place means Vishnu. With reference to the five basic elements, ‘sa’ means air element. The bija
‘ha’ is also known as eunuch bija. Probably this is the reason why the bija ‘hrim’ refers to the
union of Shiva and Shakthi. The ‘hrim’ bija is also known as the maya bija. In the first kuta,
Brahma was mentioned, as the first kuta refers to creation. In this kuta of sustenance, Vishnu is
mentioned as he is the lord of sustenance. It is interesting to note that there are 22 bijas in this
kuta. This kuta should be pronounced in a time frame of 11.50 matra. This kuta is to be
contemplated from anahat chakra to ajna chakra in the form brightness that is equivalent to
millions of suns. This kuta is also called surya kandam and forms the second act of Brahman viz.
the sustenance. Since it is associated with sustenance, desire is attached to this kuta.

The third and the last kuta which is called shakthi kuta, have only four bijas. This kuta is to be
meditated upon the portion between hip and the feet of Lalithambigai. The four bijas are sa-ka-
la-hrim. The first kuta has six bijas, second kuta five bijas and the third has only four bijas.
Possibly this could mean that creating is the most difficult act and dissolution is the easiest act. It
can be noticed that two ‘ha’ bijas in the madhya kuta is removed in this shakthi kuta. Let us take
the meanings of these bijas from the earlier two kutas. This kuta has 18 bijas. If we add the total
of all the three kutas we get 58 bijas (varnas) in the whole of Panchadasi. This kuta is to be
pronounced in a time frame of 8.50 matras. The entire Panchadasi mantra should be pronounced
in 31 matras. In the case of continuous recitation of this mantra, without leaving time gap
between the kutas only 29 matras are prescribed. But the time factor does not apply when the
mantra is recited mentally. This kuta is to be contemplated from anahat chakra to the middle of
the forehead in the forms of brightness comparable to the millions of moons. There are nine
stages from anahat to the middle of the forehead. These nine stages are nothing but the nine
components of nadaha which we have discussed under ‘hrim’ in the previous posting. This kuta
is called Chandra kandam and forms the third act of Brahman, the dissolution. The dissolution is
represented by the bija ‘la’ which means the destructive weaponries viz. vajra (thunder bolt),
chakra (the wheel. Possibly meaning the sudarsana chakra of Vishnu), trishul or trident of Shiva
and the gada of Sri Vishnu. There are three ‘hrim’s in Panchadasi. As we have seen earlier, hrim
represents union of Shiva and Shakthi. Each of the three ‘hrim’s represent creation, sustenance
and dissolution. The usage of ‘hrim’ three times in this mantra confirms our discussion that
Shiva and Shakthi are interdependent. The one without the other will become action less.

Shankara also talks about the bijas of Panchadasi in a secretive manner in Soundarya Lahari
verse 32. This is more or less based on the verse which we have discussed in our posting
Lalithambigai’s Panchadasi mantra. In the second kuta out of the two ‘ha’ bijas, Shankara means
sun instead of akasha element. The interpretations of the bijas differ from scholar to scholar. It is
also pertinent to note that chanting of one round of Panchadasi mantra is equivalent to three
rounds of recitation of Poorna Gayathri mantra. Poorna Gayathri means an addition of ‘paro
rajase savadom’ as the last line in addition to the existing three lines. With this we conclude our
discussions on the great mantra “Panchadasi”. The earlier two postings also discussed about this
mantra.