devIhastasthita shukapakShodbhava pa~nchAkSharI mantra prastAra

shrIIshvara uvAcha:shR^iNu devi pravakShyAmi sundari prANavallabhe |mahApa~nchAkSharaM mantraM mama rUpapradarshakam ||rahasyAnAM rahasyaM tu viShNvAdInAmagocharam |tava snehAt pravakShyAmi mantraprastAralakShaNam ||ahaM pa~nchAkSharaH sAkShAt tvaM tu pa~nchadashAkSharI |kAmeshvarI kopahetoH shukarUpatvamAshritaH ||pa~nchAkSharIprabhedAnAM mantraM viMshAdhikaM shatam |sa~NgR^ihya vakShye prastArAn kare devyAH shukoditAn ||

It is said that fearing the wrath of mahAkAmeshvarI, it was Lord kAmeshvara who assumed the form of shuka in the lotus hands of kAmeshvarI. And this shuka revealed 120 bhedas of the shuddha pa~nchAkSharI mahAmantra through a series of potent names of kAmeshvarI and kAmeshvara. The key to decipher the mantra from the nAma is given below:

sthAnarhadantavarNA~NkaiH saikamuddiShTamuchyatAm |ApUrya saMkhyAmekonavyApyA~Nkairmantramuddharet ||

For example:

1. kIrA~NgavarNA: namaH shivAya2. gurupUrviNI: shimaH navAya3. merugarbhADhyahR^idayA: yamaH shivAna etc.

Similarly, using the same key, 120 prabhedas are deciphered from kAmeshvara nAmas:

1. kAvyA~NgavarNaH: maHna shivAya2. bhadralokeshaH: vAmaH shinaya 3. shabaravaryaH: yashimaH vAna etc.

The mantras thus obtained are used to construct the sacred pa~nchAkSharI prastAra mahAyantra:

Ishvara uvAcha:shrIsarvama~NgaLe devi priyatamAsyataH |tvallIlAshukapakShAntarlInO.asmyakShararUpataH ||shivAkhyAyorAvayoryaH shrImatpa~nchAkSharImanoH |prastAralabdhapUrNArkamantrAnakSharasaMkhyayA ||tatra saMlikya saMpUjya japennityamatandritaH |tasyeShTAn pradadAsyAmi devAnAmapi durlabhAn ||

Such a prastAra yantra can be seen in the sannidhi of chitsabhApati in Chidambaram. Sri Koteshvara Iyer of Salem was in possession of a similar prastAra but following a scheme different from the one listed above. After his siddhi, the yantra can now be seen in a local temple at Salem. The yantra, after shuddhi, is worshipped with the namAvaLi (of 120X2 names) in the following format:

OM [prAsAda] [parA prAsAda] [prAsAda parA] [navAtman] vAmaHshinaya vIralokeshI yuta vAmaHshinaya bhadralokeshAya namaH [navAtman] [prAsAda parA] [parA prAsAda] [prAsAda] OM

This archana is traditionally performed on the day of Arudra darshanam in Margazhi by those initiated into UrdhvAmnAya.