SIVA PANCHAKSHARI MANTRA

This penta syllabic word "NAMASIVAYA", consisting of 10 letters is a potent chant with deep mystic significance. It simply means "I bow to Siva", but it is endowed with such mysticism and infinite power that it blesses the chanter with an invulnerable armour that he comes out victorious in every venture he undertakes. Normally it is imparted to the disciple or sadhaka by the Guru - preceptor at the time of initiation to join into the fold of Saivism. The sadhaka is enjoined to chant it prefixing it, with the pranava AUM invariably. Hence twice blessed - two flowers at a single pick, in a way. Importantly, it is one of the three Saiva emblems, the others being smearing of sacred ash and wearing of Rudraksha mala, going by the name of visible emblems discussed above. And the panchakshari is a mental one, so invisible.

A peep into the depth of meaning of each syllable visualizes its, inner potentialities and vine powers. The syllable `YA' placed at the end stands for the soul and yearns to attain oneness with SI, the third syllable representing Siva; VA, the fourth syllable stands for the grace that comes only from SI preceding it; but its knowledge is fettered by MA, the bond, binding one to this mundane world; the first syllable NA signifies the power of obscuration which causes the soul YA to be bound and obscures its vision.

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