Pañcabrahma Stotra

The Pañcabrahma Stotra is the group of five holy mantras of the Śaiva tradition: Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Īśāna. Parameśvara taught them through the Liṅga Purāṇa (Pūrvārdha). They are used in the worship of the Śivaliṅga, in putting on bhasma (sacred ash), and in the Snāna-vidhi (the rite of bathing). Each mantra belongs to a region of Śiva’s own form, from the feet to the crown. They are used to make water holy, for abhisheka (pouring), and for putting on bhasma in the threefold snāna (bath).

The Liṅga Purāṇa also records a stotra by Brahmā, in chapter 16, in which he praises Parameśvara in the Pañcabrahma form in the Viśvarūpa kalpa.

The five mantras

1. Sadyojāta mantra

Oṃ sadyojātaṃ prapadyāmi sadyojātāya vai namonamaḥ
bhave bhave nātibhave bhavasva māṃ bhavodbhavāya namaḥ

It is applied to the feet (pāda) of the devotee’s body, and to Śiva’s feet.

This mantra is 35 to 37 syllables long. It has eight kalās (parts) and gives peace (śāntikara). It is the mantra of the white-bright Sadyojāta form of Parameśvara, who appeared in the Śveta-varāha kalpa. (Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha)

2. Vāmadeva mantra

Vāmadevāya namo jyeshṭhāya namaḥ śreshṭhāya namo rudrāya namaḥ
kālāya namaḥ kalavikiraṇāya namo balavikiraṇāya namo
balāya namo bala-pramathanāya namaḥ
sarvabhūtadamanāya namo mano’nmanāya namaḥ

It is applied to the lower body, the secret region (guhya) of the devotee’s body, and to Śiva’s guhya region.

This mantra is 66 to 76 syllables long and has thirteen kalās. It is the mantra of the red-bright Vāmadeva, who appeared in the Lohita (red) kalpa. He is called Vāmadeva because he is the supremely beautiful (vāma) deva. (Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha)

3. Aghora mantra

Aghorebhyo’tha ghorebhyo ghoraghoratharebhyaḥ
sarvebhyas sarvaśarvebhyo namaste astu rudrarūpebhyaḥ

It is applied to the heart (hṛdaya) of the devotee’s body, and to Śiva’s heart.

This mantra is 33 syllables long and has eight kalās. It is given for arishṭaśānti (the calming of all inauspicious forces). The Aghora mantra is the supreme mantra that makes pure. Specific numbers of japa (repetition) remove different kinds of pāpa (sin), including the mānasika (mental), vācika (spoken) and kāyika (bodily). Daily recitation of 108 or 1000 times keeps a devotee of Śiva pure at all times, with no need of prāyaścitta (atonement). (Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha)

4. Tatpurusha mantra (Rudra Gāyatrī)

Tatpurushāya vidmahe mahādevāya dhīmahi
tan no rudraḥ pracodayāt

It is applied to the face (mukha) of the devotee’s body, and to Śiva’s face.

This mantra is 24 syllables long, in the Gāyatrī metre, and has four kalās. It is the well-known Rudra Gāyatrī, the Gāyatrī mantra of Maheśvara. It is used for meditation on and worship of the yellow-golden Tatpurusha form, who appeared in the Pīta (yellow) kalpa and blessed the devī Gāyatrī, the divine cow. (Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha)

5. Īśāna mantra

Īśānaḥ sarvavidyānām Īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ
Brahmadhipatir brahmaṇo’dhipatir brahma śivo me astu sadāśivom

It is applied to the crown, the top of the head (makuṭa) of the devotee’s body, and to Śiva’s crown.

This mantra is 38 syllables long and has five kalās (pañcakala). It is the mantra of the Īśāna form, who appeared in the Viśvarūpa kalpa, the present thirty-third kalpa. Hari Vishṇu saw this mantra written on the top of the Jyotirliṅga, the Īśāna mantra resting as the crown of the endless liṅga, when he saw it in the great ocean. Through this mantra Parameśvara declared himself “Īśvara of all vidyās” and “Īśvara of all beings”. (Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha)

The body and the mantras

When Hari recited the Pañcabrahma mantras at the Jyotirliṅga, Maheśvara showed himself, with each mantra matching one region:

This matching is used in the Snāna-vidhi for putting on bhasma. The bhasma is put on each region of one’s own body with its mantra, so that the whole body becomes the Śivaliṅga with the five Brahma forms. (Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha)

Brahmā’s praise of the five Brahmas

The Liṅga Purāṇa also records a stotra sung by Brahmā when he saw the Īśāna form. It praises all five Pañcabrahma-mūrtis together. These are the key verses:

O Īśāna! Namaste’stu — Mahādeva! Namo’stu te
Namo’stu sarvavidyānām Īśāna! Parameśvara!
Namo’stu sarvabhūtānām Īśāna! Vṛshabhavāhana!
Brahmaṇo’dhipataye tubhyam brahmaṇe brahmarūpiṇe
Namo brahmadhipataye śivaṃ me’stu sadāśiva
Oṃkāramūrte deveśa sadyojāta! Namonamaḥ
Prapadye tvāṃ prapanno’si sadyojātāya vai namaḥ
Abhavacca bhave tubhyam tathā nātibhave namaḥ
Bhavodbhava! Bhaveśāna! māṃ bhajasva mahādyute
Vāmadeva namastubhyam jyeshṭhāya varadāya ca
Namo rudrāya kālāya kalanāya namo namaḥ
Namo vikaraṇāyaiva kālavarṇāya varṇine
Balāya balinaṃ nityam sadā vikaraṇāya te
Bala-pramathanāyaiva baline brahmarūpiṇe

This stotra praises Parameśvara in his Īśāna, Sadyojāta and Vāmadeva forms together. Tatpurusha and Aghora are understood to be included. (Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 16)

The phalaśruti

At the end of the Pañcabrahma section the Liṅga Purāṇa says:

“Those who read, hear or teach the account of the coming forth of Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Īśāna will receive Śiva’s grace (Śivānugraha). At the end of their prārabdha (the karma that has begun to bear fruit) they will reach Śivasāyujya (union with Śiva).”

The Aghora mantra has its own detailed phalaśruti, by the number of japa:

• 1,00,000 japa removes brahmahatyā (the killing of a brahmin).
• 50,000 japa removes all vācika (spoken) pāpa.
• 50,000 japa removes all mānasika (mental) pāpa.
• 40,000 japa removes all pāpa done on purpose (buddhipūrvaka).
• 80,000 japa removes all pāpa born of anger.
• 1,00,000 japa removes the pāpa of killing a hero in battle.
• 1,00,00,000 japa removes the pāpa of killing a foetus, killing one’s mother, killing cows, or ingratitude (kṛtaghnatā).
• Daily japa of 108 or 1000 keeps the devotee pure at all times, with no need of prāyaścitta. (Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha)

Sources

• Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha (the five mantras, the body matching and the phalaśruti)
• Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 16 (Brahmā’s praise of the five Brahmas)