Regarding Pancaksari Mantra

[Yasoda Jivan dasa]

Respected scholars,

I have a small doubt and seek your kind clarification.

Recently, I came across the following verses in the Skanda Purāṇa (3.3.1.10-11) in the context of the Pañcākṣarī mantra ( [oṁ] namaḥ śivāya) :

tasmāt sarva-prado mantraḥ so’yaṁ pañcākṣaraḥ smṛtaḥ |
strībhiḥ śūdraiś ca saṅkīrṇair dhāryate mukti-kāṅkṣibhiḥ || 10 ||

“Therefore, this five-syllabled mantra is declared to be the bestower of all attainments. It may be practiced (recited) even by women, Śūdras, and persons of mixed caste who desire liberation.”

nāsya dīkṣā na homaś ca na saṁskāro na tarpaṇam |
na kālo nopadeśaś ca sadā śucir ayaṁ manuḥ || 11 ||

“For this mantra, there is no requirement of initiation (dīkṣā), nor homa, nor any saṁskāra, nor tarpaṇa. There is no restriction of time nor even a specific instruction. This mantra is eternally pure.”

According to these verses, it appears that the Pañcākṣarī mantra can be chanted without formal initiation. However, I have observed that many scholars disagree and maintain that one should not chant this mantra without receiving proper dīkṣā.

In the context of Vaiṣṇavism—for example, within the Madhva Sampradāya—the chanting of the Pañcākṣarī mantra may be done during Śiva worship, yet practitioners do not formally take dīkṣā in a Śaiva lineage for this purpose. Similarly, there are many Śaiva and Śākta practitioners who worship Viṣṇu using Viṣṇu mantras, even though they have received dīkṣā in a different mantra.

This raises a broader question: how can a practitioner who has taken initiation in one mantra or tradition legitimately chant mantras of other deities or perform sādhana related to them?

Furthermore, with specific reference to the Pañcākṣarī mantra:

• What is the actual prescribed process of its practice?

• Is dīkṣā necessary or not?

• If it is not required, then how can one attain mantra-siddhi?

I humbly request your guidance on these points.

[Abhishek Mehta]

Well, you have already answered the question yourself. Deeksha is not compulsory. The necessity of deeksha is a modern convention. We have numerous examples of like Vishwamitra, Ekalavya, Shwetaketu, Matanga etc. who did not receive any conventional deeksha for any of the knowledge/siddhis they ever acquired.

Mantra-siddhi can simply be achieved via abhyasa which is exactly what each of the personalities did above.

On Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 9:08 PM Yasoda Jivan dasa <sriradh...@gmail.com> wrote:

Respected scholars,

I have a small doubt and seek your kind clarification.

Recently, I came across the following verses in the Skanda Purāṇa (3.3.1.10-11), the context of the Pañcākṣarī mantra ( [oṁ] namaḥ śivāya) :

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[Menam maniteja]

Iam not a pandit, and I don't even know sanskrit. 

But, from whatever I have learnt from gurus, I want to answer this question.

I heard that Sri Appayya Deekshita also mentioned that  "Namah Shivaya" can be given as Upadesha to all. 

As per my gurus, and ShudraKamalakara - Shiva Panchakshara upadesha to shudras should be given as Namah antha, I mean, "Shivaya Namah", not "Namah Shivaya", as it is a Veda mantra which has to be chanted with swaras. So, people with no Veda adhikara can chant Shivaya Namaha without pranava.

Without Upadesha, it is called Saadhya Mantra. With Upadesha, it is called Siddha Mantra.

So, it is safer to chant "Shivaya Namaha" rather than "Namah Shivaya".

Namaskaram.

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