Pancha-Brahma Mantras

पञ्चब्रह्म मन्त्र

Below are the Pancha-Brahma mantras that come to us from the Taittiriya Aranyaka (X.17-21) of the Krsna Yajurveda. The tenth chapter of the Taittiriya Aranyaka is also called the Mahanarayan Upanishad. Therefore, these mantras can also be said to belong to the Mahanarayana Upanishad (17-21). These mantras are used frequently in Shiva Pujas, and alluded to often in Shiva worship protocols and manuals. The Pancha-Brahma mantras exalt Shiva through His five forms (faces) – Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusa and Isana. The five faces or forms of Shiva represent the five functions or acts (panchakrityas) – creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealing grace and revealing grace, respectively. The five forms or faces of Shiva also correspond to the five syllables in the holy pentasyllabic mantra – na-mah-shi-vā-ya. Note that the Tatpurusa mantra is but the Rudra Gayatri.

1. Sadyojata Mantra

सद्योजातं प्रपद्यामि सद्योजाताय वै नमो नमः।
भवे भवे नाति भवे भवस्व मां भवोद्भवाय नमः॥

sadyojātaṁ prapadyāmi sadyojātāya vai namo namaḥ
bhave bhave nāti bhave bhavasva māṁ bhavodbhavāya namaḥ

I take refuge in the First Born, verily I bow to the First Born
Do not consign me to birth after birth;
Guide me beyond birth, I bow to the Causer of birth.

2. Vāmadeva Mantra

वामदेवायनमो ज्येष्ठाय नमः श्रेष्ठाय
नमो रुद्राय नमः कालाय नमः।
कलविकरणाय नमो बलाय नमो
बलविकरणाय नमो बलप्रमथनाय नमः।
सर्वभूतदमनाय नमो मनोन्मनाय नमः॥

vāmadevāya namo jyeṣṭhāya namaḥ śreṣṭhāya
namo rudrāya namaḥ kālāya namaḥ
kalavikaraṇāya namo balāya namo
balavikaraṇāya namo balapramathanāya namaḥ
sarvabhūtadamanāya namo manonmanāya namaḥ

I bow to the Noble One, the Eldest; to the Best, to Rudra and to Time,
I bow to the Incomprehensible, to Strength,
To the Causer of various forces, and to the Extender of Strength.
I bow to the Subduer of all beings, and to the One who kindles the Light.

3. Aghora Mantra

अघोरेभ्योऽथ घोरेभ्यो अघोरघोरेतरेभ्यः।
सर्वतः शर्वः सर्वेभ्यो नमस्ते रुद्र रूपेभ्यः॥

aghorebhyo'tha ghorebhyo aghoraghoretarebhyaḥ
sarvataḥ śarvaḥ sarvebhyo namaste rudra rūpebhyaḥ

I bow to those not terrible and those who are terrible,
And to those who are both terrible and not terrible.
Everywhere and always, Śarva, I bow to all Thy Rudra forms.

4. Tatpuruṣa Mantra

तत्पुरुषाय विद्महे महादेवाय धीमहि।
तन्नो रुद्रः प्रचोदयात्॥

tatpuruṣāya vidmahe mahādevāya dhīmahi
tanno rudraḥ pracodayāt

May we know that Supreme Person
And mediate on that Great God,
May Rudra impel us!

5. Īśāna Mantra

ईशान सर्वविद्यानामीश्वरः सर्वभूतानां ब्रह्मादिपति ब्रह्मणोऽधिपतिर्।
ब्रह्मा शिवो मे अस्तु स एव सदाशिव ओम्॥
īśāna sarvavidyānāmīśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ brahmādipati brahmaṇo'dhipatir
brahmā śivo me astu sa eva sadāśiva om

Ruler of all knowledge, Master of all beings,
Commander of all study and devotion,
That God Auspicious to me,
Be He just so, the Ever-Auspicious Om.

Aum Namah Shivaya.

Related link: Pancha-brahma forms of Shiva.