I have a few favourite Sanskrit Mantras, amongst them the Sri Rudram Namakam and the Panchavaktra Rudra Namaskaramantra (I discovered it on Uma Mohan’s album “Divine Chants of Rudra” and fell in love with it).

Aghora bhairava prayoga. Posted on December 16, 2005 by mAnasa-taraMgiNI. When the bhairava mantras are appropriately discharged they are like arrows whizzing from the pinAka. The shatru senA is as though rushing forward when it is suddenly attacked from the flanks by flaming missile shot by the agents of rudra. Prayer to the southern face: Aghora Namaha to all forms for Rudra; ghora - terrifying aghora - non terrifying ghora tara - very terrifying To all these forms - benign,splendid and destructive- at all times and all places, I surrender ( ghora and aghora denote two aspects of Shiva - aspect of creation and dissolution of the universe ).

Uma Mohan’s version of this Mantra is very “modern” and maybe it was its beautiful piano intro and build-up to a rather powerful conclusion that captured my heart, but what intrigued me was that I would hear the words of this mantra echoing inside me long after I listened to the song. Not only that. My heart would fill with a deep feeling of Love and Reverence, the same Love that Loki arouses inside my heart with His presence. So, whenever I felt sad or exhausted or tired or lonely, I would listen to this song and eventually took the time to learn the words, so I could sing/chant it whenever I needed it.

When I researched the meaning of this mantra, I found it to be an invocation of Rudra’s/Shiva’s five aspects of creation, maintenance, dissolution, concealment and revelation. The words appeal to Shiva as the Supreme Being. The ancient texts of the Vedas, written by the Vedic seers, who meditated to comprehend the underlying Cause of existence, proclaim that the universe was created by a Supreme Intelligence that dwells beyond Time, yet pervades all creation. In the Vedas this Supreme Being is often addressed as Purusha or Rudra. For my small mind that only knows how to analyse and separate things, and lacks the ability to identify with the “oneness” of consciousness, it was confusing to understand this concept. I had always thought of Rudra, Shiva, Agni, Vishnu, Krishna, Kali (and Loki) as certain aspects of God, separate from one another, even though I knew they had the same Source.

So, when Rudra (in the Vedas) is referred to as “the Best amongst the Gods, the one who has no second, the Sovereign of this world”, I was perplexed – who was He now? The fierce and beautiful warrior – or the Supreme Being?? Even more confusing for my poor mind was the fact that, when I once asked Loki who He truly was, He gave me the glimpse of a vast, eternal, infinite and all-pervading entity that was entirely beyond my comprehension. And while my mind had a very hard time believing it, my heart knew it to be absolutely true. Because our heart “knows beyond knowing”. Our heart identifies with what it experiences rather than needing to “understand” things.

Rudra, Shiva, Loki – these Gods are all Faces of the One Absolute Consciousness, and at the same time they represent that very Consciousness. This is why these Gods have the power to open our hearts and expand our minds, in order to guide us beyond the limitations and bondage of this world. So that we may identify with our true Source, who is none other than Absolute Consciousness.

While my heart was aware of it, it took a while for my mind to catch up with the concept that the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are One God manifesting in different aspects. Even so, Rudra, Shiva and Loki are direct manifestations of this One absolute reality (the transformative aspect of it) and therefore have the capacity to connect us with this Consciousness in a very direct and intimate way.

In my heart I know that whenever I address Rudra, Shiva, Loki, or Agni, I really address the Consciousness that is beyond our earthly, moral and mortal bondage.

In Shaivism this Absolute Consciousness is referred to as Shiva. In the Saiva Agamas the three great cosmic actions of creating, preserving and dissolving are performed by Shiva alone, but beyond that He also performs two more actions – which are the act of concealment and the act of revelation.

With the power of concealment, Shiva veils His own consciousness, limiting our perception of the world (our universe and our reality) and letting us forget our true nature (our oneness with the Absolute Consciousness).

Due to the grace of Shiva’s act of revelation, He grants us liberation from the illusion that we are seperate from Him and leads us back to our Source.

The Raurava Agama proclaims: “The birth of the world, its maintenance, its destruction, the soul’s obscuration and liberation are the five acts of His dance.”

The form of Shiva performing all five actions is known as Sadashiva and He is therefore depicted with five faces. Four of them facing the four directions and one facing upwards.

“Sadasiva means eternally pure and auspicious.”

The five Faces of Shiva are named Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha, and Ishana.

“In temple ceremonies (puja) based on the Saiva Agamas, it is this five-fold form of Siva that is being worshiped in the Sivalinga. … The fifth face, Ishana, may be shown on the top, but is most commonly omitted. Some Sivalingas have the faces carved into the Linga itself.”

“The Ishana face looks upward and is of pure crystal color.
Tatpurusha faces east and is gold in color.
Aghora faces south and is blue-black in color.
Vamadeva is turned northward and is saffron in color.
Sadyojata looks west and is white in color.”

So, let us look at the five faces of Shiva more closely:

“Ishana is the source of spontaneous grace directed to all beings and to all worlds. It is beyond all systems and disciplines, unexcellable and unsurpassable, without limit or boundary.

Tatpurusha is the all-pervasive power that sustains the bodies of human beings, celestial beings, asuras, animals, birds and so forth, that which fills up and regulates the entire range of worlds, spreading out everywhere through nada arising from bindu.

Aghora is pure consciousness (Sivajnana), always calm and tranquil. It is the force that opposes the dreaded phenomenon of repeated birth and death, remaining ever aware in consciousness.

Vamadeva is the absolute power of knowing all and doing all, the force which keeps embodied souls engaged in activities to work out their karmas. It is the subtle and secret power, the luminosity of Siva, that enables embodied souls to experience dharma, artha and kama.

Sadyojata is the power that, by its mere will, assumes innumerable forms quickly and instantaneously creates relevant bodies for souls and relevant mantra-forms for competent yogis.”

“At the subtle level at which Sadasiva exists, there is still not a definite body in form, only the seeds or potentialities of sound, color and knowledge.”

According to the Ajita Agama, Sadasiva’s “body” is made up of five mantras. Since God in His highest, formless aspect, is incomprehensible to our minds, the five mantras, addressing His five direct manifestations, are a way of making Him approachable, so that we are able to connect and communicate with the entirety of His consciousness.

Mantras are indeed sacred syllables, that hold “magical” abilities as they connect our entire being (from the physical to heart and soul) with the subtle reality embodied in the Mantra.

“The five mantras, known collectively as the Panchabrahma Samhita Mantra, are: Ishana Murdha, Tatpurusha Vaktra, Aghora Hridaya, Vamadeva Guhya and Sadyojata Murta.

These five mantras make up Sada Shiva’s “Body” (from Head to Feet):

“Ishana becomes the mantra Ishana Murdha.
Ishana marks the ultimate limit or boundary; hence Ishana Mantra is considered to constitute the heads of Sadasiva, the upper limit of the form. Murdha means head.

Tatpurusha becomes the mantra Tatpurusha Vaktra,
constituting the five faces of the Lord. The term vaktra means to protect and to drive away. This mantra protects the bodies of all beings by bestowing knowledge and warding off the fear of future birth and death.

Aghora becomes the mantra Aghora Hridaya.
It constitutes the heart (Hriday), chest and related parts of the form. In this context, hridaya means supreme consciousness. This mantra metes out an antidote to the dreadful (ghora – meaning terrifying) phenomenon of repeated birth and death; thus it is known as “aghora”, meaning non-dreadful, benign, tranquil and calm.

Aghora Rudra Mantra Meaning

Vamadeva becomes the mantra Vamadeva Guhya.
By nature, Vama is secret and unseen (guhya), the power of knowing and doing. It maintains progeny and related activities. Vama, meaning beautiful, also means base or inferior. The experiences of dharma, artha and kama are inferior to liberation. Vamadeva mantra enables souls to undergo lesser experiences in order to nullify their karmic merits and demerits. This mantra is considered to constitute the private parts (guhya) of the body–the hips and other lower regions.

Sadyojata becomes the mantra Sadyojata Murta (murta meaning form).
Sadyojata is capable of assuming innumerable forms quickly, pervading and spreading. For this, feet are necessary. Not only feet, but the whole form is required to move. Thus the Sadyojata mantra constitutes the limbs of the body.

The mantra including these five aspects of Shiva is one of the most sacred mantras. It is found in the Krishna Yajurveda (and is part of the Mahanarayana Upanishad), and known as the Panchabrahma Mantra – which is the first part of the Panchavaktra Rudra Namaskaramantra, the song I discovered on Uma Mohan’s Sacred Chants.

Aghora Rudra Mantra Youtube

***

Including everything from personal aspects, spacial directions, elements, and even the five syllable Mantra of Shiva (Panchakshara Mantra) which is the famous “NaMa ShiVaYa” Mantra, Sadashiva’s five Forms (murtis) can be summarised as follows:

• “Sadyojata (“quickly birthing”, Creator) is the aspect of Siva that wields the power of creation. His direction is west, He is related to the sphere of earth (prithivi) and His Panchakshara Mantra syllable is Na. The Agamas describe Him as white in color, in the likeness of a boy with a charming face, besmeared with sandalwood paste, adorned with white flowers. One hand displays the boon-granting varada mudra and another the fear-not abhaya mudra. He is Siva manifest in all of nature; the causer of birth.
• Vamadeva (“lovely, pleasing”, the Preserver) is the aspect of Siva that wields the power of preservation. His direction is North, He is related to the sphere of water (jala mandala), and His Panchakshara Mantra syllable is Ma. The Agamas describe Him as red in color, with a handsome face and aristocratic bearing, wearing rich apparel, a turban and garlands of flowers. He holds a sword and a shield.
• Aghora (“nonterrifying”, the Destroyer) is the aspect of Siva that wields the power of dissolution. His direction is South, He is related to the sphere of fire (agni mandala), and His Panchakshara Mantra syllable is Si. The Agamas state that Aghora Deva is the color of dark cloud and is adorned with crescent studded crown and beautiful earrings. Though His expression is pleasant, His appearance is dreadful, with long teeth, a tawny coloured beard and matted hair. He is adorned with snakes and scorpions and a garland of skulls. The four hands on the left side hold a fire, khatvanga (a staff with a skull at its top), shield and noose. The four hands in the right side hold a trident, hatchet, sword and staff.
• Tatpurusha (“supreme soul”), Lord of Maheshvara, is the aspect of Siva that wields the power of obscuration. His direction is East, He is related to the sphere of air (vayu mandala), and His Panchakshara Mantra syllable is Va. The Agamas describe Tatpurusha Deva as gold in color, dressed in yellow silken cloth, head adorned with a crown and crescent moon. In one hand he holds a string of beads and in another His trident staff.
• Ishana (“ruler”), Lord of Sadasiva, is the aspect of Siva that wields the power of revealment. His direction is upward, He is related to the sphere of ether (akasha mandala), and His Panchakshara Mantra syllable is Ya. The Agamas describe Ishana Deva as pure crystal in color, with three eyes. In one hand He holds a trident and in another a string of beads. His two other hands present the abhaya (“fear not”) and dhyana (meditation mudras. Bearing a crescent on His crown, His form is charged with benevolence.”

And because there is only one spiritual truth that underlies every spiritual teaching, it is not surprising that descriptions of the five forms of the formless, Absolute Consciousness are not only found in Shaivism, but also in the teachings of Shaktism (the worship of the Divine Feminine, the Goddess), and Vaishnavism (the worship of Vishnu). Depending on the tradition, the “Panchabrahma murtis” are named as follows:

The Saiva Agamas depict them as: 1) Sadyojata, 2) Vamadeva, 3) Aghora, 4) Tatpurusha and 5) Ishana.

In the Shakta tradition they are: 1) Brahma, 2) Vishnu, 3) Rudra, 4) Ishvara and 5) SadaSiva.

In the Vaishnava Agamas, they are named: 1) Vasudeva, 2) Samkarshana, 3) Pradyumna, 4) Aniruddha and 5) Narayana.

Even though this post deals with Shiva (the masculine aspect of God), I would like to point out that Shiva is never separate from His feminine aspect (Shakti) – and therefore each one of His Five Faces has its own Shakti. But it would have been too lengthy to include this here and I will try and write on the Goddess and Her role in another article.

God, whichever form He takes, is the most beautiful mystery and if we dare to seek a deeper Truth, He will find His own Ways of guiding us. He can come to us in many different forms, but eventually He will make us see that there is only One Consciousness which pervades everything, and each one of us has access to it, if we sincerely wish to discover it.

Aghora Rudra Mantra Lyrics

PS: If you liked this article and are thinking of going on holiday to Cambodia, make sure to visit the “Bayon” Temple in Angkor. It is known as the temple of Four Faces, and its architecture is incredible, as all stupas have four carved faces on them (the fifth face is omitted, as it often is in the tradition of worshipping Shiva in His Five-fold-form). It used to be a Shiva temple, and is also the only temple in the Angkor Wat area that still has a Shiva Lingam in one of its stupas (after the temples were devoted to the Buddha, the Lingas were removed). Bayon is well-worth a visit and a rather powerful place to meditate in early in the morning.

All quotes were taken from Hinduism Today:

AGHORA RUDRA ----- Selfless one and the supreme consciousness -- Modern Day adage to the ageless answer to who am i ????
Aghora is not a ferocious one , nor a filthy , nor an obstinate person or Yogi . He is the truth , the simplicity of all is god and the essence of supreme consciousness . An accomplished one pervades all truth and all forms of energies and is the pinnacle of the supreme consciousness . Maha Kall / Kaal Bhairav is the Manifestations for the physical comprehensions and worhsip of Kaal Bhairav / Bhairav sadhana leads the person to the true light of the nature beyond which there is nothing to see or accomplish .
Bhairav sadhana is meant for people who are dedicated and also non comprising on faith and the the true desire to see the supreme light . Comes with it great power , energies and significant control of nature and the elements .
The one answer to all is AHM BRAHAMSHMI and the simple question is we are all elements of the supreme and our quest should be to seek it and remain in the state of supreme self .

Aghor Rudra Mantra

We worship Rudra in the Tantra way and assist devotees in understanding the self , and also assist them in finding solutions to their hurdles by virtue of Bhairav /Rudra sadhanas
Please contact -
VP Sujith - Chief Priest - devishnumayam@gmail.com