पञ्चाक्षरमाहात्म्यम् / The Greatness of the Pañcākṣarī (Five-Syllable) Mantra
आदायाभ्यंतरं नीत्वा ह्यस्त्रमुद्वासयेत्ततः । प्रदक्षिणादिकं कृत्वा यथापूर्वोदितं क्रमात्
ādāyābhyaṃtaraṃ nītvā hyastramudvāsayettataḥ | pradakṣiṇādikaṃ kṛtvā yathāpūrvoditaṃ kramāt
Dengan mengambil peralatan pemujaan dan membawanya ke bahagian dalam, kemudian hendaklah ia melakukan upacara pelepasan secara rasmi terhadap kuasa ilahi yang telah dipanggil (astra). Sesudah itu, setelah melakukan pradakṣiṇā (mengelilingi searah kanan) dan upacara penutup yang lain, hendaklah ia meneruskan menurut tertib yang telah dinyatakan sebelumnya.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Significance: The ‘udvāsana’ (formal withdrawal) underscores that the Lord is not confined to the rite; it trains the worshipper to recognize Śiva’s transcendence beyond invoked forms.
It teaches ritual mindfulness and inner discipline: divine presence is invoked with reverence and then respectfully withdrawn, so worship ends in orderliness, purity, and steadiness of mind—qualities that support Shaiva Siddhanta’s path of grace and liberation.
In linga worship, protective mantras and sanctifying rites are performed around the Saguna form; this verse emphasizes the proper completion—dismissing the protective astra and offering pradakṣiṇa—so the devotee seals the worship with devotion and correct procedure.
Conclude puja by withdrawing invoked mantra-forces (udvāsana), then perform pradakṣiṇa and other closing acts in the prescribed sequence—an outward ritual that mirrors inward recollection and calm completion of japa or dhyāna.