As seen earlier, there are several Pañcadaśī mantras practiced by different sages and gods. These mantras are given in Lalitā Sahasranāma 239. These are :

1.  Viṣṇu:  ha sa ka la hrīṃ, ha sa, ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka la hrīṃ, sa ha ka  la hrīṃ, sa ha ka ha la  hrīṃ, sa ha sa ka la hrīṃ |

2. Śiva:  ha sa ka la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka la hrīṃ, ha sa ka la ha sa ka ha la sa ka la  hrīṃ | 

3. Brahma: ka e ī la hrīṃ, ha ka ha la hrīṃ, ha sa ka la hrīṃ |

4. Manu: ka ha e ī la hrīṃ, ha ka e ī la hrīṃ, sa ka e ī la hrīṃ |

5. Chandra: sa ha ka e ī la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha e ī la hrīṃ, ha sa ka e ī la hrīṃ |            

6. Kubera: ha sa ka e  ī la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha e ī la hrīṃ, sa ha ka e ī la hrīṃ |

7. Lopāmudrā: ha sa ka la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka la hrīṃ |

8. Agastya: ka e ī la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ha sa ka la hrīṃ |

9. Nandikeśvara: sa e ī la hrīṃ, sa ha ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka la hrīṃ |

10. Sūrya: ha sa ka la hrīṃ, sa ha ka la hrīṃ, sa ka ha la hrīṃ |

11. Skanda: ha sa ka la hrīṃ, ha sa ka sa ka la hrīṃ, sa ha ka ha la hrīṃ |

12. Manmatha: ka e ī la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka la hrīṃ |

13. Sakara: ka e ī la hrīṃ, ha ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka ha la hrīṃ |

14. Durvāsa: ha sa ka la ha sa ka ha la sa ka la hrīṃ |

15. Yama: ka ha e ī la hrīṃ, ha la e ī la hrīṃ, sa ka e ī la hrīṃ |

If we look at these fifteen mantras {some have excluded Brahmā, Śakara (Descendents of Śaka and not much is known about his mantra or his lineage) and Yama from the list fifteen; some have replaced Skanda with another version of Lopāmudrā}, it can be seen that all the fifteen versions begin with either one of these three akṣara-s viz. ka, ha, sa (क, ह, स). Based upon the first akṣara, Pañcadaśī mantras are classified into kādividyā, hādividyā and sādividyā.

Among these three, kādividyā is followed widely. The well known practitioner of kādividyā is Manmatha, who is also known as Kāma. Varivasya Rahasya, the Scripture that explains Pañcadaśī mantra is based on the mantra practiced by Manmatha, which falls under the category of kādividyā. Pañcadaśī mantra is explained in detail through these two articles.

1. Pañcadaśī mantra explained

2. Pañcadaśī mantra japa.

3. Variations of Pañcadaśī mantra

During discussion in this article, only thirteen mantras are taken into account, omitting Brahmā and Śakara.

Apart from classifying Pañcadaśī mantras under the three vidyā-s mentioned above, another classification is possible based on the akṣara-s used, leaving aside the repeated akṣara-s. Following is the Pañcadaśī mantra of Manmatha, which falls under kādividyā.

ka e ī la hrīṁ | ha sa ka ha la hrīṁ | sa ka la hrīṁ || क ए ई ल ह्रीं। ह स क ह ल ह्रीं। स क ल ह्रीं॥

In this mantra, the repeated akṣara-s are ka, la, ha, sa, hrīṁ (क, ल, ह, स, ह्रीं). Thus there are five repeated akṣara-s. If we add e and ī, (ए and ई) the two akṣara-s that are not repeated, the total number of akṣara-s used in this mantra is seven. This is applicable to all the five versions of kādividyā (Manu, Agastya, Skanda, Manmatha also known as Kāma and Yama).

In the case of hādividyā, it does not use e and ī, (ए and ई) as in kādividyā. Thus hādividyā uses only five akṣara-s ka, la, ha, sa, hrīṁ repeatedly. Between kādividyā and hādividyā, former is more powerful because of the presence of two additional akṣara-s, e and ī, (ए and ई). Out of these two akṣara-s, former is capable of preventing any misfortunes to the practitioner and latter is capable conferring wealth. These two akṣara-s are considered extremely important as e refers to Śiva, who is also known as Kāma. This also conveys the initial process of creation, known as spanda, which is possible only by Śiva. If Śiva is the cause for creation, Śakti is the effect of His creation. Śiva is Prakāśa and Śakti is Vimarśa. The next akṣara ī ई refers to the inner most triangle of Śrī Cakra and represents Śakti, who is also known as Kalā. The combination of Kāma and Kalā is the cause for creation. Kāma and Kalā become Kāmakalā (Lalitā Sahasranāma 322 – Kāmakalā- rūpā). Both Śiva and Śakti are seated in the bindu of Śrī Cakra and they should be worshipped together in bindu during the ninth āvaraṇa. The presence of Śiva is conveyed through the usage of Prakāśa (meaning Self-illuminating) and Parabrahma (Supreme Lord) in the mantra for the ninth āvaraṇa, meant only for those who are initiated into Ṣoḍaśī mantras. Śiva alone is Self-illuminating and He alone is adored as Prakāśa and Parabrahma. Lalitā Triśatī with three hundred nāma-s follow only ManmathaPañcadaśī, which falls under kādi vidyā. Saundaryalaharī verse 34 also talks about ManmathaPañcadaśī.

Not much is known about sādividyā. Only Nandi (Śiva’s vehicle) and Candra (moon) were following sādividyā. The difference between hātividyā and sādividyā is that the former uses akṣara-s, e and ī, (ए and ई), as in the case of kātividyā.  Out of the three vidyā- discussed above, only kātividyā is considered as supreme and is capable of conferring various benefits to the practitioner. Sattva guṇa  is predominant kātividyā, rajo guṇa in hātividyā and tamo guṇa in sādividyā. Because of the fact that sādividyā is predominant in tamo guṇa it is not practiced widely. Kāti, hāti and sādi vidyā-s are also known by Kāli krama, Tātā krama, Sundarī krama depending the how Parāśakti is worshipped. Krama means course, procedure, tradition, etc.

Pañcadaśī mantras have evolved into various types of Ṣoḍaśī mantras. This has been already discussed under variations of Ṣoḍaśī mantras. Apart from evolution into Ṣoḍaśī mantra, Pañcadaśī mantras themselves have undergone modifications, without evolution such as parāvidyā, whose mantra has thirty seven syllables.

Gods and sages, who have formulated and worshipped Her with different Pañcadaśī mantras are worshipped in Śrī Cakra pūja, known as navāvaraṇa pūja and first respects are paid to them in guru maṇḍala. This is known as āmnāya worship.

Other Important Articles:

Pancadasi Mantra - पञ्चदशी मन्त्र - Part 1

Panchadasi Mantra Explained - Part 2

Panchadasi The Supreme Mantra - Part 3 

Lalithambigai's Panchadasi Mantra 

Panchadasi and Turya Gayatri Mantra