शिवशक्तिः कामः क्षितिरथ रविश्शीतकिरणः
स्मरो हंसश्शक्रस्तदनु च परामारहरयः।
अमी हृल्लेखाभिस्तिसृभिरवसानेषु घटिताः
भजन्ते वर्णास्ते तव जननि नामावयवताम्॥

śivaśaktiḥ kāmaḥ kṣitiratha raviśśītakiraṇaḥ
smaro haṁsaśśakrastadanu ca parāmāraharayaḥ |
amī hṛllekhābhistisṛbhiravasāneṣu ghaṭitāḥ
bhajante varṇāste tava janani nāmāvayavatām ||

śivaḥ - Śiva; śaktiḥ - Śakti; kāmaḥ - Manmatha (Cupid); kṣitiḥ - the Earth; atha – then; raviḥ –  Sun; śītakiraṇaḥ - cool rays of Moon; smara - Manmatha (Cupid); haṁsaḥ - swan; śakra – Indra; tad anu ca – once again; parā – Brahmā; māra - Manmatha (Cupid); harayaḥ - Viṣṇu; amī – these (syllables); hṛllekhābhiḥ tisṛbhiḥ - with three hrīṁ-s (ह्रीं); avasāneṣu – at the end; ghaṭitā- connected with; bhajante – worshipping; varṇaḥ te – these syllables of Yours; tava – Yours; janani – Mother; nāma avayavatām – being part of Your names;

Explanatory Notes: This verse reveals very secretively, the fifteen akṣara-s of Her Supreme Pañcadasākṣarī mantra. The akṣara-s are not revealed directly but in the most secretive manner, without divulging the mantra openly. This is done with the purpose that this mantra should reach only those who are fit enough to attain liberation.

This is the Pañcadasākṣarī mantra that is derived from the above verse, which consists of fifteen akṣara-s.

ह्रीं
ह्रीं
ह्रीं
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
ka
e
ī
la
hrīṁ
ha
sa
Ka
Ha
La
hrīṁ
sa
ka
la
hrīṁ

1. How these akṣara-s are derived from this verse:

ka from Śiva; ए e from Śakti; ई ī from Manmatha (Cupid); ल la from the Earth; ह ha from the Sun; स sa from the Moon; क ka from Manmatha (Cupid); ह ha from swan; ल la from Indra; स sa from Brahmā; क ka from Manmatha (Cupid); ल la from Viṣṇu; and with three hrīṁ-s (ह्रीं )at the end of each kūṭa-s (1 to 5 is the first kūṭa or group; 6 to 11 is the second group and 12 to 15 is the third group).

2. Meaning of this verse:

“O! Divine Mother! ka, e, ī, la, ha, sa, ka, ha, la, sa, ka, la (क, ए, ई, ल, ह, स, क, ह, ल, स, क, ल) and connected with three hrīṁ-s (ह्रीं) at the end (of each group) these syllables of Yours form part of your Name (this mantra is not different from You).”

Tripuropaniṣad reveals this Pañcadasākṣarī mantra in a different way thus:

कामो योनि: कमला वज्रपाणिर्गुहाहसा मतरिश्वाभ्रामिन्द्रः।
पुनर्गुहासकल मायया च पुरुच्येषा विश्वमातादिविद्या॥

kāmo yoni: kamalā vajrapāṇirguhāhasā matariśvābhrāmindraḥ|
punarguhāsakala māyayā ca purucyeṣā viśvamātādividyā||

3. The Pañcadaśī can be derived from the above verse like this:

Kāmaḥ – क ka; yoniḥ - ए e; kamalā – ई ī; vajrapāṇiḥ - ल la; guhā - ह्रीं hrīṁ; hasā - ha and sa ह and स; matariśva - क ka; abhrām – ह ha; indraḥ - ल la; punarguhā – again ह्रीं hrīṁ; sakala -sa ka and la स क and ल; māyayā ca – and hrīṁ ह्रीं. This is known as Śrī Vidyā, which is not revealed directly.

Sage Durvāsa in his master piece Śrī Śakti mahimnaḥ (verse 17) also reveals this mantra subtly, but in a different way. He uses the following words to reveal Pañcadaśī mantra.

Brahmā - क ka; yoniḥ - ए e: ramā (Ramā or Kamalā also means Lakṣmī - ई ī; sureśvaraḥ - ल la; hṛllekhābhiḥ - hrīṁ ह्रीं; mārtānḍa - ह ha; indu – sa स; manoja - ka क; haṁsaḥ - ह ha; vasudhā - ल la; māyābhiḥ - hrīṁ ह्रीं; Moon - sa स; ambu - क ka; kṣiti - ल la; śaktibhiḥ - hrīṁ ह्रीं.

4. Important aspects of these verses:

Each akṣara (syllable) of Pañcadaśī mantra represents a god or goddess. The gods that are mentioned in the above three verses are Śiva, Śakti, Viṣṇu, Lakṣmī, Brahmā, Indra, Manmatha, Sun, Moon and Mother Earth, who cover the entire ambit of God’s kingdom. This is the reason for saying that when Pañcadaśī mantra or Ṣoḍaśī is practiced, other mantras need not be recited. If other mantras are practiced, they will not fructify and it is equivalent to disregarding Parāśakti as well as Śiva. However, one should be guided by his or her or Guru.

5. Interpretation of the present verse of Soundarya laharī:

Please read this link for detailed explanation of Pañcadaśī Mantra.

Please read this link for Pañcadaśī Mantra Japa.

Apart from what is explained in those links, additional details are given here. It can be seen in those links that each group or khaṇḍa or kūṭa has different syllables. There are three khaṇḍa-s agni, sūrya and soma. The first group is placed between agni and sūrya khaṇḍa-s. The second group is placed between sūrya and soma khaṇḍa-s and the third group is placed above soma khaṇḍa but below candrakalā khaṇḍa (which is related to Ṣoḍaśī mantra bīja śrīṁ श्रीं). Thus, Pañcadaśī Mantra explains Her subtlest form, Kuṇḍalinī. The verse says that there is no difference between this mantra and Her gross forms and that this mantra covers and supersedes all other names and forms of Parāśakti. Mantramātṛkā puṣpamālā stavaḥ is also based on Pañcadaśī Mantra. This is based on the fact that She is the Vimarśa (reflecting the illumination of Śiva) and also holds a Power of Attorney from Him to act on His behalf. Through this Power of Attorney, Śiva, who alone is Prakāśa, Self-illuminating, has transferred His Independent and Absolute Power of Authority, known as His Svātantrya Śakti.  Thus, by worshipping Her, other gods and goddesses need not worshipped, if one’s sole aim is to attain only liberation. 

All the syllables and mantras originate from Her. She is adored as mātṛkā-varna-rupīnī in Lalitā Sahasranāma 577. Mātṛkā covers all the letters of Sanskrit and all mantras are derived from various permutation and combination of these letters. Therefore, She encompasses all the mantras. As She encompasses all the mantras, sound is also produced from Her and this is explained in the following nāma-s of Lalitā Sahasranāma 366, 368, 370 and 371 – parā, paśyantī, madhyamā and vaihari-rūpā.

6. Further reading:

One recitation of Pañcadaśī Mantra is equivalent to three recitations of Pūrṇa Gāyatrī mantra.

Pūrṇa Gāyatrī mantra, which has four pāda-s as against three pāda-s of regular Gāyatrī mantra goes like this:

तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्
परो रजसे सावदोम्

tat saviturvareṇyaṁ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt
paro rajase sāvadom

If Parāśakti is worshipped, there is no need to worship any other gods. Each god or goddess has his or her mantras and all these mantras originate from various Sanskrit alphabets. As Parāśakti presides over all the alphabets and syllables and naturally She also presides over all mantras. When She is worshipped, it tantamount to worshipping all gods and goddesses. Only those who want material prosperity need to worship other gods and goddesses. When one wants to attain liberation, one has to recite Pañcadaśī Mantra, duly initiated by a Guru and proceed up the spiritual path to become one with Śiva, which She Herself will do it.  

The three kūṭa-s of Pañcadaśī Mantra are to be meditated upon the entire body of Parāśakti. In fact, the three kūṭa-s of Pañcadaśī Mantra originate from Her Divine Yoni and each kūṭa forming one side of the triangle. This is explained in detailed in Saundaryalaharī verse 19 and in Lalitā Sahasranāma 322.

Apart from this, all  triads originate from Her like creation, sustenance and destruction; icchā, jñāna and kriyā śakti-s; active, dream and deep sleep states of consciousness; three guṇa-s – sattva, rajas and tamas, etc.

In Śrī Vidyā Navāvaraṇa Pūjā, all the fifteen lunar days known as tithi-s are worshipped in the form of thiti nityā devi-s. Parāśakti is worshipped as the sixteenth thiti nityā devi during full moon and new moon days. She is in the form Pañcadaśī Mantra during full moon day (pūrṇimā) and in the form of ṣoḍaśī mantra on the new moon day (āmāvāsya). If She is worshipped, evils effects of planets and tithi-s will be totally eradicated. For a true worshipper of Parāśakti, every second is auspicious, as She resides within Him in Her most auspicious form. But the worshipper has to realize Her within