Thank you, Dylan! I was curious to know if ladies are exempt from the initiation process. I distinctly recall a lady asking Tivra whether she might chant the Kaamkala Kali mantra without undergoing initiation, and Tivra affirmed that she could. This naturally led me to ponder whether all ladies are permitted to chant any mantra without prior initiation. Your insights on this would be greatly appreciated.

It is indeed my pleasure. Allow me to elaborate further on this matter. Within the Devi Rahasyam section of the Rudrayamala Tantra, there exists a verse wherein Lord Shiva imparts wisdom to Devi Parvati, stating that in the absence of an available Guru, the scripture itself may serve as the preceptor for one's spiritual practice. In light of this verse, the scholar to whom I previously referred advised me that the Devi Atharva Sheersham can effectively function as a Guru for the purpose of chanting the Panchadashi mantra. This is particularly pertinent as the Devi Atharva Sheersham contains a specific verse that reveals the Panchadashi mantra: कामो योनिः कमला वज्रपाणिर्गुहा हसा मातरिश्वाभ्रमिन्द्रः। पुनर्गुहा सकला मायया च पुरूच्यैषा विश्वमातादिविद्योम्। Hence, the learned scholar recommended that I recite the Devi Atharva Sheersham 108 times in a single session, and subsequently, during all four sandhyas daily. This practice, in effect, bestows upon the practitioner the requisite authorization to chant the Panchadashi mantra, thereby establishing the Devi Atharva Sheersham as one's Guru. However, in consideration of Dylan's recent comment, it seems the most auspicious path to embark upon this spiritual journey would undeniably be to seek a living Guru capable of initiating one into this mantra. Finally, I must say this again, I possess no claim to expertise in this domain. My understanding is purely based on insights I've gathered from various sources, which I've shared with you.

Thank you for sharing such valuable information Raman Ji. I had no idea there was a method in the Devi Atharvashirsham to self initiate into the panchadasi mantra. Could you please share more about this and where specifically it is written that doing so gives one permission? If this was shared to you personally by a scholar and you don’t have the exact citation I completely understand, but was just interested to read more about the Uddhara Shloka and how it grants one adhikara.

Namaste Raman. Initiation is most certainly essential. The word dīkṣā is traditionally understood as that which bestows (dāna) self-realisation and destroys (kṣapaṇa) bondage. As such, it is much more than a mere ceremony. It is in essence an inner transformation. This is imperative, and the scriptures make this very clear. It is said in the Kāmika Tantra concerning the initiating teacher: "One who does not know the teachings in this way is not a teacher, even if he has been consecrated by passing through all the levels of initiation..." The Siddhayogeśvarīmata Tantra likewise says: "The teacher who does not know the sixfold interconnection of the Path, present both internally and externally, cannot liberate others." And in the Kacabhārgava: "It is said that knowledge of the scriptures is the primary and most fundamental prerequisite of a true teacher, He who possesses this knowledge is considered to be a teacher and is preferred to others who do not, even if he is devoid of all the other characteristics of a teacher." Note that in the Kacabhārgava, knowledge of the scriptures is the most fundamental quality of a true teacher, although this has a double meaning. The obvious meaning is clear, but the purport of the scriptures is of course the direct realisation of the supreme reality. This is explained in more detail in the Siddhayogeśvarīmata. The very first chapter of this scripture begins with the Goddess asking Bhairava why the many practices and mantras taught in the scriptures are so often ineffective, and how they can become efficacious. Bhairava answers that they are protected, their true potency and salvific power is hidden. Even if one recites a mantra one billion times, it will amount to nothing. He then explains that the solution to this is what in that scripture is called Rudraśakti, that is, the salvific power of awakened consciousness. The source of such power, He says, is the teacher. By extension: "if someone initiated by the rite of Śiva wishes success, he should know how to be possessed by the Power of Rudra..." This power of awakened awareness is the vitality of consciousness which enlivens consciousness and gives mantras, and indeed all spiritual practices, their salvific power. Without it, mantras are simply sounds, mudrās are simply contortions of bone and flesh, etc. The power of a mantra is not to be sought in the audible sounds by themselves. The outer form of the mantra is like a channel through which one taps into this vitality, a reflection of the energies experienced inwardly as non-discursive awareness. True adhikāra is the destruction of spiritual ignorance and the arising of spiritual knowledge, that which gives mantras their salvific power. Even if it does not become directly apparent right away, the possibility for it to blossom becomes real and true. So, the scripture also says concerning initiation: "In this system, one is not initiated merely by the established practice with tools and measurements of the tools and the rest..." The teacher and the disciple are not essentially different. Both are the Self; Paramaśiva. It is only from the transactional, human perspective that one and the same Self appears as both the enlightened teacher and the student who receives it from them. It is because of this that the teacher's knowledge is able to become the disciple's knowledge. Initiation is knowledge. Conversely, the Yoginīhṛdayam explains the consequences of practicing without this adhikāra: "Those who, deprived of the tradition, are infatuated with their own science, since they transgress the rule, the rays of consciousness destroy them." This verse has multiple layers of meaning, but for the sake of this exposition I will simply point out that the "rays of consciousness" are in fact the deities of the maṇḍala (in this case the Śrīcakra, but the same idea applies to other systems), and they cause disequilibrium in the bodies, minds, and lives of those who disregard the aforementioned process. With this in mind, we can understand the warning of the Spandakārikā: "He who is deprived of his power by the forces of obscuration, and a victim of the powers arising from the mass of sounds is called the fettered soul. Operating in the field of the subtle elements, the arising of mental representation marks the disappearance of the flavour of the supreme nectar of immortality; due to this man forfeits his freedom. Moreover, his powers of speech are always ready to obscure his nature, as no mental representation can arise unpenetrated by speech."

Namaskaram Dylan ! Could you explain the difference between sri amriteshwar bhairav and sri swachanda bhairav ? As netra tantra nominates sri amriteshwar bhairav as param shiva but swachanda tantra nominates swachanda nath but as Acharya Lakshman joo said " swachanda bhairav is right hand of param shiva" as para bhairav (shiva) is unmanifested and unborn, swachanda nath is operates the world for param shiva . As acharya Lakshman joo said this ,made me question the position of amriteshwar bhairav in param shivas chronology. Could you please clear this ? Also i had this another question completely off the topic but since this is the only forum where one could reach you ,might as well ask this question. The book theory of everything by stephen hawkins states that the position of electron couldn't be know as it travels unimaginably fast and randomly without sequence,but when I read a scientist's article on this ,he said , the reason humanity couldnt find the position of electron is because ,if at all they succeed in it ,they will be able to create time defying machines ( time travel) and more things of that sort .Which we have no àdhikar over ,hence the position of electron is unknown to us .As the sub-atomic particles can be compared to shakta pantheon ( acc to their nature and gunas they are attributed to ) ,the one with negative charge is maa kali as she is also swallows everything during pralaya [samkarsini - attracting /dragging everything (black hole)] .For lack of better words and concepts can we say maa kali holds the key to superior sci technological advancement unseen by human race or seen by extra terrestrial? Please share your take .

You're very welcome! Indeed, getting deeksha is key. Speaking from personal experience, I won't engage with this mantra again without a guru. It tends to create elaborate fantasies and elevate your spirits to an extreme degree. You might find yourself excusing any collateral damage by pointing fingers elsewhere. But then comes a sudden crash that eventually throws you back down with a jolt, and those fantasies disappear, leaving you feeling profoundly disillusioned. On a related note, Guru Purnima is approaching and there's a practitioner named KuttuppaNanda Nath who reportedly initiates people directly into advanced Lalita mantras on Guru Purnima. You can find him on Google. He asserts he's from a lineage of great Himalayan gurus from GyanGunj. I'm personally unsure about the legitimacy of his claims, but it might be worth investigating if you're curious. Moreover, the Devi Rahasyam of RudraYamala Tantra mentions Shiva advising Parvati that if a guru isn't available, the book itself can be considered the guru for one's sadhana. On this point, a learned scholar shared with me that chanting the Devi Atharva Sheersham (which includes an Uddhara Shloka for Kadi Vidya) 108 times, followed by daily recitation during the four sandhyas, bestows the authority to chant the Kadi Panchadashi. So, in this way, the Devi Atharva Sheersham essentially becomes your guru. I can't confirm the efficacy of this method either, but it might be worth exploring. I haven't been able to attempt it myself due to my various worldly responsibilities. Ultimately, the path of sadhana is deeply personal, and finding the right guidance—whether through a living guru or a sacred text—is paramount. Good luck!

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. So the mantra brought a lot of chaos first? Before making things better? I am currently running my Rahu Mahadasha but I was told once by David Frawley a Vedic astrologer that I have Kaal Sarpa Yoga. Things have been turbulent and very tough for my mother and I. My Rahu is in the fifth house with a bunch of planets and my Ketu in my 11th. Been very confused as of recent. Thank you again for all of your time and helpful response. Are you in the United States as well?

Hello Agni, Where can I reach you at?

Perhaps Dylan knows the correct way to chant the Kadi Vidya and can guide us. He appears to have extensive knowledge and a deep understanding of Tantra.

Thank you for your response Raman Ji. Do you believe that getting diksha in the mantra would have deterred the challenges you faced when reciting it?