The mysteries of the Pañchākshara Mantra are deep and many. It is the most holy name of our God Śiva. Here an earnest devotee, adorned with holy ash, is seated in quiet meditation, silently chanting the sacred Five Letters, Na-Ma-Śi-Vā-Ya, which are depicted in Tamil script as five petals within the lotus of his heart. The mantra’s spiritual energies radiate out from the lotus, blessing the world.§