shaNmukha mahA tANDava Krama, popular among the shivAchAryas at Tiruchendur, is guarded fiercely by practitioners. Through its correct use, most of the AbhichArika prayogas can be countered easily. brahmaNya, out of sheer compassion, assumes tAnDava mUrti svarUpa for protecting those devoted to him from evil and grants them abhaya. However, using this astra without lakSha purashcharaNa of shuddha pa~nchAkShari is not recommended by those who are siddhas of this Vidya.
The mUrtis of shaNmukha invoked in this Krama are:
1. shaNmukha, UrdhvatANDava mUrti
2. mahAsena, mayUratANDava mUrti
3. kumArasvAmin, praLayakAlatANDava mUrti
4. skanda, uddaNDatANDava mUrti
5. vallIdevasenApati, amR^itatANDava mUrti
6. kukkuTadhvaja, prachaNDatANDava mUrti
7. kArtikeya, sR^iShTitANDava mUrti
8. shaktidhara, sthititANDava mUrti
9. mahAbhairava, samhAratANDava mUrti
10. sharavaNabhava, kalyANatANDava mUrti
11. guha, kAlAgnirudratANDava mUrti
12. mahAkumAra, nR^isimhatANDava mUrti
13. gurunAtha, yogatANDava mUrti
14. mayUresha, AnandatANDava mUrti
15. gA~Ngeya, sa~NkalpatANDava mUrti
16. shivasvAmin, j~nAnatANDava mUrti
17. subrahmaNya, nityatANDava mUrti
18. brahmaNya, mokShatANDava mUrti
There are three different prastAras for the tANDava yantra employed to worship the Lord, based on the purpose. The siddhi of samaShTi tANDava mUrti is attained by reciting the mUla mantra of the Lord on kartIka bahuLa Shasti in the city of chitsabhApati.
sahasrashIrShakaM devaM sahasrAkShaM parAtparam |
bhaktAnukampinaM devaM namAmyAdiguruM guham ||