Shaṇmukha Mahātāṇḍava Krama, popular among the śivācāryas at Tiruchendur, is guarded fiercely by practitioners. Through its correct use, most of the ābhicārika prayōgas can be countered easily. Brahmaṇya, out of sheer compassion, assumes Tānḍava mūrti svarūpa for protecting those devoted to him from evil and grants them abhaya. However, using this astra without lakṣa puraścaraṇa of śuddha pañcākṣari is not recommended by those who are siddhas of this vidyā.
The mūrtis and mantras of Shaṇmukha invoked in this Krama are:
1. Shaṇmukha, ūrdhvatāṇḍava mūrti
2. Mahāsēna, mayūratāṇḍava mūrti
3. Kumārasvāmin, praḷayakālatāṇḍava mūrti
4. Skanda, uddaṇḍatāṇḍava mūrti
5. Vallīdēvasēnāpati, amr̥tatāṇḍava mūrti
6. Kukkuṭadhvaja, pracaṇḍatāṇḍava mūrti
7. Kārtikēya, sr̥ṣṭitāṇḍava mūrti
8. śaktidhara, sthititāṇḍava mūrti
9. Mahābhairava, samhāratāṇḍava mūrti
10. śaravaṇabhava, kalyāṇatāṇḍava mūrti
11. Guha, kālāgnirudratāṇḍava mūrti
12. Mahākumāra, nr̥simhatāṇḍava mūrti
13. Gurunātha, yōgatāṇḍava mūrti
14. Mayūrēśa, ānandatāṇḍava mūrti
15. Gāṅgēya, saṅkalpatāṇḍava mūrti
16. Sivasvāmin, jñānatāṇḍava mūrti
17. Subrahmaṇya, nityatāṇḍava mūrti
18. Brahmaṇya, mōkṣatāṇḍava mūrti
There are three different prastāras for the tāṇḍava yantra employed to worship the Lord, based on the purpose. The siddhi of samaṣṭi tāṇḍava mūrti is attained by reciting the mūla mantra of the Lord on kartīka bahuḷa ṣaṣṭhī in the city of citsabhāpati.
sahasraśīrṣakaṁ dēvaṁ sahasrākṣaṁ parātparam |
bhaktānukampinaṁ dēvaṁ namāmyādiguruṁ guham ||