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Rahasya Upadesha – Secretive Instruction In Vaishnavism

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Rahasya upadesha is a secretive instruction in Vaishnavism given by an preceptor (acharya) to a disciple (shishya). The learned acharya recites an initiatory mantra into the disciple’s ear. This intimate and confidential instruction can be a charm, spell, incantation or a formula of prayer sacred to a particular deity.

The most important of these mantra are:
  1. Tirumantra – That is ashtakshara (8 syllables) – om namo narayanaya
  2. Dvaya Mantra – Surrender and prostration at the feet of Sriman Narayana
  3. Charama Shloka of Krishna – 18th chapter of Bhagavad Gita, 66th Shloka
  4. Charama Shloka of Rama – 18th canto of Yuddha kanda, 33rd Shloka of Epic Ramayana
  5. Charama Shloka of Varaha as in Varaha Purana
  6. Gayatri Mantra of Vishwamitra Maharishi
  7. Sudarshana mantra compiled from Ahirbudhya Samhita
  8. Narasimha Mantra of Narasimha Purana
  9. Sri Mantra of Sri Sukta in all the four Vedas.
In addition there are rahasya granthas – works dealing with esoteric matters – written by Pillailokacharya (18 rahasyas) of 1205 – 1311 AD, Alagiya manavala perumal nayanar (2 rahasyas) of 1207 – 1300 AD and Vedanta Desika (32 rahasyas) of 1268 – 1368 AD.