When faith in the Truth has already awakened and you have comprehended it through the Creed, a natural question arises: "What's next?" Faith that lives only in the mind is like a map: it is useful, but it is not the journey itself. To turn the spiritual search into a real Path, it is necessary to take a step, which in the tradition is called Taking Refuge (in Sanskrit — Sharanagati). This is the moment when abstract philosophy becomes a living connection with the Divine.
What is Refuge?
For an ordinary person, the concept of "God" often remains too abstract and incomprehensible. We can believe in the Absolute, but how do we establish a personal relationship with Him? How do we feel His support? Refuge (Sharanam) is God who has come to us in a tangible, concrete form so that we can establish a connection with Him. It is an act of conscious trust and humility of the mind. It is the recognition that on the path to Liberation we rely not only on our small ego, but also on the great wisdom of the Tradition.
"By taking Refuge in the Creed, the seeker joins a school. That is, they take refuge in a specific Teacher, a specific Teaching, and a spiritual family."
In the absolute sense, the Refuge is Brahman (the Absolute) itself. By trusting the manifested forms of the Refuge, we are actually learning to trust God Himself.
The Five Jewels (Pancharatna)
In our tradition of Advaita Vedanta and Shaivism, Refuge is not just an abstract idea, but five living pillars called "Pancharatna" (The Five Jewels). They are considered truly precious because, unlike worldly riches, they lead the soul to eternal Liberation.
- Shiva — The Primordial Lord, the source of all beings and the highest good.
- Shakti — The Divine energy of the universe, the power that creates all forms.
- Guru — The Spiritual Teacher. A living bearer of the Teaching and the lineage of transmission, through whom blessing descends.
- Dharma — The Sacred Teaching, methods, and wisdom leading to enlightenment.
- Sangha — The Spiritual community. This is the circle of saints, siddhas, gods, as well as your spiritual brothers and sisters walking the same Path.
These five elements create a holistic protective field in which spiritual practice becomes stable and safe.
Refuge Mantra
The connection with the Refuge is established not only in the heart but is also fixed by the sacred word. There is a short formula (mantra) expressing reverence to the three main aspects of the Path:
Namo Guru Deva (I bow before the divine Teacher)
Namo Satya Dharma (I bow before the sacred Teaching)
Namo Arya Sangha (I bow before the holy community)
Daily Tuning Practice (Pancharatna-pranama)
To strengthen the connection with the five jewels, the Guru recommends performing a special adjustment practice (Pancharatna-pranama-mantra). This can be done mentally or aloud, accompanied by gestures, three times a day or before starting any meditation.
How to perform:
- Connection with Shiva. Fold your hands above the crown (anjali-mudra), tuning into the Supreme Consciousness.
- Recite: "Om Shivam Sharanam Prapadyam" (I take Refuge in Shiva).
- Connection with Dharma. Touch the area between the eyebrows (ajna-chakra) with your fingers, visualizing the light of Truth or a Shivalingam.
- Recite: "Om Dharmam Sharanam Prapadyam" (I take Refuge in Dharma).
- Connection with Sangha. Touch the center of the chest (anahata-chakra), visualizing unity with all saints and seekers.
- Recite: "Om Sangham Sharanam Prapadyam" (I take Refuge in the Sangha).
- Connection with Shakti. Lower your hands, pointing to the earth, addressing the Mother energy of the Universe.
- Recite: "Om Shaktim Sharanam Prapadyam" (I take Refuge in the Divine Power).
- Connection with Guru. Fold your hands at the heart again or raise them up, tuning into the lineage of the Masters.
- Recite: "Om Sadguru Sharanam Prapadyam" (I take Refuge in the True Teacher).
Complete the practice with a bow.
Refuge and Inner Freedom
It is important to understand: taking Refuge is not a renunciation of freedom nor blind obedience. On the contrary, it is the gaining of a foundation. Freedom without a foundation often leads to chaos and distraction, while a foundation without awareness leads to dogmatism. Refuge connects freedom and responsibility.
It is an internal shift of consciousness: you cease to be a lonely wanderer and become part of a great family of practitioners supported by the power of the ancient Tradition. From this moment, your practice ceases to be an experiment and becomes a conscious ascent.
When you feel internally ready to seal your connection with the Refuge through a ritual, you need to know how to properly prepare for it. We will talk about this in the next article.
Go to the article: “Article 6: Ritual of taking the Creed: How to prepare?”
