''Pañcarakṣā'' means "Five Protectors", and it is the title of a Buddhist text in Sanskrit. It is an early work in the ''

dhāraṇī Dharanis (IAST: ), also known as ''Parittas'', are Buddhist chants, mnemonic codes, incantations, or recitations, usually the mantras consisting of Sanskrit or Pali phrases. Believed to be protective and with powers to generate merit for the Bud ...

'' genre of Buddhist literature, with Tibetan records mentioning it by about 800 CE. The ''Pañcarakṣā'' manuscripts survive in Tibet, Nepal and India in many divergent versions. The text includes spells, a list of benefits by its recitation, and the ritual instructions on how and when to use it. In the Buddhist tradition, each of the "Five" protections that are mentioned in the ''Pañcarakṣā'' are Buddhist deities (goddesses).

References

{{Buddhism-stub Buddhist texts Sanskrit texts