The five faces or mouths of Shiva symbolize the five basic elements: akasha, air, fire, water and earth. From these elements, everything else emerged.
The faces are turned in different directions of space, have five names and personify five divine powers:
The face looking up is Ishana (revelation energy).
The Tatpurusha, the "supreme soul" (energy of concealment), looks to the east.
Looking west is Sadyojata, "born today" (the energy of creation).
The northern face is Vamadeva, "beautiful, sweet" (conservation energy).
Southern - Aghora, "fearless" (energy of destruction).
These five faces are also called Sadashiva, the revealer; Maheshwara, the one who conceals; Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the keeper and Rudra, the destroyer.
The five faces of Shiva correspond to the five syllables of the Panchakshara mantra - Na-mah-Shi-va-ya (na-maḥ-śi-vā-ya).
It is believed that Shiva from his five mouths: Ishana, Aghora, etc., manifested various tantras, these directions correspond to the cardinal points, as well as to different tantric traditions, and are called amnaya. There are special practices called shadadhvan, which correspond to the faces of Shiva and amnayam, they consist in the knowledge of various categories of being (tattvas), in working with mantras, the forces of the worlds (bhuvana), etc.
