Sri Lalita Trishati
JAI SHANKAR
One of the charming features of our Hinduism is the wealth of a particular kind of devotional chants called AshTottara, Trishati and Sahasranaama. I am not aware of any parallels to this in other religions.
There is a memorable verse in Shrimad Bhaagavatam – Poojya Swami Anandashram was fond of it – and it runs as under:
भक्तिः परेशानुभवो विरक्तिरन्यत्र चैष त्रिक एककालः।
प्रपद्यमानस्य यथाऽश्नतः स्युस्तुष्टिः पुष्टिःक्षुदपायोऽनुघासम्।।
(११-२-४२)
“When one has a meal, three things happen simultaneously, with each morsel – contentment, nourishment and redressal of hunger. Likewise, with surrender (to the Supreme ), there is the accession of triple blessings: devotion, experiencing the divine (anubhava) and vairaagya.”
When we recite 108, 300 or 1000 Names, we are thrice blessed too. In addition to the joy of remembrance (smaraNa), we absorb the benign, auspicious qualities of the deity (because of GuNa Sankeertan) and our devotion gets a boost(because of Leelaa Sankeertan). The chant is not just Naama-sankeertan. It is also GuNa-sankeertan (chanting the benign qualities) and Leelaa-sankeertan (reciting the playful adventures and exploits).
The above blessings will be ours when, in addition to recitation, we understand what we chant. After annotating 108 Names of Shiva and Devi Lalitaa, to inject a bit of variety, lest it gets boring, I wrote about the wellknown Durgaa Chandrakalaa Stuti. Now, it is time to revert back to where I began: recitation of the divine names. What can be more enticing than LALITAA TRISHATI? We have chanted this during Devi Poojan along with our Gurudev Shrimat Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji.
Navaraatra festival is just around the corner and the time is most propitious to begin every morning with Her name.
As always dear Satish Kulkarni of Goregaon has set apart a webpage and the link is:
https://bhanapcorner.online/lalithatrishati/
The series will begin tomorrow.
V.RAJAGOPAL BHAT
8th October 2020.
………JAI SHANKAR …..
SRI LALITAA TRISHATI
SRI LALITAA TRISHATI
Lalitaa Trishati occurs in BrahmaNDa PuraaNa. Along with Lalitaa AshTottara and Lalitaa Sahasranaama, it forms part of
Lalitaa Upaakhyaana(Story of Lalitaa). Even
after listening to the other two, Sage Agastya was still feeling discontent. He was a great devotee of Devi Lalitaa. She manifests before him along with Kaameshvara(Shiva) and tells Hayagreeva(an Avataar of VishNu) to teach Trishati to Agastya. Hayagreeva had
only taught Agastya the other two hymns.
As the name signifies, Trishati has 300 names. A unique feature of this Trishati is that the sequence of names follows the 15-lettered Panchadashi Mantra of Devi
Lalitaa.Every letter of the Mantra has been assigned twenty names.For example, you will see the letter ka has 20 names, all beginning with ka.
Achaarya Shankara has given us a lucid
commentary on this Trishati.
This Trishati is in our Stuti Manjari.
१) ॐ ककाररूपायै नमः
Aum kakaararoopaayai namahaSRI
Salutations to Devi Lalitaa whose form is ka.
Ka means HAPPINESS. She is happiness personified. She is the giver of happiness.
Svarga is called naaka. Why? na+aka is naaka. aka means ‘no happiness’, duhkka.
na+aka means absence of sorrow, heaven.
I am saying this to illustrate how ka has been used in our Sanskrit vocabulary. If you recall, I have said this earlier while annotating Aum
Pinaakine Namaha (in Shiva AshTottara).
In Chaandogya Upanishad we have ‘kam brahma, kham brahma’ (4-10-5) which means Brahman is happiness, kham, sky, is Brahman.Sky refers to hridayaakaasha where
God resides.
ka also means WATER.,the symbol of life. Scientists probing outer space for signs of life in other planets look for presence of water. Devi is ‘jeeva-daani’, the fountain of life, the giver of life. Hence, Her equation with water. Chandogya Upanishad says:
“The mind is derived from food and PRAANA (VITAL FORCE, LIFE) FROM WATER” (annamayam hi soumya manaha, aapomayah praaNaha) (6-5-4) Lotus is called kanja because it is born(ja) in water (kam). In the popular bhajan “Shree Ramachandra KripaaLu bhajamana”,
we have a string of kanja – kanjalochana, kanjamukha, karakanja and padakanja.
Many more meanings are given, but, I am giving here the choicest.
2)ॐ कल्याण्यै नमः Aum KalyaaNyai Namaha
Salutations to Devi who is auspiciousness
Herself.
She is ‘sarva mangala maangalyaa’
– all socalled auspicious things owe that quality to Her.
In his commentary on VishNu Sahasranaama, Acharya Shankara quotes a
memorable verse from Skanda PuraaNa:
सर्वदा सर्वकार्येषु नास्ति तेषाममङ्गलम् ।
येषां हृदिस्थो भगवान् मङ्गलायतनो हरिः ॥
“To them, in whose heart is Hari, the abode of
auspiciousness,never ever there will be anything inauspicious in all their endeavours.”
In line with the above reasoning, there will
never be anything inauspicious to the devotees of Devi.
Her grace will manifest in our vichaara(thought), ucchaara(speech) and
deed(aachaar) exuding kalyaaNa. In our sabhaa closing prayer, we say “sarve bhavantu sukhinah…..” ( May all be happy and healthy……).That is a prayer for universal
kalyaaNa. The disposition to always wish well of others (kalyaaNam astu) does not come easily to all.The spontaneous urge to pray like this is itself a gift of KalyaaNi.
KalyaaNi is no.324 in Lalitaa Sahasranaama
(LS).
3) ॐ कल्याणगुणशालिन्यै नमः
Aum KalyaaNa guNashaalinyai Namaha
Salutations to Devi who is endowed with all
auspicious qualities.Truth, righteousness, love, compassion etc abound in Her.
LS gives us Her adorable guNaas in plenty
such as:
nihshkaamaa(142), nishkalankaa(153),
neeraagaa(156), nirmadaa(158), nirahamkaaraa(161), nirmohaa(162), nirmamaa(164),nihshkrodhaa(168), nirlobhaa(170) etc etc
The above epithets are self-explanatory.
4)ॐ कल्याणशैलनिलयायै नमः
Aum Kalyaana shaila nilayaayai Namaha
In Chaandogya Upanishad(7-24) it is asked: “Where is that God established? In His own
greatness”(bhagavah kasmin pratishTita iti?
sve mahimni).
Similarly, says Acharya Shankara, Devi is established(nilayaa) in Her own form as
solidified auspiciousness. Shaila is mountain. She is KalyaaNa-ghana as we say
Brahman is Aanandaghana, Prajnaanaghana.
The idea of mountain(shaila) is to highlight
the immensity of Her Kalyaana-guNa.
5)ॐ कमनीयायै नमः
Aum Kamaneeyaayai Namaha
Salutations to Devi who is most lovable,
charming and desirable.
Her BEAUTY is portrayed in several names in
LS. To quote a few:
Chaaru-roopaa(241): has a charming form
Chaaru-haasaa(242):has a charming smile
Sharat-chandra-nibhaananaa(129): Her face
is like the autumnal moon.
LS is replete with names extolling Her physical features.
Devi is most DESIRABLE , the Goal,because:
1. She is the source of joy. She is Aananda-
kalikaa(bud and the blossom of joy(729 in
LS). She bestows the joy of being one with
Shiva(Shivaananda-pradaayini – 727 in LS)
She is Sharmadaa(953 in LS) – giver of joy.
She is Sukhapradaa(192 in LS)
2. She purifies us, refines us, makes us mend
our errant ways(duraachaara shamani – 194
in LS)
3. She bestows upon us the priceless fruit of
liberation(anarghya kaivalya-pada-daayinee
– 926 in LS)
4. She is our Mother(Shree Maataa – 1 in LS)
She is the universal Mother of all, from
Brahmaa to an insect(aabrahma-keeta
jananee – 285 in LS)
She is Vishva-maataa(934 in LS) and
jagat-dhaatree(935 in LS, sustainer of the
universe).
5. She is LOVE(Prema-roopaa – 730 in LS)
and does what is good and pleasant to us
(priyam-karee – 731 in LS)
6. She is Chitkalaa(728 in LS), Consciousness
in us. As the I-consciousness(aham), She
is known to all, from children to cowherds
onwards(aa-baala gopa viditaa – 994)
7. She dispels our ignorance. She is the lamp
(deepikaa) that removes the darkness
(dhwaanta) of ignorance(ajnaana-
dhwaanta-deepikaa,993 in LS).
She is jnaanadaa(643 in LS), bestower of
jnaana.
6) ॐ कलावत्यै नमः
Aum Kalaavatyai Namaha
Salutations to Devi Lalitaa, the patron of
arts.
There are many names in LS extolling Her
passion for arts. A few are given below:
327 – Kalaavatee
328 – Kalaalaapaa. She likes to talk and
discuss about the fine arts.
611 – Kalaatmikaa. She is artistically minded.
612 – Kalaanaathaa.She rules over arts.
794 – Kalaamaalaa. The 64 arts constitute
Her garland.
797– Kalaanidhi. She is a treasurehouse of
arts.
798 – Kaavyakalaa. She has a flair for poetry.
738 – Laasyapriyaa. Fond of dance.
298 – Naadaroopaa. Sound is Her form.
857 – Gaana-lolupaa.Very fond of music.
909.- Saama,-gaana-priyaa.Fond of musical
rendering of Saama-Veda.
LS inspires us to nurture our artistic impulses. Her interests are, indeed, very vast and varied.
7) ॐ कमलाक्ष्यै नमः।
Aum Kamalaakshyai Namaha
Salutations to the lotus-eyed Devi.
She has beautiful eyes(akshi)like the petals of lotus (kamala).
There is a deeper meaning associated with lotus. Whether it is eyes, hands or feet, we invoke the simile of lotus. Why? The lotus
is a symbol of detachment. It is not moistened by water. Our eyes are stained by what we see. We are affected by the place, our legs take us. We are affected by the give and take by hands. Association of lotus is to highlight this quality of unaffected detachment like a mirror. A sthitaprajna (a person of steady intelligence) can work
unceasingly because of this quality. His
equanimity does not flicker and fluctuate.
That is why we say ‘kara kamala, charaNa kamala’ when speaking about saints and seers.
God or Goddess work wonders because of
this detachment. They remain established
in ‘samatva’ – equanimity which, Shri KrishNa
hails as Yoga(samatvam yoga uchyate) in Gita.
One of Devi’s names in LS is Nirlepaa(134). It means She is detached, alipta. She acts, but DOES NOT REACT.
8)ॐ कल्मषघ्न्यै नमः। Aum kalmashaghnai namaha
Salutations to Devi who cleanses us of all
impurities (kalmasha).
In LS there are several names such as:
157-raaga mathani. destroys attachment
159-mada naashini destroys our pride
163-moha naashini. destroys our delusion
165-mamataa hantree destroys our sense
. ………………..of ‘I’ and ‘mine’
167-paapa naashini destroys our sins
169-krodha shamani removes our anger
171-lobha naashini. destroys our greed
173-samshayaghni. removes our doubts
175-bhayanaashini. removes our fear
Devi can accomplish all this because She is
free from any impurities, nishkalankaa (153).
In Aananda-lahari, Acharya Shankara prays
to Devi:
अयः स्पर्शे लग्नं सपदि लभते हेमपदवीम्
यथा रथ्यापाथः शुचि भवति गंगौघमिलितम्।
तथा तत्तत्पापैः अतिमलिनमन्तर्मम यदि
त्वयि प्रेम्णा सक्तं कथमिव न जायेत विमलम्।।
“Iron touched by the Philosopher’s stone turns into gold at once. The dirty water of the gutters get purified when merged into the
Gangaa.Likewise, if my mind, rendered unclean by so many sins, gets attached to You with love, why can’t it be rendered pure?”.
It (our mind) will, indeed, be rendered clean, Acharya intends to assure us.
9)ॐ करुणामृतसागरायै नमः।
Aum karuNaamrita-saagaraayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is an ocean of the nectar of compassion.
No.326 in LS is KaruNaa-rasa-saagaraa.
No.992 in LS is Avyaaja-karuNaa-moorti (She
is compassionate for no reason at
all (It is Her svabhaava)
In Devyaparaadha-kshamaapana stotra, Acharya Shankara humourously says that
Divine Mother being compassionate is not
a big deal after all:
जगदंबे विचित्रमत्र किं
परिपूर्णा करुणास्ति चेन्मयि।
अपराधपरम्परावृतं नहि
माता समुपेक्षते सुतम्।।
O Mother of the Universe, there is nothing to be wondered at if You are full of compassion for me. For, a mother does not give up with disdain her son just because he has committed many errors of omission and commission!
KaruNaa is the essence of the Divine. Says Swami Vivekananda:
“I do not believe in a God or religion which cannot wipe the widow’s tears or bring a piece of bread to the orphan’s mouth.”
(Complete Works Vol.5-page 50).
10)ॐ कदम्बकाननावासायै नमः।
kadamba kaanana aavaasaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose abode is the forest of Kadamba (trees).
The Kadamba tree figures in the legends of KrishNa as well as Devi. KrishNa-Raadhaa frolics take place in the bower of Kadamba
(kadamba-kunja)
Acharya Shankara’s TripuraSundari Stotra has almost every verse beginning with kadamba-vana. Kadamba appears to be Her favourite.
Why Kadamba is so dear to KrishNa as well as Devi, is not clear,maybe its fragrance.
There should be more to this word than just a tree. Kadamba also means a group(gaNa). Poet Kaalidaasa speaks of muni-kadamba(group of ascetics) in the Aashrama of sages. Acharya Shankara, too,
uses the word ‘muni-kadamba’ in the first
line of his TripuraSundari. Stotra.
The whole universe is a galaxy of GaNaas, a galaxy of Kadambaas. Beginning with the kadamba of five cosmic elements (pancha mahaabhootaas) at the base, we have, as we
move upwards, the kadambaas (clusters,
groups) of five vital airs (pancha praaNa), five
sense organs, five motor organs and the quartet(chatushTaya) of mind, buddhi,
ego (ahamkaara) and chitta, forming a hierarchy.
This whole universe is a kadamba-vana and
it is the abode (aavaasa) of Devi. In the first
mantra of Ishaavaasya Upanishad, we read that ‘all this’ (idam sarvam) is the abode of
Isha, the Lord. What is true of Him is true of Ishvari also, true of Devi Lalitaa also.
Not just the universe, everyone of us is a kadamba, an organised cluster, an integrated system, a psyco-physical complex. Not just
a human being, from the Brahma downwards to an ant(pipeelikaa) is a kadamba, Her own
handiwork,, her own masterpiece. She abides in us, we abide in Her. She is dear to us, we are dear to Her (kadambapriya).
In Sanskrit, there is a maxim called Kadamba-koraka Nyaaya. This tree is said to put forth its buds SIMULTANEOUSLY at the
roar of thunder clouds. It is its unique feature. This maxim is used to refer to any simultaneous happenings. We may refer to this maxim when we take up the next name.
11)ॐ कदंबकुसुमप्रियायै नमः। Aum Kadamba-kusuma-priyaayai Namaha
Salutations to Devi who is fond of Kadamba flowers.
Devi is fond of Kadamba flowers since Kadamba is Her favourite tree. I don’t know much about this tree and have no comments to offer.
Symbolically, however, this name is on par
with the name no.919 in LS – “CHAITANYA
KUSUMA PRIYAA”.
When does our chaitanya flower? Not when
it is taamasic or raajasic, but when it is saatvic. Our sacred books speak of eight flowers that are dear to VishNu. They represent the flowers of our spirit, our chaitanya. They are:
अहिंसा प्रथमं पुष्पं पुष्पमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः।
सर्वभूतदयापुष्पं क्षमापुष्पं विशेषतः।।
ज्ञानपुष्पं तपःपुष्पं शान्तिपुष्पं तथैवच।
सत्यमष्टविधं पुष्पं विष्णोः प्रीतिकरं भवेत्।।
“Non-violence (ahimsaa)is the first flower. Then come the following:
Self-control(control over our senses and mind)(indriya nigraha)
Universal compassion(being kind to all)(sarva bhoota dayaa)
Forgiveness(‘to err is human, to forgive is divine’).(kshamaa), is specially(visheshataha) dear to Him.
Wisdom, Knowledge,(jnaana.)
Penance, austerity(tapas)
Peace(shaanti)
Truthfulness (satyam)
These flowers are dear to all deities and not
just to VishNu. They are the ‘blossoms of
consciousness’ (chaitanya kusuma). Instead
of chaitanya, we have here ‘kadamba’ which,
as we have seen, represents, among other things, each one of us too, since every person is a cluster(kadamba) of many constituents explained vide my yesterday’s
post.
Kadamba tree, we saw yesterday, puts forth its buds simultaneously at the roar of thunder – the maxim called
KADAMBA KORAKA NYAAYA . These
eight spiritual blossoms appear in the saadhaka/saadhikaa SIMULTANEOUSLY when he/she is awakened by the Guru. They
don’t appear serially with gaps in between.
As Shri KrishNa says in Gita, “kshipram(at once) bhavati dharmaatmaa”.(The
transformation is instantaneous)(IX-31).
No.918 in LS is “chaitanya arghya samaaraadhyaa”. Her proper(samyak,sama)
adoration(aaraadhanaa) takes place when
our respectful offering(arghya) is not a material object(like a spoonful of water), but chaitanya, consciousness. The eight ‘flowers’ listed above constitute the arghya dear to Her.
Not pompous ostentation in ritual worship, but simple, plain ethical living is our best homage to Her. As Swami Vivekananda said:
“To be good and to do good – this is the whole of religion”.
12)ॐकन्दर्पविद्यायै नमः। Aum Kandarpa-vidyaayai Namaha
Salutations to Devi who confers Kandarpa
Vidyaa.
Kaamadeva is called Kandarpa. Instruction about Kandarpa is Kandarpa Vidyaa. Here, this word has a different connotation than,
say, Kaama Sootra which deals with physical
love between couples. This is important to
remember since we meet the word ‘kaama’ very often in this series and should grasp its
meaning aright.
Kaama means desire, ichhaa shakti. Desire is inseparable from us. Whatever we do is
the outcome of Ichhaa-shakti. God has given us primarily three shaktis: jnaana, ichhaa and kriyaa. Every morning if you read my post, that also emanates from your desire.
Manu, the lawgiver, says in Manusmriti:
अकामस्य क्रिया काचित् दृशते नेह कर्हिचित्।
यत् यत् हि कुरुते किन्चित् तत् तत् कामस्य चेष्टितम्।।
“No action is seen here which does not come
out of desire. Whatever one does, is the play
of desire”(2-4).
Even creation, says BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad, is the outcome of God’s desire to
be many(1-4-2). Being alone(ekaaki) bored
Him(na ramate).
In the Gita, Shri KrishNa says: I am that kaama(desire) which is not contrary to Dharma(7-11).
Shiva did not reduce Kaamadeva to ash just because he was Kaamadeva.He tried to
overreach himself by daring to disturb Shiva
in meditation. Kaamaa(kandarpa) is not an
evil per se(in itself). It becomes an evil when
it comes in the way of our pursuit of Dharma and Moksha. Shiva Himself is called
Kaameshvara and His spouse, Kaamaakshi.
So, what does Kandarpa Vidyaa mean? Our Mother that She is, She teaches us to train our desires, to monitor our desires. She teaches us to hone and fine-tune our desires sothat we move from taamasic and raajasic(please see Gita) to saatvic desires. As we move closer and closer to Her in devotion, this change takes place in us imperceptibly. This is the miracle of Her grace. This is Her Chaaru-vikrama(charming prowess) Now,. desires will not
control us, we will control desires. To quote
Swami Vivekananda, “the dog should wag its tail and not the other way round”
13)ॐ कन्दर्पजनकापाङ्गवीक्षणायै नमः।Aum Kandarpa-janaka-apaanga-veekshaNaayai Namaha
Salutations to Devi whose side-glance (apaanga veekshaNa) revived(janaka)
the god of love, cupid(kandarpa).
Devi is the presiding deity of Nature. She is
Prakriti. We pray to Her: namah prakrityayi
bhadraayai”. Desire has to be there if Her
show should go on – the propagation of the species and the lush growth of flora and fauna. When Kaamadeva was reduced to ash, his wife Rati began to lament(see Rati
Vilaapa in Kumaara Sambhava of Kaalidaasa) and pleaded with Devi to revive
him. Compassionate that She is, She just cast a sideglance and, lo and behold, Kandarpa was on his feet once again to set forth to conquer the world!
14) ॐ कर्पूरवीटीसौरभ्यकल्लोलितककुप्तटायै नमः। Aum karpooraveeti sourabhya kallolita kakub taTaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, the fragrance (sourabhya)
of whose camphor-laden(karpoora) betel
(veeti)(veeDo in our mother-tongue)floods(kallolita) the farthest fringes(taTi) of all directions(kakub).
Offering of taamboola is one of the essential
constituents in the 16 (shoDasha) Upachaars of worship. Karpoora in the betel
(phoDipaana in our mother-tongue) is a mouth-freshner(mukhaamoda). Taamboola , as our samarpaNa shloka says, conduces to
mukha-shuddhi(mouth-freshening) and
jivhaa-jaaDya-,ucchedakaraNa(loosening the tongue by ridding it of heaviness). The
taamboola is offered in all poojans listed
in our Stutimanjari.
Taamboola betokens contentment(tripti). It
is offered AFTER Naivedya. In a wedding we are given taamboola after(and not before) we had our sumptuous repast. It is like the concluding Bhairavi in a concert.
Devi’s portrayal with tamboola is to underline the truth that She is ever-content, which is a divine attribute.Name no.815 in LS is NITYA TRIPTAA. No.921 is SADAA TUSHTAA.
During Guru-poojan, while offering taamboola, we say ‘jeeva brahmaikya-vijnaana TRIPTAAYA gurumoortaye’. The secret of Guru’s contentment is the unitive(aikya) experience of jeeva(individual soul) and God.
Acharya Shankara in his short, but very profound composition called Paraa-poojaa, throws up his hands in despair and says:
“O All-pervader, how can I offer You Naivedya
and tamboola when you are ever-content?”
नित्यतृप्तस्य नैवेद्यस्तांबूलं च कुतो विभोः
15)ॐ कलिदोषहरायै नमः। Aum kalidosha-haraayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the remover(haraa) of the defects and drawbacks(dosha) of the Age of Kali(Kaliyuga).
Shrimad Bhaagavata says:
कलेर्दोषनिधे राजन्नस्ति ह्येको हि महान् गुणः।
कीर्तनादेव कृष्णस्य मुक्तसङ्गः परं व्रजेत्।।(12-3-51)
कृते यद् ध्यायतो विष्णुं त्रेतायां यजतो मखैः।
द्वापरे परिचर्यायां कलौ तध्दरिकीर्तनात्।। (12-3-52)
“O King, though Kaliyuga is teeming with defects, there is one great virtue. By keertana
of KrishNaa’s name, one will reach the Supreme, totally unattached.”
“What attainment one had by meditation, sacrifice and ceremonial service in the Ages of Krita, Tretaa and Dvaapara respectively, can be had in Kaliyuga by just chanting the names of Hari”.
Name no.555 in LS is Kali-kalmasha-naashinee. As prescribed in
Bhaagavata above, by sheer remembrance
(smaraNa) and chanting Her names(keertana), we will be cleansed of all
the impurities that defile our mind. Hence the importance of AshTottara, Trishati and Sahasranaama in this Age of Corruption(kali).
16)ॐ कञ्जलोचनायै नमः। Aum kanja-lochanaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi with eyes(lochana) like lotus (kanja) petals.
Lotus is born(ja) in water(kam) and hence, its name kanja.
This name is same as no.7 (kamalaakshi),
already annotated earlier.
In LS, no.805 is PushkarekshaNaa(pushkara
means lotus, eekshaNaa, eyes).
17)ॐ कम्रविग्रहायै नमः। Aum kamravigrahaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi with a lovely figure.
We see beauty everywhere because She is
beautiful. It is Her beauty that percolates into all names and forms. LS has many names
extolling Her beauty such as:
no.314 – Raakendu vadanaa(moon-faced)
no.315 – Rati-roopaa(like Rati, Kaamadevaa’s
wife, beautiful)
no.462 – Shobhanaakriti(with beautiful form,)
no.933 – Mangalaakriti(with auspicious form
no. 48 – Mahaa-laavaNya-shevadhi(the
….. ultimate in beauty and loveliness)
18)ॐ कर्मादिसाक्षिण्यै नमः। Aum karmaadi-saakshiNyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, the witness(saakshi) of our actions etc(karmaadi).
God is the eternal witness of our thought, speech and deeds. Being His shakti, naturally
Devi, too, is the witness(saakshi) of our
karma, karmaphala etc.
No.384 in LS is Vishva-saakshiNee. She has
no witness. She is Saakshi-varjitaa(no.385).
She dispenses the fruits of our good(puNya) or bad(apuNya, paapa) actions. She oversees the operation of the Law of Karma.
Hence, She is PuNyaapuNya-phala-pradaa.
(no.288 in LS). Our pursuit of Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha(four Purushaarthaas)
is due to Her grace – no.291 in LS –
Purushaartha-phala-pradaa.
19)ॐ कारयित्र्यै नमः। Aum kaarayitryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who enables us to act.
In the Kena Upanishad, in response to the
questions from the pupils as to by whom
(kena in Sanskrit) impelled do we see, hear, think etc, the Guru concludes by saying
HE is the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, buddhi of the buddhi etc.
God is the powerhouse from where our senses, mind etc derive the energy to act.
So, God is the ‘kaarayitaa and His shakti,
Devi, is the kaarayitree.
She gives us energy, but, how we utilise this energy, for better or worse, is our sole responsibility and we have to reap what we sow. The sun gives us light, but it is not his
concern how we utilise this sunshine. God has given us buddhi, the faculty of vichaara, viveka, discrimination – a gift not confered on the brute creation. Don’t we chant: yaa devi
sarvabhooteshu buddhiroopeNa samsthitaa/
namastasyai namstasyai namastasyai namo
namaha?
Not just the human beings, but, even the cosmic elements are active, thanks to Her.
The fire burns, the wind blows and VaruNa
moistens because of Her. This lesson was driven home to Indra by Devi Umaa – story
in Kenopanishad.
“tena vinaa triNamapi na chalati” – without
Him, even a blade of grass moves not. That’s
why we say: “toocha karataa aaNi karavitaa,
sharaNa tulaa bhagavantaa” (Marathi song).
20)ॐ कर्मफलप्रदायै नमः। Aum karmaphala-pradaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who dispenses the fruits
of our karma.
Bhagavan RamaNa Maharshi says in His
Upadesha-saaram: by His decree, the fruit
is obtained. What can the karma do? The karma is inert ( karturaajnayaa praapyate
phalam/ karma kim karam? karma tat jaDam). Law of Karma needs an overseer.
God is that Karmaadhyaksha (karma + adhyaksha) as stated in Shvetaashvatara
Upanishad. In playing this role, He cannot
be charged with cruelty (nairghriNya) or
partiality (vaishamya) says Brahma Sootra (2-1-34).Commenting on this Sootra, Acharya Shankara says, among other things,
as under:
“No fault attaches to God, since this unequal creation is brought about in conformity with
the virtues and the vices of the creatures that are about to be born. Rather, God is to be compared to rain. Just as rainfall is a COMMON CAUSE for the growth of paddy, barley etc, the special reasons for the differences in their growth being the individual potentiality of the respective seeds, similarly God is the COMMON CAUSE for the birth of gods, men an others, while the individual fruits of works associated with the individual creatures are the UNCOMMON causes for the creation of the differences among gods, men and others. Thus, God is not open to the defects of partiality and cruelty, since He takes other factors into consideration.”. (Trs.by Pujya Swami Gambhiranandaji of R.K.Mission).
What is true of God is true of the Goddess (Devi) too.
The first set of twenty names with ka-kaara concludes here.
21)ॐ एकाररूपायै नमः। Aum ekaara-roopaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who corresponds to E-kaara.
Brahman is One without a second (ekameva
advitiyam brahma – Paingala Upanishad 1-1
and Chandogya Upanishad 6-2-1). If God is Eka, naturally His shakti is Ekaa.
In LS,no.665 is Ekaakinee. She is alone and ACTIVE and,as Prakriti (Nature), does everything Herself,being GuNamayee.Her consort being beyond the three GuNaas, is a PASSIVE onlooker. (GuNaas mean satva, rajas and tamas.
Acharya Shankara says in Gauri Dashakam:
“Shiva is just a witness of Gauri’s play of
creation, preservation and dissolution.”
नित्यः शुध्दो निष्कल एको जगदीशः
साक्षी यस्या सर्गविधौ संहरणे च।(१०)
22)ॐ एकाक्षर्यै नम: Aum ekaaksharyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who can be denoted by just one (eka) letter (akshara) (one yllable).
In the Gita, Shri KrishNa says, AUM, this one letter denotes Brahman(Aum iti ekaaksharam Brahma, 8-13). Devi is also
Brahma-swaroopiNi. Devi Atharvasheersha says: Once all gods went to Her and asked
Who are you, Devi?(kaasi tvam Mahaadevi.)
and pat came her reply: I am BrahmaswaroopiNee(aham brahmaswaroopiNee). So, She is Ekaakshari,
one-lettered, the one letter being AUM.
Like AUM,Hreem, known as Maayaa-beeja, is also Her ekaakshara form.
23)ॐ एकानेकाक्षराकृतये नमः। Aum ekaanekaksharaakritaye namaha
Salutations to Devi who is represented by
all the alphabets – one(eka) to many(aneka).
From the first letter अ to ksha – these are known as Maatrikaa and She pervades them
all. If you recall, while annotating Aum. Svaramayaaya Namaha(,no.43 in SA)
I had said that during Durgaa Namaskaara, all the vowels(svara) and the consonants(vyanjana) are individually chanted with anusvaara – am, aam, im, eem, um, oom…..kam, kham,gam, gham…….
So, Devi represents all the alphabets and
the forms(aakriti) denoted by them.
Says Acharya Shankara in Gauri Dashakam:
“Gauri sports as akshara-moorti between
a(अ) and ksha.”(आदिक्षान्तामक्षरमूर्त्या विलसन्तीं)(८)
24)ॐ एतत्तदित्यनिर्देश्यायै नमः। Aum etat tat iti anirdeshyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who cannot be indicated
(anirdeshyaa) like ‘this’ (etat) is that (tat)’.
God cannot be defined. There is a saying: God defined is God defiled. Trying to define Him, the sacred texts despair, and exclaim
‘neti, neti’ ( not this, not this). As the
Taittiriya Upanishad says: The speech comes back with the mind unable to reach Brahman
(yato vaacho nivartante apraapya manasaa
saha. 2-4 ) Our senses, mind and buddhi
owe their very existence to Him. So, how can
they presume to map out and measure Him?
Sri RamakrishNa says: A salt doll wished to
gauge the depth of the ocean.But, no sooner it entered the waters, it got dissolved. Same is our plight if we venture to point out God
is like this, like this(etat iti, etat iti).He is
indescribable(anirvachaneeya, anirdeshya).
What is true of Brahman is true of His shakti
too.
Though we cannot describe Him/Her in
specific terms, we can EXPERIENCE the
divine(anubhava).
25)ॐ एकानन्दचिदाकृतये नमः Aum ekaananda chidaakritaye namaha
Salutations to Devi who is bliss (aananda) and awareness (consciousness, chit) that have assumed form (aakriti).
God is sat-chit-aananda. His shakti,Devi, too, is just that..She is bliss and awareness personified.
LS is replete with names extolling these
attributes(incidentally, my quoting these
cross-references is not straying from the
main point. It is purposeful. This way, we get
better insight into LS which we chant many times.)
no.252 – Paramaanandaa(Supreme bliss)
no.729 – Aananda-kalikaa(bud of bliss)
no.251 – Chinmayee
no.364 – Chidekarasa-roopiNee
no.416 – Chitshaktihi
no.417 – Chetanaaroopaa
no.728 -. Chitkalaa
no.362 -. Chiti
no.367 – Pratyak-chitiroopaa(Inner
awareness as saakshi)
Above are just a few, but are enough to show
Her swaroopa as chit and aananda.
The Upanishads shy away from saying God(or Goddess) HAS sat, chit and aananda.
They proclaim: God IS the above. Taittiriya
Upanishad says: Bhrigu knew Brahman as Bliss(aanando brahmeti vyajaanaat – 3-6-1).
Brahman IS Truth, Knowledge and Infinite
(satyam jnaanam anantam brahma 3-1-1)
To sum up, Devi”s name no.25 above says She is One and She is Chit and Ananda personified.
26)ॐ एवमित्यागमाबोध्यायै नमः। Aum evam iti aagama abodhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, about whom no knowledge can be imparted (abodhyaa) emphatically (evam) even by the Vedaas (aagama).
No.24 (etat taditi anirdeshyayai namaha) spoke about OUR inability to indicate emphatically what Devi is. The present name
no.26 tells that even the Vedaas are unable
to say emphatically that She is only this much and no more. In short Devi is indescribable.
After giving Arjuna His Vishvaroopa-darshan, Shri KrishNa tells Arjuna that it is not possible to be blessed with this Cosmic Vision even with the help of Vedaas(naaham vedaih….shakya evamvidho drashTum 11-53).
In BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad(4-3-22) sage
Yaajnavalkya tells king Janaka that in that
exalted state, the Vedaas become ‘non-Vedaas’ ( yatra vedaah avedaah bhavanti). They become superfluous as it were.
Swami Vivekananda says: “We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither
the Vedaas, nor the Bible, nor the Koran, yet this has to be done by harmonising the Vedaas, the Bible and the Koran.”(Complete
Works Vol 6,page 416).
27)ॐ एकभक्तिमदर्चितायै नमः। Aum ekabhaktimadarchitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is worshipped
(architaa) by devotees with singular devotion
(eks bhakti) for Her.
Eka-bhakti means ananya bhakti, singular
devotion. In Gita we come across many
expressions to this effect:
ananya-chetaah satatam(8-14)
ananya-chintaa(9-22)
eka-bhaktrvishishyate(7-17)
28) ॐ एकाग्रचित्तनिर्ध्यातायै नम: Aum ekaagra-chitta-nirdhyaataayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is meditated upon(nirdhyaana) with one-pointed attention(ekaagrachitta).
Patanjali devotes many sootraas in his Yoga
manual to the theme of concentration. He recommends meditation(praNidhaana) on
Ishwara as an aid to concentration(Ishwara
praNidhaanaat vaa(1-23).The above name
says She is to be meditated upon with concentration.Thus we have a virtuous circle here- concentration and meditation mutually reinforcing each other.
What does BaadaraayaNa say in his Brahma-sootra? I am invoking BS just to let you have a taste of it together with a slice of Acharyaa’s Bhaashya.
He says meditation proper is possible only in sitting position(आसीनः सम्भवात् 4-1- 7)(ध्यानाच्च। 4-1-8) because steadiness of posture is easy in the sitting position(अचलत्वं चापेक्ष्य(4-1-9) and that what he says has been said elsewhere too in smritis( like Geetaa)(4-1-10).
Then we have the sootra(यत्रैकाग्रता तत्राविशेषात्
(4-1-11).
Acharya Shankara’s commentary on this sootra is illuminating: “One should meditate
facing any direction, in any place, at any time
that leads to one’s concentration of mind
easily. Unlike the regulations fixing the eastern direction, forenoon and a place sloping down to the east, and so on, as met with in the cases of sacrificial rites, no such
specific regulation is mentioned in the Upanishads. The one thing desirable is that one should always have CONCENTRATION OF MIND”.(Capital letters mine)
(Trs by Pujya Swami Gambhiranandaji of R.K.
Mission)
In Gauri Dashakam, Acharya Shankara says:
“She destroys afflictions like the bonds of
attachment in those who meditate on Her
Lotus Feet.”(आशापाश क्लेशविनाशं विदधानां/
पादाम्भोजध्यानपराणां पुरुषाणाम्।)(2)
In LS, no.871 is antarmukha-samaaraadhyaa
(She is to be adored and propitiated by looking inward).
29)ॐ एषणारहितादृतायै नमः। Aum eshaNaa-rahita-aadritaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is dear (aadritaa) to those who are devoid(rahita) of cravings
(eshaNaa).
In BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad (3-5), the sage Yaajnavalkya speaks of three primary
cravings: PUTRESHANAA(craving for progeny), VITTESHANA(craving for wealth and property) and LOKESHANAA(craving for name and fame).These primary cravings and their numberless offshoots weigh us down
constantly and come in the way of our flight to the Divine. The drunkards kept rowing the boat (says Sri RamakrishNa in his parable) whole night, without moving an inch, only to find to their dismay in the morning that they had not lifted the anchors!
We have to lift the anchors of the triple
cravings if the tiny boat of our saadhanaa should have a smooth sailing.. This is the message of the name no.29 above.
30) ॐ एलासुगन्धिचिकुरायै नमः। Aum ela-sugandhi-chikuraayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose hair(chikura) has the fragrance(sugandha) of cardamom(elaa).
One unique feature of these anthologies (of names, be they 108, 300 or 1000) is the ease with which there is a slide from the metaphysical to the physical. The sky and the earth mingle together. If one name takes
us soaring to the ethereal height of speculation, the very next name swings from the air-airy to the earth-earthy. Our venerable elders of the Vedic past viewed life as a whole. IT was unitary. They felt no sense of the awkward or the incongruous in portraying the physical features of their favourite Devataa in vivid and colourful imagery.
Devi cannot be faulted if She carefully nurtures Her feminine charms to delight the heart of Shiva, Her inseparable consort.
She takes care of Her coiffure(hairdo) by
perfuming it. Her hair has the fragrance of
cardamom, says the above name.
In Mrityunjaya Mantra, we invoke Shiva as
Sugandhim. He exudes the sugandha of love, compassion and peace etc. His shakti, Devi,too, exudes this fragrance even more.
In LS we have no.13 which says Devi’s hair has the fragrance of Champaka, Ashoka and Punnaaga flowers(champakaashoka punnaaga sougandhika lasat kachaa)
31)ॐएनःकूटविनाशिन्यै नमः। Aum enah kooTa vinaashinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the destroyer
(vinaashinee) of heaps(kooTa) of sins(enah).
No.743 in LS describes Devi as the huge fire
that reduces to ash the forest of sins(paapa araNya davaanalaa). No.167 is paapa-naashinee.
Her above blessing is for those who have
surrendered(sharaNaagata deena aarta…).
In the Gita we find Shri KrishNaa’s assurance
to Arjuna: “SURRENDER to Me alone, and I will redeem you from all sins. Don’t grieve.”
(aham tvaa sarva paapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa shucha)(18-66).
32)ॐ एकभोगायै नमः। Aum eka-bhogaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has only one(eka)
enjoyment(bhoga).
Shiva and Shivaa(Devi) are inseparable like
word and its meaning(vaagarthaaviva sampraktou).The ArdhaNaareeshvara concept illustrates this in a picturesque way.
To be with Shiva and rejoice in His company is Her only enjoyment. No.293 in LS calls Her
Bhoginee. Since they are inseparable, Her
delight and enjoyment are eternal too.
Another meaning of this epithet is She confers the supreme delight(bhoga) of Advaitic experience(Ekam) on Her devotees.She is Anarghya-kaivalya-pada-daayinee(no.926),
the bestower of the invaluable boon of
liberation.
33) ॐएकरसायै नमः। Aum ekarasaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi with undiluted bliss (eka
rasa).
In the Upanishads like Taittiriya, bliss is refered to as Rasa. ‘raso vai saha’ (He is
the embodiment of bliss) says Taittiriya Up.
Just as one white ray of the sun is dispersed
into vibgyor colours, that One(eka) Rasa of the Divine suffers dispersal into the nine(nava) Rasaas.In Shelley’s famous lines:
Life, like a dome of many-coloured glass,
Stains the white radiance of eternity
She is Herself established in this bliss and also confers same on Her devotees.
In LS, no.799 is Rasajnaa(connoisseur of artistic taste) and no.800 is Rasa-shevadhi
(treasure of Rasa).
During Sandhyaavandan, while performing Maarjanam, we chant a mantra addressed to Waters (aapo hishTaa mayobhuvah…). In that, we pray to the presiding deity of waters:
“pray make us partake of the most auspicious(shivatama) rasa”(यो वश्शिवतमो रसस्तस्य भाजयतेह नः).This is that One Rasa of
Brahmaananda.
34)ॐ एकैश्वर्यप्रदायिन्यै नमः। Aum ekaishvarya-pradaayinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who confers(pradaayinyai)
the wealth(aishvarya) which is One(eka).
Bhakti is two-fold: with desires(sakaama) and desireless(nishkaama).In the Gita, the Lord speaks of four kinds of devotees(7-16).Aarta(distressed) devotee
desires to be relieved of his distress. The
Arthaarthi goes to God with a wish-list and receives from God what he deserves. The
Jijnaasu’s desire is not for material goods.
He desires to know(jnaatum) all about God.
The Jnaani(whom Shri KrishNa endearingly
calls as His own Self in 7-18) desires not just to know(jnaatum), but ‘to see'(drashTum) and merge(praveshTum) into God(11-54). This is Saayujya Mukti and is the wealth par
excellence. It is the ‘eka aishvarya’, the singular wealth the devotee longs for. He will not settle for anything less.Devi Lalita, says the above name, confers this ‘wealth’ on Her deserving devotees.
35)ॐ एकातपत्रसाम्राज्यप्रदायै नमः। Aum ekaatapatra-saamraajya-pradaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is capable of giving(pradaayai) an empire(saamraajya) marked by one(eka) umbrella(aatapatra)
Umbrella is one of the royal insignia. Every king has his royal umbrella. One(eka) umbrella (aatapatra) stands for an emperor
who has no rival. The whole world is his for his survey.Kaalidaasa says in his Raghuvamsha: ‘ ekaatapatram jagatah
prabhutvam(2-47)”One umbrella means
universal sovereignty”, he says.
Our Vedic seers visualised such an empire and our mantra-pushpaanjali mantraas throw light on this subject.”Let there be only ONE KING on this earth, whose rule extends as far as all the oceans”(पृथिव्यै समुद्रपर्यन्ताया एकराळिति। Aitareya BraahmaNa 8-15).
It is in Her power to bring about such an
empire, says the above name.
36)ॐ एकान्तपूजितायै नमः। Aum ekaanta-poojitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is worshipped/meditated upon (poojitaa) in solitude(ekaanta).
Solitude(ekaant) is indispensable to a saadhaka.Worship or meditation or japa will not be fruitful if there are distractions galore around him. Ascetics, who are otherwise busy, ministering to the spiritual needs of the
laity, have intermittent spells of ekaant.
In the Gita, Shri KrishNaa recommends that solitude, light food, control over mind, body, speech and vairaagya be cultivated by the
meditator:
विविक्तसेवी लघ्वाशी यतवाक्कायमानसः।
ध्यानयोगपरो नित्यं वैराग्यं समुपाश्रितः।।(18-52)
Acharya Shankara says in Upadesha Panchakam: “sit comfortably in solitude and
repose your mind in the Supreme.”(एकान्ते सुखमास्यतां परतरे चेतः समाधीयतां।)(5)(UP is also
called as Saadhanaa Panchakam and Sopaana Panchakam).
Swami Yatishwaranandaji (of R.K.Mission)in his masterly treatise, Meditation and Spiritual Life, says:
“In the beginning of your spiritual life,
you should sit quietly in a solitary place
for meditation. But, you should also
remember that you cannot enjoy solitude
merely by going to a forest or a cave.
External solitude can help you only if
you are able to remain calm internally
also. REAL SILENCE IS THE SILENCE OF
THE MIND.It is stilling the mind and freeing
it from all unwelcome thoughts. First,
attain the thought of the Divine, and
then try to eliminate all other thoughts
that cannot be directly connected with
the divine thought.”(page 340)
In a memorable verse, Shrimad Bhaagavatam says: Home itself is the hermitage to him who has overcome raaga and dvesha(nivritta raagasya griham tapovanam).
37)ॐ एधमानप्रभायै नमः। Aum edhamaana prabhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose lustre(prabhaa) is
ever-growing(edhamaana).
The lustre and the glow we see in the sun, moon,and the fire is His/Hers.
Says Shri KrishNa in Gita:
यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगभ्दासयतेऽखिलम्।
यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विध्दि मामकम्।।(15-12)
Her effulgence does not lessen a wee bit
because She lends it to other luminaries.
It is as blazing as ever, says the above name.
38)ॐ एजदनेकजगदीश्वर्यै नमः Aum ejat aneka jagadeeshvaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who rules over(eeshvari)
numerous worlds(jagat) in motion(ejat).
Devi is not just our ruler. There are countless
planets in motion and She rules over them too.The word ejat is significant. Nothing is
stationary. It is a perpetual flux that we see
all around.
39)ॐ एकवीरादिसंसेव्यायै नमः। Aum ekaveeraad samsevyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is properly(sam)
served(sevyaa) by goddesses like Ekaveera
etc(aadi).
Ekaveera is a parivaara(retinue) devataa of
Devi Lalitaa. In Durgaa Saptashati, vide section called Praadhaanikam Rahasyam, there is reference to Ekaveeraa.There are 51 shakti-peethaas mentioned in Prapancha-saara-sangraha
and Ekaveeraa-peetha(at Kaarlaa) is one of them.
A rangoli portrayal of Devi Ekveera is attached.
40)ॐ एकप्राभवशालिन्यै नमः। Aum eka praabhava-shaalinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has sole (eka)sovereignty (praabhava).
Praabhava means prabhutva.She is the empress of all that She surveys. This name is very much like no.38 already seen by us.
Here the second set of 20 names with the
starting letter ए is concluded. Now begins
another set with the starting letter ई.
No.620 in LS is aneka-koTi-brahmaaNDa-jananee.
41)ॐ ईकारूपायै नमः। Aum eekaara-roopaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose form is the letter
‘ee'(ई). ईङ् means to go(eeyate)(ईङ् गतौ says PaaNini). Devi is always on the move. She is kinetic energy. Prakriti – nature- is never static. Nothing endures but change.”You can’t step into the same river twice” said Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher.It is a flux and Devi is the presiding deity. That’s why we chant: namah prakrityai bhadraayai – salutations to prakriti, the auspicious.
42)ईशित्र्यै नमः। Aum eeshitryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who rules(ishTe) and
protects(traayate).
No.271 in LS is Eeshvari. In Gauri-dashakam, She is refered to as ‘eeshaam'(verse no.2)
43)ॐ ईप्सितार्थप्रदायिन्यै नमः। Aum eepsitaartha-pradaayinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who bestows(pradaayini)
what we wish for(eepsitaartha).
No.63 in LS is kaamadaayinee(who fulfills our desires), no.795 is kaamadhuk(the milch
cow of desires) and no.989 is vanChitaartha
pradaayinee(bestower of things wished for).
In Gauri-dashakam, verse no.3, She is hailed as auspicious and the wish-fufilling creeper
of those who bow down to Her(कल्याणीं तां कल्पलतामानतिभाजाम्)
In Aanandalahari, Acharya Shankara praises
Devi’s penchant for fulfilling devotees’ desires as under:
त्वदन्यस्मादिच्छाविषयफललाभे न नियमः
त्वमर्थानामिच्छाधिकमपि समर्था वितरणे।
इतिप्राहुः प्राञ्चः कमलभवनाद्यास्त्वयि मनः
त्वदासक्तं नक्तंदि्वमुचितमीशानि कुरु तत्॥
“O Mother Eeshaani(Eeshaana means Shiva),
the ancient gods like the lotus-born
(Brahma) and others say that there is no
guarantee of wish-fulfilment(of devotees) from anyone other than You. They say You are able to give even more than asked for.
Hence, my mind is attached to You day and night. Please do what You deem fit.” (13)
44) ॐ ईदृगित्यविनिर्दैश्यायै नमः। Aum eedrik iti avinirdeshyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who cannot be indicated
(avinirdeshyaa) as so and so(eedrik).
She is indescribable and indefinable.This name is same as no.24 seen earlier.
In LS, no.554 is achintya-roopaa. No.616 is
ameyaa(immeasurable).No.413 is aprameyaa(beyond all canons of perception).
45)ईश्वरत्वविधायिन्यै नमः। Aum eeshvaratva vidhaayinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who confers lordship.
This name has three connotations:
a) Even the Lordship of Shiva is due to Her
soubhaagya. Says Acharya Shankara in
Anandalahari in a bantering tone:
वृषो वृध्दो यानं विषमशनमाशा निवसनं
श्मशानं क्रीडाभूर्भुजगनिवहो भूषणविधिः।
समग्रा सामग्री जगति विदितैव स्मररिपोः
यदेतस्यैश्वर्य तव जननि सौभाग्यमहिमा।
“His vehicle is an old bull, His food is
poison;directions,His garment; His
playground,the cremation ground; His
ornaments, the serpents; the whole world
knows about these measly belongings of
the Enemy of Kaamadeva. Despite this
pathetic profile, Shiva has Lordship.
O Mother, this is, indeed, the miracle of
Your saubhaagya. (16).
Verse 7 in Devyaparaadha-kshamaapana
Stotra is similar to the above verse.
b) Devi confers on the devotee, identity with
Her, even before the devotee prays
properly, being so anxious to be gracious.
This is what our beloved Acharya says in
Soundaryalahari:
भवानि त्वं दासे मयि वितर दृष्टिं सकरुणां
इति स्तोतुं वाञ्छन् कथयति भवानि त्वमिति यः।
तदैव त्वं तस्मै दिशसि निजसायुज्य पदवीं
मुकुन्द ब्रह्मेन्द स्फुट मकुट नीराजितपदाम्।।
“Whoever, desiring to pray in words like:
O Bhavaani, bestow Your gracious
glance on me, Your slave, even before he
says ‘Bhavaani tvam’ (and completes the
sentence) You confer on him identity
with Yourself while VishNu, Brahmaa,
Indra and other gods are lighting up
Your feet with their lustrous crowns
(while bowing down to seek Your grace)”.
(The devotee wants to say:: “You,
O Bhavani”, whereas our Universal
Mother, overly zealous to be gracious,
takes the other meaning: “may I become
You” and hastens to bestow saayujya
mukti on him(identity with Her).(A bit
of grammar here).
c). Ishvaratva means all those benign,
auspicious qualities we associate with
God. The gracious Devi endows Her
darling devotee with these qualities,
thus making him a godly man(dev
maaNus in Marathi).In the Gita, these
qualities constitute Daivi-sampatti as
opposed to Aasuri sampatti.
46)ॐ ईशानादिब्रह्ममय्यै नमः। Aum eeshaanaadi-brahmamayyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is one with the five
aspects(or faces) of Shiva, known as Eeshaana etc.
While applying bhasma on our person during sandhyaavandan, we recite five mantraas
invoking the five faces of Shiva, collectively called as pancha-brahma. They are
sadyojaatam prapadyaami…….etc given in our SV book. The five faces are:
Sadyojaata. West. …… srishTi
Vaamadeva. North. sthiti
Aghora South. laya
Tatpurusha. East. ……..nigraha
Eeshaana. Above. anugraha
Devi, as the shakti, is pervading(mayi) these
five faces(pancha-brahma).They are able to perform their assigned functions, thanks to
the shakti imparted by Her.
47)ॐ ईशित्वाद्यष्टसिध्दिदायै नमः। Aum eeshitvaadyashTa siddhidaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, the giver of psychic powers like lordship(over forces of Nature).
One of the tantalising hurdles an advanced
spiritual aspirant has to cross, is the
acquisition of miraculous psychic powers(siddhis).According to Sri RamakrishNa, it is Avidyaa Maayaa testing
the mettle of the aspirant. Most succumb to
these temptations and ruin their prospects.
If the aspirant spurns them and presses forward, says Sri RamakrishNa, Vidyaa Maayaa takes over his charge and leads him
to the summum bonum of existence –
kaivalya(liberation). Hence Her epithet
Anarghya-kaivalya-pada-daayinee(no.926 in
LS)(the bestower of the priceless state of
moksha).
The eight siddhis are:
ANimaa. becoming atomic in size.
Hanumaan availed this power
to enter the harem of
RaavaNa to locate Sita.
Mahimaa becoming big. After entering
Ashokavana by reducing his
size, he regains it.
Garimaa. becoming heavy.
Laghimaa. becoming light. Levitation.
Praapti. materialising objects out of
thin air.
Prakaamya. Wish-fulfilment for oneself as
… well as others.
Ishitva. Control over the cosmic
. elements(forces of Nature)
Vashitva. Ability to mesmerise and
……..,. manipulate people –
VasheekaraNa
Pujya Swami Parijnanashram-III in His early days of tutelage as a Shishya, experienced the flowering of siddhis during His rigorous
AnushThaans. Bhasma, kumkum and flowers
materialised before Him.HE offered them at
the Lotus Feet of Pujya Swami Anandashram.
Pujya Swami Anandashram cautioned the
Shishya Swami Parijnanashram about the
baneful effects of indulging in siddhis and told Him to say goodbye to them forthwith.
(Ref.Ovis 71 to 79 in chapter 60 of Shree
CGP Charitra).
48)ॐ ईक्षित्र्यै नमः। Aum eekshitrai namaha
Salutations to Devi, the onlooker(eekshaNa,
to see).
The mother, says Sri RamakrishNa, spreads
out a lot of toys before the child and becomes its onlooker. If the child, so engrossed in the toys, forgets the mother
altogether, she gets disappointed. Between
spells of play, if the child rushes to her, she is
thrilled. This analogy applies to our jagata-
janani, the Universal Mother too, says Shri
RamakrishNa. The tinsel attractions that
beguile mankind are toys spread out by Her.
Alas, we squander away our entire precious
life in chasing them, utterly forgetful of Her!
Acharya Shankara has given us many memorable verses on the benign glances of
Devi and I am tempted to quote a few here.
In Aanandalahari Acharya says:
प्रभूता भक्तिस्ते यदपि न ममालोलमनसः
त्वया तु श्रीमत्या सदयमवलोक्योयऽहमधुना।
पयोदः पानीयं दिशति मधुरं चातकमुखे
भृशं शङ्के कैर्वा विधिभिरनुनीता मम मतिः।।
“Due to my restless mind, I could not offer
You much devotion. Nevertheless, I need to
be looked at compassionately by You. The cloud pours into the Chaatakaa’s (a bird)
mouth sweet drops of water .O Mother, I am
very much concerned as to how I can coax
my mind to be attached to You.” (9)
कृपापाङ्गालोकं वितर तरसा साधुचरिते
न ते युक्तोपेक्षा मयि शरणदीक्षामुपगते।
न चेदिष्टं दद्यादनुपदमहो कल्पलतिका
विशेषः सामान्यैः कथमितरवल्लीपरिकरैः।।
“O Mother, Your conduct has been always just and righteous. Pray shed Your merciful
side-glances on me very quickly. I have been
initiated into surrender to You and it is not
proper for You to disdain me with indifference. If the wish-fulfilling creeper does not give immediately what is wished for, how then does it differ from the cluster of ordinary creepers? (10)
Here is a gem from Acharyaa’s Soundaryalahari:
दृशा द्राघीयस्या दरदलित नीलोत्पल रुचा
दवीयांसं दीनं स्नपय कृपया मामपि शिवे।
अनेनायं धन्यो भवति न च ते हानिरियता
वने वा हर्म्ये वा समकर निपातो हिमकरः।।
“O Shive, please also drench me, the miserable, with Your long,compassionate look with eyes that defeat in beauty the blue water-lily.By this act, I will feel blessed while You will incur no loss.Indeed, the moonbeams fall alike on a mansion and the wilderness. (57)
49)ॐ ईक्षणसृष्टाण्डकोटये नमः। Aum eekshaNasrishTaaNDakotaye namaha
Salutations to Devi whose desire(eekshaNa) created(srishTa) crores of(koTaya) of
universes(brahmaaNDa).
EekshaNa means to look at and also to
desire. In the name no.48 just annotated, we accepted the first meaning. Now, in no.49, the second meaning is applicable.
Chaandogya Upanishad says:
तदैक्षत बहुस्यां प्रजायेय ।
(Brahman desired to be many)(6-2-3)
Similar references occur in other Upanishads
too in detail, like Aitareya Upanishad(1-1).
Brahman may have desired, but, it is the
shakti who made creation possible. Behind
every successful man, there is an woman –
goes the saying. This holds good in the case
of God too. As Acharya says in Saundarya-
lahari, if shakti is absent, Shiva can’t even tremble!(na khalu kushalah spanditumapi).
Mere sankalpa of creation was enough and
lo, crores of universes came into being.. This is known as sankalpa-maatra-siddhi.
Again and again, such universes arise, linger for a while and then dissolve in Her belly, says Acharya in Gauri-dashakam(यस्याः कुक्षौ लीनमखण्डं जगदण्डं ,भूयो भूयः प्रादुरभूदुत्थितमेव ।(९)
(50)ॐ ईश्वरवल्लभायै नमः। Aum eeshvara-vallabhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is dear (vallabhaa) to Ishvara and to whom Ishwara is dear.
Self-explanatory. No need to annotate.
51)ॐ ईडितायै नमः ।ओ Aum eeDitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is praised(eeDitaa).
Durgaa Saptashati is full of various hymns
praising Her.Kavacha, Argalaa, Keelakam,
Mahishaantakaree Sooktam, Aparaajitaa
Stotra, NaaraayaNi Sooktam, Tantroka Raatri Sooktam – all these describe Her exploits,
Her benevolence etc and praise Her
52)ॐ ईश्वरार्धाङ्गशरीरायै नमः। Aum eeshvaraardhaanga-shareeraayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who shares half the body of Ishvara.
This name reminds us of Ardhanaareeshvara
aspect of Shiva. l
53)ॐ ईशाधिदेवतायै नमः । Aum eeshaadhidevataayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the presiding (adhi) deity(devataa) of Ishvara.
Devi, being Shivaa’s inseparable shakti, is
glorified in this name as His presiding deity.
54)ॐ ईश्वरप्रेरणकर्यै नमः । Aum eeshvara preraNakaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the muse and the
inspiration of Shiva.
55)ॐ ईशताण्डवसाक्षिण्यै नमः । Aum eesha-taaNDava saakshiNyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who was the witness of TaaNDava dance by Shiva.
56) ॐ ईश्वरोत्सङ्गनिलयायै नमः। Aum eeshvara utsanga nilayaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is seated on the lap
(utsanga) of Ishvara.
54)ॐ ईश्वरप्रेरणकर्यै नमः । Aum eeshvara preraNakaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the muse and the
inspiration of Shiva.
55)ॐ ईशताण्डवसाक्षिण्यै नमः । Aum eesha-taaNDava saakshiNyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who was the witness of TaaNDava dance by Shiva.
56) ॐ ईश्वरोत्सङ्गनिलयायै नमः। Aum eeshvara utsanga nilayaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is seated on the lap
(utsanga) of Ishvara.
57)ॐ ईतिबाधाविनाशिन्यै नमः । Aum eeti-baadhaa vinaashinyay namaha
Salutations to Devi who puts an end to all
troubles(baadhaa) arising out of pests (rats,reptiles,locusts, mosquitos, cockroaches etc), pestilence and pandemics (like the current corona).
We pray to Her for ‘sarvaa baadhaa prashamanam’ ( relief from all troubles) and
this covers ‘eeti baadhaa’ also.
58) ॐ ईहाविरहितायै नमः। Aum eehaa-virahitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has no(virahita)
(personal) desire(eehaa).
When we desire something we don’t have, it is eehaa. Devi is nitya triptaa, sadaa tushTaa
and aaptakaamaa(perpetually satisfied, always pleased and has all desires fulfilled).
The Upanishadic sage asks: aaptakaamasya
kaa sprihaa?”What can he desire when he is
already fulfilled?”.(BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad).
59)ॐ ईशशक्तये नमः Aum eesha-shaktaye namaha
Salutations to the shakti of Ishvara(eesha).
Self-explanatory
60)ॐ ईषत्स्मिताननायै नमः Aum eeshat smitaanaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi with a gentle(eeshat)
smiling face(smitaananaa).
She is ever content, ever happy. So, She has every reason to keep smiling.
With this,twenty names with ee( ई) are over.
61)ॐ लकाररूपायै नमः Aum lakaara-roopaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has the form of letter la(ल).
Devi, we have seen, pervades all the alphabets from a(अ) to ksha(क्ष) and hence, is Maatrikaa-swaroopiNee. Naturally, even grammar is Her province. PaaNini, the
grammarian, uses ten la-kaars to denote various tenses and moods. They are:
Example:
lat(लट्) Present Tense (bhavati)
lit(लिट्) Perfect Past Tense(babhoova)
lut(लुट्) Distant Future Tense(bhavitaa)
lrit(लृट्). Simple Future Tense(bhavishyati)
let(लेट्) Only Vedic usage(वेदमात्रगोचर:) says
Prof.Janardana Hegade of Sanskrit
Bharati in his book Dhaatu-roopa-
nandini(page xvi)
lot(ल़ोट्) Imperative Mood(bhavatu)
lang(लङ्). Simple Past Tense(abhavat).
ling(लिङ्) Benedictive Mood(Aashirling)
(bhooyaat)
ling(लिङ्). Potential Mood(Vidhirling
..(bhavet)
lung( लुङ्) General Past Tense(abhoot)
(also called Aorist)
lring(ऌङ्)। (Conditional Mood(abhavishyat)
The above will delight Sanskrit lovers among my readers. These la-kaars are also the play
of Devi Lalitaa, She being Maatrikaa
(alphabets) SwaroopiNi..
62)ॐ ललितायै नमः Aum lalitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi Lalitaa.
Lalitaa, as I said in one of my earlier posts, is the epitome of grace and finesse(laalitya).
There is a saying: “lalitam trishu sundaram”
(that is grace – the beauty in form(kaaya), speech(vaak) and mind(manah). The entire
Lalitaa Sahasranaama is a standing tribute to Her fine taste in art, culture and literature.
“सर्वं अतीत्य ललते इति ललिता” She is called Lalitaa because She transcends the creation and remains always playful.
Metaphysically, Lalitaa is our Atman in its pristine nature as sat-chit-aananda, says
Bhaavanopanishad(an important text on Shree-Vidyaa)(सदानन्दपूर्णा स्वात्मैव परदेवता ललिता ॥(२७)
Another book on Tantra, Tantra-raaja- tantra says: Lalita is the universe personified(lalitaa
vishva vigrahaa).
63)ॐ लक्ष्मीवाणीनिषेवितायै नमः Aum Lakshmi VaaNee nishevitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is being served(nishevitaa) by both Lakshmi(goddess
of wealth) and Saraswati(goddess of learning).
What is the message of this name?
Pride of wealth or learning should not make
grace and gentleness a casualty. Of what avail is wealth or learning if our conduct is rude, rough and. rugged? Be gentle to the
finger-tips – this is the message of Lalitaa.
Be gracious always in thought, speech and deed – this is the call of Lalitaa.
64)ॐ लाकिन्यै नमः। Aum laakinyai namaha
Salutations to Laakini
The presiding deity of MaNipooraka Chakra in the body is Laakini.
Like Paadukaa(paalana, durita chedana, kaamitaartha prapooraNa, each letter
representing a word), laakini is also an acronym. Laa means to take(ला आदाने)
ki means jnaana(कि ज्ञाने) and ni means to
lead(nayati). Devi receives our devotion, confers jnaana and leads us to liberation.
65)ॐ ललनारूपायै नमः।
Salutations to Devi whose forms are the women(lalanaa)
In the NaaraayaNi Sookta, in verse no.5, it
is said: All women are Your different forms:
विद्याः समस्तास्तव देवि भेदाः स्त्रियः समस्ताः सकला जगत्सु।
Kumaarikaa Poojan is a very beautiful way of our adoring Devi in womanhood.
Lalanaa comes from the root लल(ललति ) which means to be playful, sportive,desirous.
This word is a compliment to women. Nature has designed her that way sothat she takes
care of ‘laalana, paalana’ of children (childcare) naturally, spontaneously.,joyfully..
66)ॐ लसद्दाडिमपाटलायै नमः। Aum lasat daaDima-paaTalaa
Devi’s complexion is of the pomegranate flowers – red and white combined(paaTalam)
(shveta raktam tu paaTalam). No.560 in LS is ‘daaDimee-kusuma-prabhaa’ – She has the
lustre of pomegranate flowers.
67)ॐ ललन्तिकालसत्फालायै नमः। Aum lalantikaa-lasat-phaalaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose forehead(phaala) shines(lasat) with an ornament called
lalantikaa.
Lalantikaa has all the nine gems(navaratna) in the centre with pearls around.
68)ॐ ललाटनयनार्चितायै नमः। Aum lalaaTanayanaarchitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is adored(architaa)
by Him who has an eye(nayana) on His
forehead(lalaaTa).
Even Shiva is overawed by Her power and adores Her. Then, what to speak of other gods and human beings!
As is wellknown, Sri RamakrishNa adored Sri
Saradaa-devi (his spouse) as Mother..
69)ॐ लक्षणोज्ज्वलदिव्याङ्ग्यै नमः। Aum lakshaNojvala divyaangyai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose divine limbs(divya
anga) are endowed with brilliant(ujvala) auspicious marks(lakshaNa).
The science of Saamudrika Shaastra(like palmistry) describes favourable and unfavourable marks on the body. Needless to say, Devi Lalitaa has all favourable lakshaNaas on Her.
70) ॐ लक्षकोट्यण्डनायिकायै नमः। Aum laksha-koTyaNda-naayikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who rules(naayikaa) over
countless(laksha koTi) universes(brahmaaNDa, here only the word aNDa is used). Self-explanatory.
71) ॐ लक्ष्म्यार्थायै नमः । Aum lakshyaarthaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the indirect, implied meaning(lakshyaartha) ( of Mahaa-vaakyaas).
Let us take the famous Mahaavaakya: TAT TVAM ASI (THAT THOU ART). This is understood by Jahat-ajahat lakshaNaa. What is the direct meaning? ‘You are God (brahman)”. Obviously, this is not acceptable because God is sarva-vyaapi and
sarvajna and you are alpavyaapi and alpajna HE is sarvashaktimaan and you are alpashaktimaan.There are countless such differences..So we have to give up (jahat) these differences,but not give up (ajahat) the points of identity and common ground , the
common basis: sat chit aananda.
Devi, being His shakti, the above applies to Her too.
72)ॐ लक्षणागम्यायै नमः । Aum lakshaNaagamyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is to be approached(gamyaa) by lakshaNaa(mode of interpretation).
This is just a repeat of no.71 above.
We learn from Sri RamakrishNaa’s life that
when his horse carriage used to pass by ‘red light’ area and those unfortunate women were seen, he used to offer praNaams to them, beholding Mother in them.What is the
meaning? Glorifying their profession? No, at the core of heart, there is identity between
Mother and the fallen woman. It is the same flame of samvit that is shining in both.This samvit is the lakshyaartha. That she is a fallen woman is the vaachyaartha(direct literal meaning). It is in this spirit, for example, the sage offers
salutations to eleven types of crooks and
scoundrels in the Rudraabhisheka mantraas
(namaka section)(3rd anuvaaka).
73)ॐ लब्धकामायै नमः Aum labdhakaamaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has attained(labdha)
all Her desires(kaama).
We have seen Her names like nitya-triptaa and sadaa-tushTaa in LS. She is desireless(no.142 in LS – nishkaamaa).Her only desire , if it can be called a desire, will be to be always with Her Lord. This ‘desire’ can never remain unfulfilled because Shiva and Devi are inseparable. So, She is labdha-
kaamaa, always revelling in a sense of fulfillment.
74)ॐ लतातनवे नमः । Aum lataa-tanave namaha
Salutations to Devi who has the body(tanu) of a creeper(lataa).
Lataa stands for kalpalataa. She is like kakpavraksha. Vraksha is mostly used for
male deities and lataa or latikaa for the
female deities. Devi, the benevolent Mother
that She is, is, verily, a wish-fulfilling creeper for Her devotees. The various hymns that are in Durgaa Saptashati and which we recite, easily entitle Her to be glorified as a kalpalataa.
75)ॐ ललामराजदलिकायै नमः । Aum lalaama-raajat-alikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose forehead(alika) looks radiant(raajat) with ornamental marks(lalaama)(made with musk etc).
76)ॐ लम्बिमुक्तालताञ्चितायै नमः । Aum lambi-muktaalataanchitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is bedecked (anchitaa) with a pearl necklace(muktaa-lataa) dangling(lambi)
(around Her neck).
Self-explanatory
77)ॐ लम्बोदरप्रसवे नमः। Aum lambodara prasave namaha
Salutations to the Devi who gave birth(prasave) to GaNapati(lambodara).
Self-explanatory.
78)ॐ लभ्यायै नमः । Aum labhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is accessible
(labhyaa).
LS says’Bhavaanee bhaavanaa-gamyaa(113)
Devi should be approached with heartfelt
devotion(bhaavanaa).. No.119 says ‘bhakti
gamyaa’ and no.120 is bhakti-vashyaa.
No.118 is bhaktipriyaa. In the Gita also we
find the Lord saying He is bhakti-sulabha.
79)ॐ लज्जाढ्यायै नमः। Aum lajjaaDhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is rich(aaDhyaa) in modesty(lajjaa).
The Aparaajitaa Stotra says: She dwells in all beings as modesty(yaa devi sarvabhooteshu lajjaaroopeNa samsthitaa…)(16)
In LS , no.740 is lajjaa. Modesty, thy name is
Lalitaa.
80)ॐ लयवर्जितायै नमः । Aum layavarjitaayai nama
Salutations to Devi who is devoid(varjitaa)
of dissolution(laya).
Brahman is beyond birth and death. His
shakti, too, is just that. No.739 in LS is
layakaree: She brings about dissolution.How can She herself be subject to laya?
Here end the 20 names beginning with la(ल).
I wish to take leave of la-kaara with a parting gift – the beautiful LALITAASHTAKAM sung by our own nightingale Shivani Haldipur with Meghana Vyankatesh.This Ashtakam is
sung since decades at our Shri Chitrapur Math, Shirali during AshTaavadhaana Sevaa..
This AshTakam is no.122 in the section –
Bhajana Sangraha – in Stuti Manjari.
78)ॐ लभ्यायै नमः । Aum labhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is accessible
(labhyaa).
LS says’Bhavaanee bhaavanaa-gamyaa(113)
Devi should be approached with heartfelt
devotion(bhaavanaa).. No.119 says ‘bhakti
gamyaa’ and no.120 is bhakti-vashyaa.
No.118 is bhaktipriyaa. In the Gita also we
find the Lord saying He is bhakti-sulabha.
79)ॐ लज्जाढ्यायै नमः। Aum lajjaaDhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is rich(aaDhyaa) in modesty(lajjaa).
The Aparaajitaa Stotra says: She dwells in all beings as modesty(yaa devi sarvabhooteshu lajjaaroopeNa samsthitaa…)(16)
In LS , no.740 is lajjaa. Modesty, thy name is
Lalitaa.
80)ॐ लयवर्जितायै नमः । Aum layavarjitaayai nama
Salutations to Devi who is devoid(varjitaa)
of dissolution(laya).
Brahman is beyond birth and death. His
shakti, too, is just that. No.739 in LS is
layakaree: She brings about dissolution.How can She herself be subject to laya?
Here end the 20 names beginning with la(ल).
I wish to take leave of la-kaara with a parting gift – the beautiful LALITAASHTAKAM sung by our own nightingale Shivani Haldipur with Meghana Vyankatesh.This Ashtakam is
sung since decades at our Shri Chitrapur Math, Shirali during AshTaavadhaana Sevaa..
This AshTakam is no.122 in the section –
Bhajana Sangraha – in Stuti Manjari.
देवी अष्टकम् |
नमो भक्त सुर तरुलते देवी ललिते|
गायिका: शिवानी हळदीपूर & मेघना व्यंकटेश
81)ॐ ह्रींकाररूपायै नमः । Aum hreemkaara-roopaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose form(roopa) is the syllable hreem.
Hreem is known as maayaa beeja. It is on par with Aum. Hreem like Hara and Hari stems from the same root meaning haraNa
( हरण) – removal of all that is negative in us
82)ॐ ह्रींकारनिलयायै नमः । Aum hreemkaara nilayaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose abode(nilaya) is
hreemkaara.
No.301 in LS is hreemkaari.
Modesty, thy name is Lalitaa.
83)ॐ ह्रींपदप्रियायै नमः । Aum hreem-pada priyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is fond(priyaa) of the word(pada) hreem.
Just as Aum is the favourite syllable of gods, godmen and ascetics, hreem is the favourite
syllable of Devi and Her devotees.
84)ॐ ह्रींकारबीजायै नमः। Aum hreemkaara beejaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose glory is hidden in the seed of hreem-kaara.
Just as a huge banyan tree is hidden in a tiny seed, the glory and the powers of a devataa are hidden in the respective seed
(beejaakshara). In the case of Lalitaa, the seed is hreem.
85)ॐ ह्रींकारमन्त्रायै नमः । Aum hreemkaara-mantraayai namaha
Salutations to Devi,of whom hreem itself is a
mantra.
Even without any addition of words, just hreem alone, if reflected upon(manana) will protect(traayate) the devotee.
86)ॐ ह्रींकारलक्षणायै नमः । Aum hreemkaara-lakshaNaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose characteristics
(lakshaNa) are revealed by Hreem-kaara.
MaaNDookya Upanishad unravelled the mystery of Aum by dwelling on its triple constituents – a(अ), u(उ) and ma(म). Aum turned out to be a magic syllable, cherishing in its bosom the entire panaroma of Reality.
Hreem also is on par with Aum.
Hreem has ha, ra, ee and ma. These letters reveal Devi’s benign traits, says above name.
Ha stands for the sky. During Pooja, while offering the five Upachaars, we say: ham aakaashaatmakam pushpam samarpayaami.
(ref. page 33 of Devataarchana-vidhi, our Math publication)and offer the flower.
Sky is infinite and so is Devi too. She is ananta. This lakshaNa we get from ha.
Ra is Agni-beeja. We say Ram vahnyaatmakam deepam samarpayaami.
Jnaaneshvar said: triNa agni meLe, samarasa zaale(when fire and the straw meet, the latter loses its separate identity and becomes one with fire). Devi is also firy.
In our dhyaana shloka in Devi-poojan, we read She is ‘analaatmikaa’ and anala means fire. Devi reduces to ash all that is vile, wicked and vicious in our nature when we are devoted to Her. This is the second trait
(lakshaNa) that Ra gives us, Her anugraha..
The third letter ee represents movement(eeng gatau, says PaaNini). She is Prakriti, the kinetic energy of Shiva. Change, flux, is the hallmark of Prakriti. She is not static, nor stagnant. This is the message of ee: keep moving, keep moving(charaiveti, charaiveti). A Vedic text says: look at the sun, he is not lazy at all, so keep moving(सूर्यस्य पश्य कर्माणं यो न तन्द्रयते सदा। चरैवेति चरैवेति ।)(चर एव इति )
Water(also called jeevana in Sanskrit) stinks when it is stagnant. Flowing water stinks not. So is jeevan, our life.
This is the third trait of Devi revealed by ee-
kaara.
Fourth letter is ma. It stands for maati(माति)
(to measure) amd minoti(मिनोति)(to scatter, to spread). She gives us according to our measure, in proportion to our deserts. Her
glory is all-pervasive. It has spread all over.
एतावान् अस्य महिमा (All this His glory, says Purusha Sookta).
This is the fourth lakshaNa revealed by ma.
When we utter hreem, we should keep the above in mind.
87)ॐ ह्रींकारजपसुप्रीतायै नमः। Aum hreemkaara japa supreetaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is pleased with the japa of hreem-kaara.
In the Gita, Shri KrishNa says:. of all kinds of yajna, I am japa yajna(10-25).
88)ॐ ह्रींमत्यै नमः । Aum hreem-matyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who keeps reflecting (manana) on hreem.
This name is no.302 in LS.
89)ॐ ह्रींविभूषणायै नमः । Aum hreem vibhooshaNaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi to whom hreem itself is Her special(vi, vishesha) ornament(bhooshaNa).
90)ॐ ह्रींशीलायै नमः । Aum hreem sheelaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose nature and conduct(sheela) correspond to hreem.
She embodies the lakshaNaas given vide no.86 above.
91)ॐ ह्रींपदाराध्यायै नमः । Aum hreem pada aaraadhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is to be worshipped
(aaraadhyaa) with the syllable hreem(hreem pada)
92)ॐ ह्रींगर्भायै नमः। Aum hreem garbhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has hreem in Her womb(garbha). Hreem is Her child as it were
93)ॐ ह्रींपदाभिधायै नमः। Aum hreem pada abhidhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose name(abhidhaa) is the syllable(pada) hreem.
94)ॐ ह्रींकारवाच्यायै नमः। Aum hreemkaara vaachyaayai namah
Salutations to Devi who is verbally indicated(vaachyaa) by hreem
95)ॐ ह्रींकारपूज्यायै नमः । Aum hreemkaara poojyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is(or can be) worshipped (poojyaa) by chanting hreem
96) ॐ ह्रींकारपीठिकायै नमः । Aum hreemkaara peeThikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has hreem as Her pedestal.
97) ॐ ह्रींकारवेद्यायै नमः । Aum hreem-kaara vedyaayai namaha
Salutation to Devi, who is knowable(vedyaa) through hreem.
Self- explanatory.
98) ॐ ह्रींकारचिन्त्यायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara chintyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who should be contemplated(chintyaa) through hreem.
Self-explanatory
99) ॐ ह्रीं नमः । Aum hreem namaha
Salutations to hreem
.
Self-explanatory
100)ॐ ह्रींशरीरिण्यै नमः।Aum hreem shareeriNyai namaha
Salutatiins to Devi who has hreem as Her body.
Self-explanatory.
Here concludes the set of 20 names with hreem.
In Shree-Vidyaa, this cluster of names with five letters – ka, e(ए), ee, la and hreem is known as VAAGBHAVA KOOTA.
Now begins KAAMARAAJA KOOTA(6 letters
in all) beginning with ha(ह).(each letter having 20 names).
101) ॐ हकाररूपायै नमः । Aum hakaara-roopaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose form is ha-kaara.
Vide no.86 earlier, we have seen that ha-kaara represents the sky, the symbol of infinity. “satym jnaanam ANANTAM brahma” says Taittiriya Upanishad.
102) ॐ हलधृक्पूजितायै नमः । Aum haladhrik-poojitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, worshipped by Balarama, the wielder of the plough(haladhrik).
103) ॐ हरिणेक्षणायै नमः । Aum hariNekshaNaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi with tremulous looks(eekshaNa) of a deer(hariNa).
The tremulous looks evidence Her concern and compassion for us.
104)ॐ हरप्रियायै नमः। Aum harapriyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is dear to Hara(Shiva).
105)ॐ हराराध्यायै नमः। Aum Hara aaraadhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is adored(aaraadhyaa) by Hara(Shiva).
Hara is powerless without Devi, His shakti.
No.54 in LS is ‘svaadheena-vallabhaa’ which
means Her consort is under Her control
106)ॐ हरिब्रह्मोन्द्रवन्दितायै नमः Aum Hari, brahma Indra vanditaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who receives salutations
(vanditaa) from Hari, Brahma, Indra etc(aadi)
This name is no.297 in LS.
107)ॐ हयारूढासेविताङ्घ्र्यै नमः। Aum hayaarooDhaasevitaan- ghrai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose feet(anghri) are served (sevitaa) by ‘ horse riders'(haya aarooDha).
The ‘horse rider’ is a metaphor for saadhaka who has his senses(horses) under control.Such a saadhaka is dear to Devi.
In Kathopanishad, Yama says: indriyaaNi hayaanyaahuh( senses are called as horses).
The body is a ratha(chariot), buddhi is the
charioteer amd mind is the reins. Atman is the owner of the chariot.(1-3-3,4)
108)ॐ हयमेधसमर्चितायै नमः । Aum hayamedha samarchitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is worshipped(architaa) properly(sam) by Ashvamedha.
Ashvamedha does not mean here the widely
prevalent, but erroneous, conception of horse
slaughter(in the name of sacrifice). There are
Vedic mantraas which refer to vital breaths
(praaNa) as ashva. Senses, as already said,
are refered to as ashva. One text says: raashTram vaa ashvamedhaha(the kingdom is ashvamedha).BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad
begins by looking upon creation itself as Ashva and says: Dawn is its head(Ushaa vaa ashvasya medyasya shiraha).
Impure things are called amedhya. In Manu
Smriti(4-53), Manu says: Impure and filthy substances should not be offered to fire(na amedhyam prakshipet agnau). A devotee who has purified his praaNa by praaNaayaama and has also purified his senses – this is ashvamedha – worships
(archati) properly(sam). Look at this RgVedic mantra: ” He who says ,’give me’ and prays for knowledge, he who has purified his vital breaths and senses, and who lives righteously(ritaayate), to him He gives medhaa-shakti” ( see the word Ashvamedha in the mantra given below):
(यो म इति प्रवोचति अश्वमेधाय सूरये, दददृचा संनियते
ददन् मेधाम् ऋतायते)(५-२७-४).
(Courtesy: The book in Hindi by Dr.KrishNalaal – वैदिक यज्ञों का स्वरूप (पशु-बलि के विशेष संदर्भ में ))
109)ॐ हर्यक्षवाहनायै नमः । Aum haryaksha-vaahanaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who receives salutations
(vanditaa) from Hari, Brahma, Indra etc(aadi)
This name is no.297 in LS.Salutations to Devi whose vehicle(vaahana) is the lion(haryaksha)
110)ॐ हंसवाहनायै नमः । Aum hamsavaahanaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has the swan(hamsa) as Her vehicle.
As Saraswati, Her vehicle is the swan.
111)ॐ हतदानवायै नमः । Aum hata daanavaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has killed(hata) many demons(daanava)
112)ॐ हत्यादिपापशमन्यै नमः। Aum hatyaadi-paapa-shamanyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who nullifies sins like
killing.
In the Gita too, Shri KrishNa assures amnesty from all sins(sarva paapebhyo)(18-66). Since the law of Karma is inviolable
and one has to reap what he sows, the only rational interpretation is: God will enrich us with so much forbearance and stamina that,
the consequence of our sin will not affect us
adversely. Secondly, He/She will confer
saatvic buddhi on us sothat we will sin no more(dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat).
No.167 in LS is Paapanaashinee
113)ॐ हरिदश्वादिसेवितायै नमः। Aum haridashvaadi-sevitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is served(sevitaa) by Indra(Haridashva ‘with green horse’)and others(aadi)
114)ॐ हस्तिकुम्भोत्तुङ्गकुचायै नमः। Aum hastikumbhottunga-kuchaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose ample bosom(kucha) is elevated(uttunga) like the
hump(kumbha) on the forehead of an elephant.
115)ॐ हस्तिकृत्तिप्रियाङ्गनायै नमः । Aum hasti-krittipriyaanganaayai namaha
Salutations to the beloved(priyaa) lady(anganaa) of Shiva who has the hide
(kritti) of the elephant(hasti) as His garment
116) ॐ हरिद्राकुङ्कुमादिग्धायै नमः । Aum haridra kumkumaadigdhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is marked(aadigdhaa)(literally, smeared) with
turmeric (haridra) and kumkum.
These are saubhaagya dravya and implication of this name is that She is the
bestower of saubhaagya.
117)ॐ हर्यश्वाद्यमर।र्चितायै नमः। Aum haryashvaadyamaraar- chitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is adored(architaa) by Indra(Haryashva) and others(aadi).
118)ॐ हरिकेशसख्यै नमः । Aum harikesha-sakhyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is a friend(sakhi) of trees(harikesha).
Green(hari, harita)leaves of trees are like their hairs(kesha). In 8th Anuvaaka of Namaka of Rudraadhyaaya, we have Namo vrakshebhyo harikeshebhyo(salutations to trees with green ‘hairs’).
In one of His discourses, the late Paramaachaarya of Kaanchi explained the
above quote from Namaka. Every tree is an oxygen factory and deserves our humble salutations. It imbibes our exhaled impure air
and gives us the gift of oxygen. No wonder,
Mother Lalitaa being Jeeva-daani, treats every tree as Her sakhi.
119)ॐ हादिविद्यायै नमः । Aum haadividyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, approachable through haadi vidyaa.
The word vidyaa here means a mode of
Upaasanaa. In Upanishads several modes of Upaasanaa have been given, all named as Vidyaas – dahara vidyaa, shaaNDilya vidyaa, upakosala vidyaa etc.
If you have seen the layout of Trishati in your copy of Stuti Manjari, you will notice that the opening letter is ka. This sequence is kaadi
vidyaa. If the sequence starts with ha of Kaamaraaja KooTa, it is haadividyaa. As we have seen earlier, we have finished Vaagbhava Koota(ka, e, ee, la, hreem), and are now in Kaamaraaja Koota(ha, sa, ka, ha, la, hreem). The last is Shakti Koota(sa, ka, la, hreem). If the sequence starts with sa(स) of this Shakti Koota,it is saadi vidyaa. Thus, there are three schools. This information I am giving from the book entitled THE TANTRA OF SRI-CHAKRA by Prof.S.K.Ramachandra Rao.
(page xv), a renowned scholar of Bengaluru.
Devi is accessible to all the votaries of above three schools
120)ॐ हालामदालसायै नमः । Au haalaa-madaalasaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is intoxicated and listless having imbibed the wine called haalaa.
Obviously, can Devi stoop so low as to drink some wine? This is not vine, but di-vine(divine). Naarada Bhakti Sootra describes how a staunch devotee becomes
intoxicated(matto bhavati, stabdo bhavati
(.6).It is divine intoxication. Sri RamakrishNa used to experience spells of such divine
intoxication off and on. Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu, too, was blessed likewise.
Whereas such intoxication is vouchsafed to mortals as the consummation of Bhakti, Devi or Deva will always be in such plenitude of joy. Shiva drank Haalaahala, a deadly poison, whereas Devi drank Haalaa, not poison but nectar. She is ‘high’ in spirit (mada). ‘aalasaa’ means lazy, listless. She has no personal desire as we have, so, in that sense, she is at ease, being just an onlooker.
With this name, we have completed twenty names with ha-kaara.
Now begins a set of twenty names with sa-kaara.
121)ॐ सकाररूपायै नमः । Aum sakaara-roopaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose form is sa(स).
स: means He. The Taittiriya Upanishad says:
रसो वै स: ( He is delight). Shiva and Shakti being inseparable, She is He and He is She
122)ॐ सर्वज्ञायै नमः। Aum sarvajnaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is all-knowing.
No.196 in LS is sarvajnaa.
Self-explanatory.
123)ॐ सर्वेश्यै नमः । Aum sarveshyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the Ruler (eeshaa)
of all (sarva).
124)ॐ सर्वमङ्गलायै नमः। Aum sarva-mangalaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who embodies in Herself all (sarva) auspiciousness(mangalataa).
There are plenty of things which are held as
auspicious. Is it possible for us to pick and choose them one by one to make our life
auspicious? Never. It is sufficient if we cherish Her name. The footprint of an
elephant, say our scriptures, encloses in itself the footprints of myriad small creatures.(The maxim of hastipada nyaaya).
Likewise one name of Devi gives us the sum-total of myriad auspicious things.
No.200 in LS is sarvamangalaa.
125)ॐ सर्वकर्त्र्यै नमः। Aum sarvakartryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who does(kartri) everything(sarva).
Creation, sustenance and dissolution are denoted by the word ‘sarva’ and Devi performs these tasks playfully.
126)ॐ सर्वभर्त्र्यै नमः। Aum sarva-bhartrai namaha
Salutations to Devi who fosters and nourishes(bhartri) all.
Self-explanatory.
127)ॐ सर्वहन्त्र्यै नमः। Aum sarvahantrai namaha
Salutations to Devi who performs dissolution
(hanana, laya) of all.
Self-explanatory.
128)ॐ सनातनायै नमः। Aum sanaatanaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is eternal
(sanaatanaa).
129)ॐ सर्वानवद्यायै नमः। Aum sarvaanavadyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is faultless and exquisite in every way(anavadyaa).
130)ॐ सर्वाङ्गसुन्दर्यै नमः। Aum sarvaangasundaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is beautiful(sundari) all over(sarvaanga).
131)ॐ सर्वसाक्षिण्यै नमः। Aum sarvasaakshiNyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the universal(sarva) witness(saakshiNee).
132)ॐ सर्वात्मिकायै नमः। Aum sarvaatmikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the Self of all.
133)ॐ सर्वसौख्यदात्र्यै नमः। Aum sarvasoukhya daatryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the bestower(daatree) of allround(sarva) happiness(sukha).
134)ॐ सर्वविमोहिन्यै नमः। Aum sarva vimohinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who deludes(mohini) all
(sarva) in various(vi, vividha) ways.
We have seen earlier during our study of Durgaa Chandrakalaa Stuti how Devi tests the mettle of socalled jnaanis also by dangling umpteen temptations before them
(kaamini kaanchana of Sri RamakrishNa)
and plunges them headlong into the bottomless abyss of I and mine(mamatva garta).In this role, She is known as Avidyaa
Maayaa, in the words of Sri RamakrishNa.
Showering various(vi, vividha) siddhis on an
aspirant is one such instance of vi-moha.
In the Gita we read: “jnaana is veiled by ajnaana and hence,all the creatures are reeling in delusion(ajnaanena aavratam jnaanam, tena muhyanti jantavaha)(5-15).
135)ॐ सर्वाधारायै नमः। Aum sarvaadhaaraayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the support (aadhaara) of all(sarva).
Self-explanatory
136)ॐ सर्वगतायै नमः। Aum sarvagataayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has gone(gataa) into everything(sarva) as its enlivening essence.
137)ॐ सर्वावगुणवर्जितायै नमः। Aum sarvaavaguNa varjitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is devoid(varjitaa) of all (sarva) faults and foibles (avaguNa).
We have seen no.129 in this series – anavadyaa – which means faultless.
138)ॐ सर्वारुणायै नमः। Aum sarvaaruNaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose complexion is red (aruNa) all over.
In no.66 in this series we saw Her complexion as paaTala like the flowers of pomegranate. Now it is aruNa. How to
reconcile these two references?
In the Rudra Namaka, the mantra no.7, refers to the rising sun, identified with Rudra, as
follows: असौ यस्ताम्रो अरुण उत बभ्रुः सुमङ्गलः। who
is first crimson, then red and lastly orange, who is auspicious. Devi is RudraaNi too, and hence the allusion to Her complexion as
aruNa. This is a passing phase. As the sun
rises higher, these shades disappear.
139)ॐ सर्वमात्रे नमः। Aum sarvamaatre namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the universal (sarva) Mother (maataa).
140)ॐ सर्वभूषणभूषितायै नमः। Aum sarva bhooshaNa bhooshitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is adorned (bhooshitaa) with all (sarva) kinds of ornaments (bhooshaNa)
141)ॐ ककारार्थायै नमः। Aum kakaaraarthaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who embodies the meaning (artha) of ka-kaara.
Ka means happiness. “kam brahma” says
Chaandogya Upanishad(4-10-5)(“Brahman
is happiness”). Devi, being Brahma-shakti, is happiness personified
142)ॐ कालहन्त्र्यै नमः। Aum kaalahantryai namaha
Salutations to Devi ,who turns into universal annihilator (hantri), when the time (kaala) is up for dissolution (laya). One of Her epithets is Kaalaraatri.
Another spiritual interpretation is: She “kills” time in the sense She enables Her devotee to
realise His timeless dimension as Atman
beyond space and time(desha-kaala-ateeta).
143)ॐ कामेश्यै नमः। Aum kaameshyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who rules (eeshi) over desire (kaama).
There are three primary shaktis, natural to Devi – jnaana shakti, ichha shakti and kriyaa
shakti. We have inherited them from Her.
Desire stems from ichha shakti. All the three
shaktis are under Her control.
144)ॐ कामितार्थदायै नमः। Aum kaamitaarthadaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the bestower (daa) of things (artha) wished for (kaamita).
No.63 in LS is Kaamadaayinee.
145)ॐ कामसञ्जीवन्यै नमः। Aum kaama-sanjeevanyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who revived(sanjeevani)
the god of love(kaama)(reduced to ash by Shiva).
We have already covered this vide no.13 earlier.
146)ॐ कल्यायै नमः। Aum kalyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is to be meditated
upon (kalyaa).
Upanishads teach us that God should be the object of shravaNa, manana(reflect on, ponder) and nididhyaasana(meditation).
147)ॐ कठिनस्तनमण्डलायै नमः। Aum kaThinastanamaNDanaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose bosom(stana-
maNDala) is hard(kaThina) .
148)ॐ करभोरवे नमः। Aum karabhorave namaha
Salutations to Devi whose thighs (uru) are round and tapering like the trunk of an elephant (karabha).
149)ॐ कलानाथमुख्यै नमः। Aum kalaanaathamukhyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has an enchanting face(mukha) of the full-moon(kalaanaatha).
The moon has 16 digits(kalaa), 15 visible and one invisible.
150) कचजिताम्बुदायै नमः। Aum kachajitaambudaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose hair(kacha) has conquered(jita) the cloud(ambuda).
Devi’s hair is darker than the rain-bearing cloud.
151) ॐ कटाक्षस्यन्दिकरुणायै नम। Aum kaTaaksha-syandi-karuNaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose glance(kaTaaksha) drips(syandi) with compassion(karuNaa).
152)ॐ कपालिप्राणनायिकायै नमः। Aum kapaali-praaNa-naayikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the beloved(praaNa-naayikaa) of Shiva (Kapaali).
Shiva atoned for His act of plucking out one face of Brahma(for uttering a lie) by turning into a mendicant, seeking alms, holding in His hand the severed Brahma-kapaala as the
alms-bowl. Hence His name as Kapaali.
153)ॐ कारुण्यविग्रहायै नमः। Aum kaaruNyavigrahaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the embodiment (vigrahaa) of compassion(kaaruNya).
154)ॐ कान्तायै नमः। Aum kaantaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is radiant(kaantaa, full of kaanti).
It is Her kaanti we behold in the sun, moon, fire and other luminaries.
155)ॐ कान्तिधूतजपावल्यै नमः। Aum kaantidhoota-japaavalyai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose reddish glow(kaanti) has set aside(excelled -dhoota) lots(aavali) of flowers like the reddish Japaakusum
156)ॐ कलालापायै नमः। Aum kalaalaapaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is fond of discussion (aalaapa) on arts(kalaa).
All kinds of arts(music, dance etc), poetry and prose – these will be the topics of Her
discussion. There is no room for frivolous chatter in Her daily schedule.
There are many, many names in LS, bearing upon Her versatile taste and passion for a variety of arts.
157)ॐ कम्बुकण्ठ्यै नमः। Aum kambukaNThyai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose throat (kaNTha)
(neck) has three lines as in a conch (kambu)
shell. This is considered auspicious.
158)ॐ करनिर्जितपल्लवायै नमः। Aum karanirjita pallavaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose hands (kara) have conquered (nirjita) the tender buds and blossoms (pallava) in softness and such other sweet features.
159)ॐ कल्पवल्लीसमभुजायै नमः। Aum kalpavallee-samabhujaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose arms and shoulders (bhuja) are like (sama) the wish-
fulfilling creepers (kalpavalli).
160)कस्तूरीतिलकाञ्चितायै नमः।, Aum kastoori-tilakaanchitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose forehead is adorned (anchita) with tilak-mark of musk.
161)ॐहकारार्थायै नमः। Aum hakaaraarthaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who represents the meaning (artha) of ha-kaara.
Vide no.86 in this series, we have seen that ha-kaara is Aakaasha-beeja. Devi is infinite
(ananta) like the sky.
162)ॐ हंसगत्यै नमः। Aum hamsagatyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has the majestic gait
(gati) of a swan (hamsa).
Hamsa also represents respiration – the
exhalation with ha-kaara and inhalation with sa-kaara, thus giving rise to involuntary soऽham japa. Devi oversees this movement
(gati) of praaNa.
Hamsa stands for the individual soul(jeeva).
The root हन् has two meanings, one of which is movement(gati). The jeeva moves from one body to another(hanti). Devi is the goal
and the destination(gati) of the jeeva.
In the Vedaas, the sun is also refered to as
hamsa because it moves across the sky.
Devi being the ruler of all, oversees the gati
of sun and all the planets too.
163)ॐ हाटकाभरणोज्ज्वलायै नमः। Aum haaTakaabbaraNa ujvalaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who looks resplendent.
(ujvalaa) with the ornaments (aabharaNa) of gold(haaTaka) She is wearing.
164)ॐ हारहारिकुचाभोगायै नमः। Aum haarahaari kuchaabhogaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose ample bosom
(kuchaaabhoga) looks attractive(haari) with the necklace(haara) She is wearing.
165)ॐहाकिन्यै नमः। Aum haakinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is known as Haakini.
Like Laakini(no.64 in this series), Haakini is also an acronym. Haa is a root signifying tyaaga(haa tyaage says PaaNini). Ki stands for jnaana(ki jnaane) and nee means to lead
(nee praapaNe, says PaaNini). Devi, first of all, enables us to give up our faults and
foibles(doshaapanayana – removal of our dosha) and then confers knowledge and
wisdom(ki) and leads us(ni, nayati) to our cherished goal – Aatma saakshaatkaara.
166) ॐ हल्यवर्जितायै नमः Aum halyavarjitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is free from(varjitaa)
any negative traits(halya).
She personifies all excellences, being Lakshmi, full of auspicious lakshaNaas
167)ॐ हरित्पतिसमाराध्यायै नमः। Aum haritpati samaaraadhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is properly(sam)
worshipped(aaraadhanaa) by the guardians of the eight directions(harit-pati, ashTa dik- paalakaas).
168)ॐ हठात्कारहतासुरायै नमः। Aum haTaatkaara hataasuraayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who killed(hata) the various demons(asuraas) at once(haThaat-kaara).
Doing away with the demons was child’s play to Her. A single blow would send a demon to his doom.
169)ॐ हर्षप्रदायै नमः। Aum harshapradaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the giver(daa) of joy(harsha) in abundance(pra, prakarsha) to
Her devotees.
170)ॐ हविर्भोवत्र्यै नमः।़ Aum havirbhoktryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the enjoyer (bhoktree) of our oblations (havi) into fire during homa, yaaga, yajna etc.
In the Gita, the Lord says He is the bhoktaa
(enjoyer) of our sacrificial offerings(V-29).
During Shiva-poojan we say ‘devo daataa cha bhoktaa cha’ ( God is the giver and also the
enjoyer).
171)ॐ हार्दसन्तमसापहायै नमः। Aum haarda-santamasaapahaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who removes (apahaa) the dense arkness (santamas) enveloping our heart (haarda).
172)ॐ हल्लीसलास्यसन्तुष्टायै नमः। Aum halleesa-laasya santushTaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is pleased (,santushTaa) by the dance (laasya) form called halleesa.
Halleesa is defined as a circular dance performed by ladies,: “naareeNaam maNDalee nrityam budhaah halleesakam viduhu”(The learned call a circular dance by
women as halleesaka).
Halleesaka appears to be what we call today as Gaarbhaa.
173)ॐ हंसमन्त्रार्थरूपिण्यै नमः। Aum hamsa mantraartha roopiNyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who embodies (roopiNee) the meaning ( artha) of the Hamsa mantra.
Soऽham is the Hamsa mantra refered to earlier vide no.162 above. I(aham) am He(saha). This is the meaning. Instead of He, we have She, Devi. Unitive experience with
Her(as in the case of Sri RamakrishNa) is
the goal of the devote.
174)ॐ हानोपादाननिर्मुक्तायै नमः। Aum haanopaadaana nirmuktaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is free (nirmuktaa) from rejection (haana) and acceptance (upaadaana).
Like Shiva, Devi is ever content, revelling in the bliss of Her own swaroopa. Where, then, is the question of rejection or acceptance?
It is the plight of mere mortals like us to
while away our days in this tiresome game of acceptance and rejection – ‘I want this, I don’t want that’.
In the Gita, Shri KrishNa says: ” There is nothing unattained or to be attained by me.
Yet, I am always engaged in work”(3-22)
175)ॐ हर्षिण्यै नमः। Aum harshiNyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is always happy and is also the giver of happiness (harshiNee)
176)ॐ हरिसोदर्यै नमः। Aum harisodaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is regarded as sister(sodari) by Hari.
177) ॐ हाहाहूहूमुखस्तुत्यायै नमः। Aum haahaa hoohoo mukhastutyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is praised by the Gandharva singers in heaven – Haahaa and Hoohoo. It is the duty of these minstrels of heaven to sing the glory of God and Goddess.
178)ॐ हानिवृध्दिविवर्जितायै नमः। Aum haani vriddhi vivarjitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is devoid (varjitaa) of loss (haani) and gain (vriddhi).
Devi is poorNaa(Aum poorNamadah poorNamidam….). The mundane ideas of loss and gain don’t apply to Her.
179)ॐ हय्यङ्गवीनहृदयायै नमः। Aum hayyangaveena hridayaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose heart (hridaya) is soft like butter (hayyangaveena).
God pines for the soft heart of the devotee.
In the 12th chapter of Gita, the Lord lists some qualities that endear a devotee to Him
(yo madbhaktah sa me priyaha)(verses 13 to 19). Mellowed by such qualities, such a heart
is “utterly butterly delicious” to God. The
penchant of BaalakrishNa for stealing butter
illustrates this divine longing for the soft heart in us. That’s why Love is hailed as the
greatest of all in all religions. Love and
compassion soften the heart as nothing else
can.
180)ॐ हरिगोपारुणांशुकायै नमः। Aum harigopa aruNaamshukaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose blouse (amshuka) has the crimson red (AruNa) hue of the Harigopa.
Harigopa is an insect called Indragopa which is reddish all over.
181)ॐ लकाराख्यायै नमः। Aum lakaaraakhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is expressed by la-kaara.
Just as ha is Aakaasha beeja, la is Prithvee beeja. While offering gandha during Pooja, we say: lam prithvyaatmakam gandham samarpayaami(ref.page 33 of Atha
Devataarchana Vidhi, our Math publication).
La represents Mother Earth, Bhoo-devi.
182)ॐ लतापूज्यायै नमः। Aum lataapoojyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is adored with creepers.
The creeper represents all vegetation which is dear to Her. One of Her forms is Shaakambhari(ref.Durgaa Saptashati, chapter called Moorti Rahasyam)(Shaaka means vegetable).During certain festivals of Devi, Gauri Triteeya for example, vegetables in an assorted variety, become Her articles of worship. Vanadurgaa is also a
form of Devi -the presiding deity of forests.
No.118 in this series refers to Devi as a friend of trees(Harikesha-sakhee)(We have already covered this name).The forest(vana)
has always fascinated spiritual seekers due its divine aura.Our major temples have once a year a programme called Vanabhojana – a charming reminder of our kinship with the woods.
One of the excellences of blooming spirituality in a Saadhaka is his heartfelt kinship with Mother Nature. Saint Tukaaraam sang: “All flora and fauna are my kith and kin”
(Vriksha valli aamhaa soyari, vanachare).
Lataaji has made this Abhang most memorable with her sweet lilting voice. I am
attaching same to make your morning a bit
sweeter.
183)ॐ लयस्थित्युद्भवेश्वर्यै नमः। Aum layasthiti-udbhavaeshvaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi, under whose supremacy (eeshvaree bhaava), dissolution (laya), preservation (sthiti) and
creation (udbhava) are going on.
184)ॐ लास्यदर्शनसन्तुष्टायै नमः। Aum laasyadarshana santushTaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is pleased by witnessing (darshana) the performance of dance (laasya).
Devi Lalitaa is a patron of arts as shown by so many of Her names in LS. No.738 in LS is
Laasyapriyaa.
185)ॐ लाभालाभविवर्जितायै नमः। Aum laabhaalaabha vivarjitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is devoid (vivarjitaa) of gain (laabha) and loss (alaabha).
This is like a repeat of no.178 already seen by us(Aum haani vriddhi vivarjitaayai namaha). Devi is PoorNaa. Loss and gain don’t apply to Her or Shiva.
186)ॐ लङ्घ्येतराज्ञायै नमः। Aum langhyetaraajnaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi whose orders cannot be flouted. (But, this meaning has been given in a roundabout way). Orders (aajnaa) of anybody else (itara) other than Devi, may be probably flouted (langhyaa), but not Hers.
187)ॐ लावण्यशालिन्यै नमः। Aum laavaNyashaalinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is exceedingly lovely
(laavaNyashaalini) and beautiful.
No.48 jn LS is Mahaa-laavaNya-shevadhi(ocean of great beauty and loveliness).
188)ॐ लघुसिध्दिदायै नमः। Aum laghusiddhidaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who confers small (laghu) accomplishments (siddhi).
Vide no.47 in this series we saw that Devi
confers eight miraculous powers(siddhi) on
the aspiring saadhakaas. They are in contrast to what the name no.188 above envisages.We need Her grace at every step in our saadhanaa. Her anugraha does not
begin and end with only eight miraculous powers.
There are eight musketeers lurking in us – lust, anger, greed, blind attachment, arrogance, jealousy, egoism(aham) and
mine-ness(mama). Saadhanaa is a long
journey, a long haul. The long journey, however,begins with the first step. If we
manage to rein in these inner saboteurs, by Her grace, one by one, we are recipients of
Her ‘laghu siddhi’. If I manage to put a ceiling on my desires, if my temper tantrums become fewer, if I become more friendly, more loving, more kind, more humble, more generous and learn to say ‘not I, but, Thou, O Lord’ – it means I am being showered with these ‘laghu siddhis’ by Mother Lalitaa.
Saint Tukaaraam says: ” The sign of God’s grace is:. he allows no room for desires or the contamination of mine-ness.He controls
your speech to save it from untruth. He
brushes away the cobwebs of illusion and
delusion, making you realise that the whole
world is nothing but God. He fills all
including Tuka. This, verily, is the sign of His grace.” (Page 31 of ‘Tukaram’s Teachings’ by
Prof. S.R.Sharma, a Bhavan’s publication).
देवाची ते खूण गुंतो नेदी आशा।
ममतेच्या पाशा शिवों नेदी।।
देवाची ते खूण गुंतों नेदी वाचा ।
लागो असत्याचा मळ नेदी।।
देवाची ते खूण तोडी मायाजाळ।
आणि हे सकळ जग हरी।।
पहा देवें तेंचि बळकाविलें स्थळ।
तुक्याचें सकळ चिन्हे त्याचीं।।
The Yogis may hail the eight miraculous powers as Mahaa-siddhis. But, they pale into insignificance when compared to the priceless accomplishment of ‘prasannataa’.
“Keep your mind always prasanna. This
prasannataa is the mother of all siddhis” says our Tukaram(मन करारे प्रसन्न।सर्वसिध्दीचें कारण।). To be always of good cheer, to be
always hopeful, assuring ourselves that we
are not alone, but God and the Guru are our eternal guardians – to maintain this benign
disposition, come fair weather or foul – is no mean siddhi. It. is a mahaa-siddhi, I dare say, though it may pass as ‘laghu siddhi’ as
compared to AshTa-siddhis.
Attached: ‘Mana karaare prasanna’ sung melodiously by Smt.Suman Kalyanpur.
189)ॐ लाक्षारससवर्णाभायै नमः। Aum laakshaarasa savarNaabhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has the complexion
(savarNaabha) of flowing lac(laakshaa-rasa).
Devi has reddish complexion, the colour of lac.
.
190)लक्ष्मणाग्रजपूजितायै नमः। Aum lakshmaNaagraja poojitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is worshipped(poojitaa) by the elder brother of
LakshmaNa (lakshmaNaagraja).
Devi was worshipped by Raama, elder brother of LakshmaNa.
191)ॐ लभ्येतरायै नमः। Aum labhyetaraayai namaha
Salutations to Devi by whose grace the other
(itara) is attainable (labhya).
Devi confers liberation. This goes without saying. What about trivarga(dharma, artha, kaama)? This is the ‘other'(itara). This name says Devi is the bestower of trivarga also.Everyone is not qualified for Moksha.Everyone is not an adhikaari for it.
As the Lord says in Gita, ‘bahoonaam janmanaam ante’ (after several lives), a Jnaani may attain it. For the rest of mankind,the choice is trivarga alone.Devi, compassionate that She is, dispenses to them the ‘itara’ – Dharma, Artha and Kaama.
192)ॐ लब्धभक्तिसुलभायै नमः। Aum labdha bhakti sulabhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is attained (labdha)
easily (sulabhaa) by Bhakti.
There are several names in LS to the above
effect: no.118(bhaktipriyaa), no.119(bhakti
gamyaa), no.120(bhaktivashyaa) etc
193)ॐ लाङ्गलायुधायै नमः। Aum laangalaayudhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has the plough
(laangalaa) as Her weapon (aayudha).
Devi is Bhoodevi(Mother Earth). She is
Shaakambhaari(provider of vegetables). So, the plough, the essential implement in agriculture,cannot but be with Her.
194)लग्नचामरहस्तश्रीशारदापरिवीजितायै नमः। Aum lagna chaamarahasta shree shaaradaa pariveejitaayai namaha
Holding (lagna) the chowri (chaamara) in hand (hasta), Lakshmi (Shree) and Saraswati (Shaaradaa) are fanning (pariveejitaa) Devi Lalitaa.
195)ॐ लज्जापदसमाराध्यायै नमः। Aum lajjaapada samaaraadhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is properly (sam)
worshipped (aaraadhyaa) with Hreem (lajjaapada).
Hree in hreem means bashfulness(lajjaa). Hence, hreem is lajjaa pada (word).
Hreem is Her favourite beejaakshara.It is also called Maayaa-beeja. Her mantraas are prefixed with hreem.
In Aparaajitaa Stotra we read: “yaa devi sarvabhooteshu lajjaaroopeNa samsthitaa…”.
196)ॐ लम्पटायै नमः। Aum lampaTaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is an ‘addict” (lampataa).
Shiva and Devi are inseparable. Both are ‘addicted’ to each other. An addict cannot
give up whatever he is addicted to. Shiva and Shivaa, too, cannot give up each other!
What a magnificent addiction!
197)लकुलेश्वर्यै नमः। Aum lakuleshvaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the Empress (Ishvari) of mankind(lakula).
La is the earth(prithvee beeja). Mankind is
the vast family(kula) on the earth(la). As the saying goes ‘vasudhaiva kuTumbakam’ – the whole earth is one family under the benign
watchfulness of Mother..
198)ॐ लब्धमानायै नमः। Aum labdhamaanaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has received (labdha) respect and adoration (maana) (from all).
Self-explanatory.
199)ॐ लब्धरसायै नमः। Aum labdha-rasaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has got (labdha) – who is – bliss Herself.
The white solar ray undergoes dispersion and yields us sapta-ranga, the vibgyor. Likewise, the Supreme Rasa (yo vah shivatamo rasaha) of Devi is dispersed through the prism of Maayaa into Nava-rasaas that have enlivened and enriched our fine arts and literature. The nine
aesthetic sentiments are:
shringaara. .. erotic
haasya. .. comic
karuNa. ..compassion
veera. .. bravery
rudra. . .. dreadful
bhayaanaka. .. frightening
beebhatsa. .. nauseating,disgusting
adbhuta. …. .. astounding
shaanta. .. peaceful
Thus, Devi is the fountainhead of all rasaas.
200)ॐ लब्धसम्पत्समुन्नत्यै नमः। Aum labdha-sampat-samunnatyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has (labdha) all
prosperity (sampat) at its peak (samunnati).
Here, the sampat does not mean only money, gold etc. As Lakshmi(Shree) She is much more than suvarNa and rajata(gold and silver) mentioned in Shree Sookta. She also
represents ethical and moral values – daivi
sampatti of Gita – the true wealth that we take with us to the Great Beyond. As Saraswati, She signifies the wealth of learning. As Kaali, She is the symbol of
physical prowess, the wealth of bravery that brooks no injustice.
201)ॐ ह्रींकारिण्यै नमः। Aum hreem-kaariNyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is Hreem, the Maayaa Beeja.
No need to dwell on hreem now as same has been explained at length earlier in this series.
202)ॐ ह्रींकाराद्यायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaaraadyayai namaha.
Salutations to Devi, who (symbolised by hreem) is the beginning of creation (aadyaa).
203)ॐ ह्रींमध्यायै नमः। Aum hreem madhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who (symbolised by hreem) is the middle (madhyaa) of creation.
204)ॐ ह्रींशिखामणये नमः। Aum hreem shikhaamaNaye namaha
Salutations to Devi, who (symbolised by hreem) is the end (shikhaamaNi, crown jewel) of creation.
“All this is Brahman”(sarvam khalu idam Brahma) proclaimed the Upanishads. All this mind-boggling creation is the handiwork of
Devi, Her masterpiece. She is, verily, the
beginning, the middle and the end(aadou
madhye cha ante cha)
205)ॐ ह्रींकारकुण्डाग्निशिखायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara kuNDaagni-shikhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the flame (agni shikhaa) emerging from the fire-pit (kuNDa) of hreem.
This is a figurative way of conveying identity
between hreem and Devi.
From this name upto no.220 (except 210)is a literary delight. Devi Lalitaa is portrayed in a charming medley of metaphors. It reminds us of the four names(1 to 4) in Sri DakshiNaamoorti AshTottara(it is in Stuti Manjari).There it is Aum and here it is Hreem.
206)ॐ ह्रींकारशशिचन्द्रिकायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara shashi chandrikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like moonlight (chandrikaa) to the moon (shashi) called Hreem-kaara.
207)ॐ ह्रींकारभास्कररुचयै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara bhaaskara ruchayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like sunshine (ruchaa)to the sun (bhaaskara) called hreem-kaara.
208)ॐ ह्रींकाराम्भोदचञ्चलायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara ambhoda chanchalaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like lightning (chanchalaa) to the rainbearing cloud (ambhaoda) called hreem-kaara.
209ॐ ह्रींकारकन्दाङ्कुरिकायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara kandaankurikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the sprout (ankura) in the tuber (kanda) called
hreem-kaara.
210)ॐ ह्रींकारैकपरायणायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara ika paraayaNaayai namah
Salutations to Devi, whose sole (eka) intent and attachment (paraayaNa) is to hreem-kaara.
211)ॐ ह्रींकारदीर्घिकाहंस्यै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara deerghikaa hamsyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the female swan (hamsi) in the oblong lake (deerghikaa)
called hreem-kaara.
212)ॐ ह्रींकारोद्यानकेकिन्यै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara udyaana kekinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the peahen (kekinee) in the garden (udyaana) called hreem.
213)ॐ ह्रींकारारण्यहरिण्यै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara araNya hariNyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the doe (hariNee) in the jungle (araNya) called hreem.
The above names highlight the importance of hreem in the Upaasanaa of Devi. The significance of hreem has been elaborately explained in this series vide names no.81, 84 and 86.
The ingenuity of Veda Vyaasa (the legendary
author of all PuraaNaas, in this case BrahmaaNDa PuraaNa) in conjuring up metaphors after metapors (till 220 and again from 282 to 298) takes our breath away.
214)ॐ ह्रींकारावालवल्लर्यै नमः। Aum hreem-kaaraavaala vallaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like a creeper (vallari) in the flower-bed (aavaala) of hreem-kaar.
215)ॐ ह्रींकारपञ्जरशुक्यै नमः । Aum hreem-kaara panjara shukyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like a female parrot(shukee) in the cage (panjara) of hreem-kaar
216)ॐ ह्रींकाराङ्गणदीपिकायै नमः । Aum hreem-kaaraangaNa deepikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like a lamp(deepikaa) in the courtyard (angaNa) of hreem-kaara.
217)ॐ ह्रींकारकन्दरासिंह्यै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara kandaraasimhyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like a lioness (simhee) in the cave (kandara) of hreem-kaara.
218)ॐ ह्रींकाराम्भोजभृङ्गिकायै नमः । Aum hreem-kaara ambhoja bhringikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like a female bee (bhringikaa) in the lotus (ambhoja) of
hreem-kaara.
219)ॐ ह्रींकारसुमनोमाध्व्यै नमः । Aum hreem-kaara sumano maadhvyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like honey (madhu) in the flower (sumana) of hreem-kaara.
220)ॐ ह्रींकारतरुमञ्जर्यै नमः । Aum hreem-kaara taru manjaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like a cluster of blossoms (manjari) on the tree (taru) of hreem-kaara.
Here ends the Kaamaraaja Koota(ha, sa, ka, ha, la, hreem)(no.101 to no.220).
Now begins the last Koota in this series,
Shakti-koota(sa,ka, la, hreem)(no.221 to no.300)
221)ॐ सकाराख्यायै नमः। Aum sakaaraakhyaayai namah
Salutations to Devi, whose name (aakhyaa) is sa-kaara.
Vide no.121 in this series we have dealt with sa-kaara
222)ॐ समरसायै नमः। Aum samarasaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has become one
(samarasa) with all creation.
When salt or sugar dissolves in water, it is a state of samarasa. When straw meets fire, straw becomes samarasa with fire, says Jnaaneshwar. Devi’s relation with Her creation is of saamarasya. She has pervaded it within and without.
This word ‘samarasa’ reminds me of a most memorable quote of late DVG(D.V.Gundappa, a renowned Karnataka man of letters). He says: ‘rasave janana, virasave maraNa, samarasave jeevana’. ‘That is the moment of our BIRTH when we are inspired by something aesthetc(music, dance, drama,literature, any craft or piece of art).That is the moment of our DEATH when this aestetic impulse wilts and withers away. That is, indeed, LIFE, when we feel our kinship with everyone around us, imbued with the loftiest of rasaas – love and compassion'(ರಸವೇ ಜನನ, ವಿರಸವೇ ಮರಣ, ಸಮರಸವೇ ಜೀವನ).
223)ॐ सकलागमसंस्तुतायै नमः। Aum sakalaagama-samstutaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is glorified (samstutaa, extolled) in all (sakala) scriptures like Vedaas, Tantraas etc (aagama).
224)ॐ सर्ववेदान्ततात्पर्यभूमये नमः Aum sarva vedaanta taatparyabhoomaye namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the purport (taatparya bhoomi) and the conclusion of all (sarva) Vedaanta.
All Upanishads(Vedaantic texts) speak of
Brahman and His shakti(maayaa).
225)ॐ सदसदाश्रयायै नमः। Aum sadasadaashraayai namaha pls
Salutations to Devi who is the locus (aashraya) of the Real (sat) and the
Unreal (asat).
The world(jagat) is mithyaa, said Acharya
Shankara. It is not permanent. Its basis, its ground and substratum(adhishThaana) is Real.. It is Brahman. Rope is real(sat),
while the serpent it was mistaken for, is unreal (asat).Thus, both the real and the unreal inhere in the rope. Same analogy applies to Devi, the Shakti of God. So, She is aashraya of ‘sat’ and the ‘asat’.
226)ॐ सकलायै नमः। Aum sakalaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has become all this (sakalaa).
In our Shivapoojan, we say: “devaroopamidam jagat”(this world is the form of Deva).Here it is Devi and we can say:
deviroopamidam jagat.
Acharya Shankara in his Bhavaani Bhujanga-prayaata Stotra(it is in Stutimanjari) says:
त्वमर्कस्त्वमग्निस्त्वमिन्दुस्त्वमापः
त्वमाकाशभूवायवस्त्वं चिदात्मा ।
त्वदन्यो न कश्चित्प्रकाशोऽस्ति सर्वं
सदानन्दसंवित्स्वरूपं तवेदम् ।।
“You are the sun, fire, moon, water, sky, earth and the wind. You are the Aatman whose nature is consciousness. Apart from You there is no light. All this is Your swaroopa, which is existence, consciousness and bliss.”(12)
227)ॐ सच्चिदानन्दायै नमः। Aum sacchidaanandaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose nature is sat, chit and aananda (existence, consciousness and bliss).
228)साध्यायै नमः। Aum saadhyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose saakshaatkaara
(Realisation) is possible (saadhya)
This name gives us an assurance that it is possible for us to be blessed with Her love and grace if only we are sincere and steadfast in our devotion..
The concluding words of the famous Purusha Sookta are: “saadhyaa santi devaah”
– it is possible for us to be godlike, to rise from manhood to Godhood, to be living illustrations of daivi sampatti of Gita.
–
In his Bhaashya on BrihadaaraNyaka Upanishad(1-4-10), Acharya Shankara says confidently that what was possible for great sages like Vaamadeva in the days of yore is surely possible for the aspirants now also: God-realisation.
229)ॐ सद्गतिदायिन्यै नमः। Aum sadgati-daayinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who grants (daayini) sadgati(mukti).
She is bhukti(material enjoyment) and mukti
(liberation) pradaayini(bestower) as extolled in Her several hymns.
230)ॐ सनकादिमुनिध्येयायै नमः। Aum Sanakaadi-muni-dhyeyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is meditated upon
(dhyeyaa) by sages like Sanaka etc.
The young DakshiNaamoorti was seated at the foot of the banyan tree and the elderly Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanaatana and Sanatkumaara were seated around Him and were blessed with the sermon of silence by the Guru, says one of DM’s dhyaana shlokaas. Gurushakti is identical with Devi.
231)ॐ सदाशिवकुटुम्बिन्यै नमः। Aum Sadaashiva-kuTumbinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, the housewife (kuTumbini) of Sadaashiva.
The choice of the word ‘kuTumbini’ is significant. KuTumba means family and the wife who looks after the family, who does not shy away from this obligation as an irksome imposition, qualifies to be called as a
kutumbini. Devi’s kuTumba is not small. From Brahmaa to an ant – this is Her family, Her kuTumba. Even the footfalls of a tiny ant
grab Her attention.
232)ॐ सकलाधिष्ठानरूपायै नमः। Aum sakalaadhisThaana roopaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the supporting basis (adhishThaana roopa) of this whole (sakala) universe.
The canvas is the adhishThaana for the portrait. Likewise, Devi is the adhishThaana for this picture we call as the universe.
233)ॐ सत्यरूपायै नमः। Aum satyaroopaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose form (roopa) is Truth.
An Atheist(naastka) may deny the existence of God, but, can he deny truth? So, God is refered to as ‘satyam’ (tat satyam, sa aatmaa) in the Upanishads.Truth is God. It is that Truth that we adore as NaaraayaNa etc.
We say Satya NaaraayaNa Vrata, Satya
GaNapati Vrata, Satya Datta Vrata etc. Do we say NaaraayaNa Satya Vtata, GaNapati Satya Vrata, Datta Satya Vrata? No, because Satya is primary. It is this Satya (Truth) that dons various garbs of name and form(naama roopa) and comes before us, to bless us, as NaaraayaNa, GaNapati and Dattaatreya. So, Devi is Satyaa.
Likewise, Love is God. Can I be an Aastika
(Theist) in the true sense of the term , asks Swami Vivekananda, if I proclaim from the housetops that God is there, but, alas, give a goodbye to Truth and Love in my day-to-day life?
234)ॐ समाकृतये नमः। Aum samaakritaye namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose form (aakriti) remains same and unchanged (samaa).
Her nature as sat, chit and aananda remains the same for ever. Her swarupa as love, compassion etc also remains same. She
is not affected by the vagaries of time. She
is untouched by the six modifications(shaD-
vikaara) which are the bane of all embodied beings.
235)ॐ सर्वप्रपञ्चनिर्मात्र्यै नमः। Aum sarvaprapancha nirmaatryai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has created (nirmaatri) this whole (sarva) universe (prapancha).
Self-explanatory.
236)ॐ समानाधिकवर्जितायै नमः। Aum samaana adhika varjitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has neither an equal (samaana) nor anyone excelling (adhika) Her.
Like Brahman, She, too, is One without a second(ekaa, adviteeyaa). She is incomparable insofar as Her guNa(excellences) and karma (accomplishments) are concerned
237)ॐ सर्वोत्तुङ्गायै नमः। Aum sarvottungaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is towering high (uttungaa) among all (sarva).
Among all the gods and goddesses, She ranks supreme.As we have seen in earlier series, the gods touch Her feet with their heads, lighting up Her feet with their radiant diadems
238)ॐ सङ्गहीनायै नमः। Aum sangaheenaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is devoid (heena) of
attachment (sanga).
She is all-loving, but, is untouched by the paapa and puNya of those whom She loves.Love and moha(attachment) are not the same. In our case, mostly it is moha that masquerades as love. Love is selfless and not ego-centric. No sooner our ego is hurt, our socalled love( which is kaama rather than prema) turns into krodha(anger), as the Lord
points out in Gita(Ch.2-62).
Inspired by love, the Mother acts ceaselessly. but, is not weighed down by the idea of doership. It is so natural, so spontaneous, so effortless. In the words of Gita, it is inaction in action (akarma in karma)(Ch.4-18)
239)ॐ सगुणायै नमः। Aum saguNaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who becomes saguna – with form and attributes – though She is beyond name and form essentially. Durgaa
Saptashati depicts Her various saguNa forms. Besides Kaali, Lakshmi and Saraswati, there are so many forms of Her
in action, battling the demons. It is the same Devi whom we invoke as Durga Parameshwari, Bhuvaneshwari, Raajaraajeshwari and Tripurasundari. She is One, Her saguNa forms, many.
240)ॐ सकलेष्टदायै नमः। Aum sakaleshTadaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the bestower (daa) of all (sakala) our wishes (ishTa).
Here end the 20 names of sa-kaara, the first letter in the Shakti-kooTa. Now begin 20 names with ka-kaara, the 2nd letter
241)ॐ ककारिण्यै नमः। Aum ka-kaariNyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose form is ka-kaara.
We have already dealt with ka-kaara vide no.1 and 141 earlier in this series.
242)ॐ काव्यलोलायै नमः। Aum kaavyalollaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is engrossed (lolaa)
in poetry (kaavya).
Being a patron of fine arts, sometimes it is dance, sometimes music and now poetry that enthrall Her. All such allusions carry a subtle message to us. We, too, should
cultivate a taste for the fine arts. That will be a fitting tribute to Devi Lalitaa, the presiding deity of Lalita-kalaas. l
243)ॐ कामेश्वरमनोहरायै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara manoharaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who attracts the mind (manoharaa) of Kaameshvara (Shiva).
Shiva has mastered (eeshvara) kaama
(desire)..Shiva differs from Jeeva(individual
souls like us) in this respect: God masters kaama whereas kaama masters and
manipulates Jeeva. Kaama, as explained earlier in this series, is not in itself an evil.
Kaama springs from Ichha-shakti which, together with Jnaana-shakti and , Kriyaa-shakti, inhere in God as well as in man, the difference being one of degree,
like the difference between an ocean and a tiny drop of water.
244)ॐ कामेश्वरप्राणनाड्यै नमः। Aum Kameshvara praaNanaaDyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the vital pulse
(praaNa-naadi) of Kaameshvara (Shiva).
This highlights the mutual love of this eternal couple.
245)ॐ कामेशोत्सङ्गवासिन्यै नमः।
Aum Kaameshotsanga vaasinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is seated on the
lap(utsanga-vaasini) of Kaameshvara(Shiva).
This is a picturesque way of showing they are inseparable.
245)ॐ कामेशोत्सङ्गवासिन्यै नमः। Aum Kaameshotsanga vaasinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is seated on the lap (utsanga-vaasini) of Kaameshvara (Shiva).
This is a picturesque way of showing they are inseparable.
246)ॐ कामेश्वरालिङ्गिताङ्ग्यै नमः। Aum Kaameshvaraalingitaangyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is in the embrace (aalingana) of Kaameshvara(Shiva)
247)ॐ कामेश्वरसुखप्रदायै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara sukhapradaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who gives(pradaa) joy (sukha) to Kaameshvara.
248)ॐ कामेश्वरप्रणयिन्यै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara praNayinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the beloved (praNayini) of Kaameshva l
249)ॐ कामेश्वरविलासिन्यै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara vilaasinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who rejoices playfully with Kaameshvar
250) ॐ कामेश्वरतपःसिध्द्यै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara tapahsiddhyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose penance (tapas) yielded success (siddhi) in securing Kaameshvara as Her consort
251)ॐ कामेश्वरमनःप्रियायै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara manahpriyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is dear (priyaa) and pleasing to the mind (mana) of Kaameshvara.
252)ॐ कामेश्वरप्राणनाथायै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara praaNanaathaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, the spouse (literally, the custodian of vital breath) of Kaameshvara
253)ॐ कामेश्वरविमोहिन्यै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara vimohinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has cast a spell (vimohana) on Kaameshvara with Her charm.
254)ॐ कामेश्वरब्रह्मविद्यायै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara brahmavidyaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who represents Brahma-vidyaa(the knowledge of Brahman) of Kaameshvara.
Kaameshvara is Brahman. He is a saguNa form assumed by the NirguNa Brahman.
In Kenopanishad, Uma appears before Indra, Agni, Vaayu and VaruNa and tells them that the Yaksha they saw was Brahman and it was Brahman who gave them strength to win
in their battle with demons. They were humbled by this teaching.This was Devi Uma’s first appearance as Brahmavidyaa
swaroopiNi.
255)ॐ कामेश्वरगृहेश्वर्यै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara griheshvaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is the housewife (griheshvari) of Kaameshvara.
256)ॐ कामेश्वराह्रादकर्यै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara aahlaadakaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who delights Kaameshvara.
257)ॐ कामेश्वरमहेश्वर्यै नमः। Aum Kaameshvara maheshvaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is looked upon as Maheshvari by Kaameshvara Himself.
(He acknowledges Her unrivalled supremacy).
Some of these names sound rather romantic and amorous and one may wonder why they are there. Well, this is the PauraaNika way of conveying to us the truth that Brahman and Maayaa, Shiva and Shakti are inseparable. They are as inseparable as word and its meaning, matter and energy and substance and quality. We should keep this in mind to avoid misunderstanding such names.
258)ॐ कामेश्वर्यै नमः। Aum Kaameshvaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi, Kaameshvari, the spouse of Kaameshvara, Shiva, the master of Ichaa-shakti.l
259)ॐ कामकोटिनिलयायै नमः। Aum kaamakoTi nilayaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who resides (nilayaa) in
Srichakra (Kaamakoti).
260)ॐ काङ्क्षितार्थदायै नमः। Aum kaankshitaarthadaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, the bestower(daa) of all
that we desire (kaankshitaartha).
Aparaajitaa Stotra, NaaraayaNi Sookta etc
describe how much does She give us.
261)ॐ लकारिण्यै नमः। Aum lakaariNyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose form is la-kaara.
We have already come across la-kaara vide no.61 and 181 in this series.
262)ॐ लब्धरूपायै नमः। Aum labdharoopaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is in full possession (labdha) of Her Swaroopa.
In Argala Stotra we again and again beseech Her to give (dehi) us roopa(roopam). What does this mean? Are we praying to Her to
make us handsome, beautiful, physically
attractive? No, our true nature is sacchidaananda. That is the roopa, the profile of Atman. Prema, Shaanti, Dayaa –
these dilineate my form. They constitute my original face when I first dropped down from the lap of God. Alas, how soon did I disfigure
my face! Hence our prayer to Her again and again – ‘roopam dehi’. May You, O Mother, restore my original face!. She can do this
for us because She is Herself well established in the roopa(labdha-roopaa), the name under reference.
263)ॐ लब्धधिये नमः। Aum labdhadhiye namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is fully endowed
(labdhaa) with supreme intelligence (dhi).
in Aparaajitaa Stotra we read “yaa devi sarva
bhooteshu buddhiroopeNa samsthitaa”(She resides within all beings as Buddhi). She can so reside simply because She is Herself fully endowed(labdhaa) with Dhi.
264)ॐ लब्धवाञ्छितायै नमः। Aum labdhavaanChitaayaai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has attained (labdha) all that was wished for (vaanChita).
Devi is PoorNa-kaamaa, Aapta-kaamaa, Satya-kaamaa. She is ever content, nitya triptaa(no.566 in LS) and sadaa tushTaa,
always satisfied(no.921 in LS). Desire, as we
understand it, is alien to Her nature(no.142 in LS is nishkaamaa).
265)ॐ लब्धपापमनोदूरायै नमः। Aum labdha-paapa-manodooraayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is far, faraway (dooraa) from them whose minds are sinful (labdha paapa mana).
She is sinless(no.166 in LS is nishpaapaa)
and, therefore, out of bounds for the sinful.
266)ॐ लब्धाहङ्कारदुर्गमायै नमः। Aum labdhaahamkaara durgamaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is inaccessible
(durgamaa) to those with inflated egos (labdha ahamkaara).
She has no ego (no.161 in LS, nirahamkaaraa) and, therefore, She is out of
reach for the proud and the egoistic.
In the Gita(16-18/19), the Lord says that He hurls such decadent souls into repeated cycles of births and deaths again and again.
267)ॐ लब्धशक्त्यै नमः। Aum labdha-shaktyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has attained (labdha) all that was wished for (vaanChita).
Devi is PoorNa-kaamaa, Aapta-kaamaa, Satya-kaamaa. She is ever content, nitya triptaa(no.566 in LS) and sadaa tushTaa,
always satisfied(no.921 in LS). Desire, as we
understand it, is alien to Her nature(no.142 in LS is nishkaamaa).
268)ॐ लब्धदेहायै नमः। Aum labdha dehaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who assumed (labdha) a body (deha).
As vividly depicted in Durgaa Saptashati, Devi assumed a body from time to time while
battling the demons. She could wield various
weapons in Her several hands because She
was embodied.
269)ॐ लब्धैश्वर्यसमुन्नत्यै नमः। Aum labdhaishvarya samunnatyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, whose wealth (aishvarya)
is at its peak (samunnati).
As explained vide no.200 in this series, the wealth is not just material, but, moral and
spiritual too(daivi sampatti of Gita). Aishvarya also means authority(eeshvaree
bhaava), She being the shakti of Ishvara, the
Supreme Lord.
270)ॐ लब्धवृध्द्यै नमः। Aum labdha vriddhyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has attained (labdha) an increase.
Vide no.178 in this series, we saw She is beyond loss(haani) and gain(vriddhi) since
She is PoorNaa. Then, what does vriddhi
mean in the name under reference?
Here the vriddhi refers to Her rising fame
(keerti) due to Her prowess in eliminating
the scourge in the shape of demons. Devotion, gratitude and loyalty from one and
all kept soaring after Her triumph over all
the negative forces
271)ॐ लब्धलीलायै नमः। Aum labdha leelaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is playful (labdha leelaa).
Creation, preservation and dissolution of the
world is child’s play to Her.
Brahma Sootra(2-1-33) is “lokavat tu leelaa
kaivalyam” which means creation etc is a
pastime for Brahman.
272)ॐ लब्धयौवनशालिन्यै नमः। Aum labdha youvanashaalinyai namaha
Salutations to Devi who has attained (labdha)
youth (youvana).
She is ever youthful(no.430 in LS is nitya
youvanaa). No.358 in LS is taruNi.
Gods and goddesses are called nirjaraa(devoid of ageing). The word used in the name under reference, labdhaa, should
be understood to mean ‘ever attained’.
273)ॐ लब्धातिशयसर्वाङ्गसौंदर्यायै नमः। Aum labdhaatishaya sarvaanga soundaryaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is exceedingly(atishaya) beautiful(sundari) all
over(literally, in all her limbs)(sarvaanga).
274)ॐ लब्धविभ्रमायै नमः। Aum labdha vibhramaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has (labdha) the power of Maayaa (vibhrama). Devi and Maayaa are one and the same.
Vibhrama means delusion.As mentioned in
Durgaa Saptashati, even socalled jnaanis are hurled into vibhrama by Her. “yaa devi sarva
bhooteshu bhraanti roopeNa samsthitaa” says Aparaajitaa Stotra. Bhraanti here refers
to vibhrama, a confused state of mind like
Arjunaa’s in Gita. When the king Suratha and
the merchant Samaadhi came to the sage
Sumedhaa(ref Durgaa Saptashati), they were
reeling in a state of vibhrama.
275)ॐ लब्धरागायै नमः। Aum labdha raagaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has (labdha) love (raaga, anuraaga) for all beings.
As Universal Mother, Her love is perpetual and all-encompassing.
A question may arise as to why She should
bring about vibhrama(delusion)(no.274 above) in us if She is all-loving. The answer is: as we have seen earlier, before She confers a precious gift, She tests the mettle
and the merit of the recipient. Secondly, there is always a silver lining in the vibhrama.
Thanks to Arjunaa’s vibhrama, we are now blessed with Gita. Thanks to the vibhrama
of the king and the merchant, we got Durgaa
Saptashati. Thanks to sage Paraasharaa’s
vibhrama(ref.Satyavati), we got Veda Vyaasa. Thanks to Vishvaamitraa’s vibhrama(,ref.Menakaa), we got Gaayatri Mantra(to make amends for his faltering buddhi, he felt impelled to pray: ‘dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat’).
276)ॐ लब्धपतये नमः। Aum labdhapataye namaha
Salutations to Devi, who always has (labdha) Her consort (pati) with Her.
Shiva and Devi are inseparable.
277)ॐलब्धनानागमस्थित्यै नमः। Aum labdha naanaagama sthityai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the meaning and the message of various scriptures – Vedaas and the Tantraas (naanaa aagama).
Sthiti in the name means ‘presence’. She is ‘present’ in the Vedaas and Tantraas. In the Gita(XV-15) the Lord says: “by all the Vedaas,
it is I who am knowable”(Vedaischa sarvaih ahameva vedyaha). In VishNu PuraaNa, the
Lord says: Shruti and Smriti are my own
commandments.( shruti smriti mamaiva
aajne). The purport of all scriptures is the
Divine.
278)ॐ लब्धभोगायै नमः। Aum labdha bhogaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has obtained (labdha) the enjoyment(bhoga).
Her supreme enjoyment is to rejoice in the
company of Her beloved Shiva
279)ॐ लब्धसुखायै नमः। Aum labdhasukhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who has obtained (labdha) happiness (sukha).
Shiva is Her happiness.
280ॐ लब्धहर्षाभिपूरितायै नमः। Aum labdha harshaabhipooritaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is full(abhipoorita)and brimming with exhilaration(harsha).
Shiva is Her exhilaration.
281)ॐ ह्रींकारमूर्त्यै नमः। Aum hreemkaara moortyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the embodiment
(moorti) of hreem-kaara.
We have already learnt all about hreem when
we covered 20 names from no.81 onwards.
Now let us have another round of pretty
metaphors from no.282 to 298.
282)ह्रींकारसौधशृङ्गकपोतिकायै नमः। Aum hreemkaara soudha shringa kapotikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi who is like a female pigeon (kapotikaa) seated at the top (shringa) of the mansion (soudha) of hreem-kaara.
283)ॐ ह्रींकारदुग्धाब्धिसुधायै नमः। Aum hreemkaara dugdhaabdhi sudhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the nectar (sudhaa) churned out of the milky ocean (dugdhaabdhi) of hreem-kaara
284)ॐ ह्रींकारकमलेन्दिरायै नमः। Aum hreemkaara kamalendiraayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like Lakshmi (Indiraa) seated in the lotus (kamala) of hreem-kaara.
285)ॐ ह्रींकारमणिदीपार्चिषे नमः। Aum hreem-kaara maNideepaarchishe namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the glowing flame (archis) of the jewelled lamp (maNideepa) of hreem-kaara.
286)ॐ ह्रींकारतरुशारिकायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara taru shaarikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the myna(shaarikaa), hopping on the tree(taru) of hreem-kaara.
287)ॐ ह्रींकारपेटकमणये नमः। Aum hreem-kaara peTaka maNaye namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the jewel (gem, maNi) in the casket (peTaka) of hreem-kaara.
288)ॐ ह्रींकारादर्शबिम्बितायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaaraadarsha bimbitaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is reflected (bimbitaa) in the mirror (aadarsha)
of hreem-kaara.
289)ॐ ह्रींकारकोशासिलतायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara kosha asi lataayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the blade of sword(asilataa) in the sheath(scabbard,kosha) of hreem-kaara.
290)ॐ ह्रींकारस्थाननर्तक्यै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara sthaana nartakyai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the danseuse
(nartaki) on the stage(sthaana) of hreem-kaara.
291)ॐ ह्रींकारशुक्तिकामुक्तामणये नमः। Aum hreem-kaara shuktikaa muktaa maNaye namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the pearl (muktaamaNi) in the oyster of hreem-kaara.
292)ॐ ह्रींकारबोधितायै नमः। Salutations to Devi, whose knowledge is imparted(bodhita) through hreem-kaara.
Salutations to Devi, whose knowledge is
imparted (bodhita) through hreem-kaara.
There are three steps to awakening: sambodhana, nibodhana
(inclusive of manana) and then, prabodhana
(awakening).
The Guru addresses(sambodhana) the shishya. The shishya attentively listens
(nibodhana) and reflects(manana) thereon and then the awakening(prabodhana, also
called nididhyaasa) takes place. This name
under reference(no.292) says: Understand
all the wealth of meaning that is hidden in
the tiny syllable called hreem and you will
be awakened(prabodhita).Like Aum, hreem, too, is a password to awakening. Like Aum,
for which an entire MaaNDookya Upanishad is dedicated, hreem, too, is the entire cosmos in a capsule.
293)ॐ ह्रींकारमयसौवर्णस्तम्भविद्रुमपुत्रिकायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaaramaya souvarNa stambha vidruma putrikaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the coral (vidruma) doll (putrikaa) carved in the golden (souvarNa) pillar (stambha) of hreem-kaara.
294)ॐ ह्रींकारवेदोपनिषदे नमः। Aum hreem-kaara vedopanishade namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the Upanishad (the secret, esoteric teaching) of the Vedaas denoted by hreem-kaara.
If hreem is Veda, Devi is Upanishad, the essence of Veda.
295)ॐ ह्रींकारध्वरदक्षिणायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaaraadhvara dakshiNaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like dakshiNaa in the sacrifice (adhvara) called hreem-kaara.
DakshiNaa is the honorarium given to the
priest at the end of a religious rite to mark the completion of the rite and the fulfilment
of the vow. The act of presentation should be in a mood of humility and utmost courtesy
(daakshiNya) and hence its name dakshiNaa.
296)ॐ ह्रींकारनन्दनारामनवकल्पकवल्लर्यै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara nandanaaraama nava kalpaka vallaryai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the fresh (nava) wish-fulfilling creeper (kalpakavalli) in the celestial (heavenly) garden (aaraama) called nandana, denoted by hreem-kaara.
297)ॐ ह्रींकारहिमवद्गङ्गायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara himavad gangaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the river Gangaa for the Himaalaya (Himavat) of
hreem-kaara.
Gangaa, the river, rises from Himaalayaas.
The latter manifests the purifier, river Gangaa. Likewise, hreem, the seed-syllable(beejaakshara) manifests Devi, the perpetual purifier.
298)ॐ ह्रींकारार्णवकौस्तुभायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara arNava koustubhaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is like the Kaustubha gem, emanating from the milky
ocean (arNava) of hreem-kaara.
The legendary samudra-mathana(churning of the ocean) of ksheera-saagara yielded fourteen precious articles. KaustubhamaNi was one of them. VishNu wore it on His chest.
299)ॐ ह्रींकारमन्त्रसर्वस्वायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara mantra sarvasvaayai namaha.
Salutations to Devi, whose sole property and possession (sarvasva) is the beeja-mantra
called hreem. It is Her most precious and
prized ownership.
300)ॐ ह्रींकारपरसौख्यदायै नमः। Aum hreem-kaara para soukhyadaayai namaha
Salutations to Devi, who is the bestower (daa) of happiness (soukhya) to those who are devoted (para) to hreem-kaara.
Those devotees, duly initiated into the japa of hreem, are recipients of Her grace. Devi will shower them with perpetual happiness.
SRI LALITAA TRISHATI
Those devotees, duly initiated into the japa of hreem, are recipients of Her grace. Devi will shower them with perpetual happiness.
Thus ends Sri Lalitaa Trishati. I began this rather challenging composition on 8th October, 2020 and have successfully concluded it on 30th November,2020.
Let us take leave of this literary gem by
listening to Sri Lalitaa Pancharatnam. A video is attached. This stotra is in our
Stutimanjari with the name Lalitaa Panchakam.
SRI LALITAA TRISHATI CONCLUDED
AUM LALITAAYAI NAMAHA