Lalita Sahasranama
The Lalita Sahasranama is a Hindu religious text that enumerates the thousand names of Mother Goddess Lalita, which are held sacred in Hinduism particularly in Shaktism, the tradition focused on the worship of the Divine Feminine. The text is written in Sanskrit and is a part of the Brahmanda Purana, an ancient scripture that explores the cosmic creation and the divine order of the universe. The names describe the goddess' various attributes, accomplishments, and symbolism in the form of mantras usually chanted or sung as a hymn.
Lalita Devi, often known as Tripura Sundari, is a form of Shakti worshipped as the beautiful consort of Lord Shiva and a significant deity in the Hindu pantheon. She is considered the supreme manifestation of feminine energy and is known as the epitome of beauty, grace, power, and compassion. She is also seen as the source of the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe, embodying the entire cycle of existence.
Etymology and names
Etymologically, Lalita means 'She who plays'. In its root form, the word Lalita means 'spontaneous' which is implicitly extended to 'play'. Her thousand names use occasional wordplay.The names are organized as hymns, or stotras, but are often broken into mantras to represent all 1000 names. Therefore, the Sahasranama can be chanted in stotra form, or namavali form. The Lalita Saharanama is one of the only sahasranamas that has exactly 1000 names without repetition.
Generally, sahasranamas use the artifice of adding words like tu, api, ca, and hi, which are conjunctions that do not necessarily add to the meaning of the name except in cases of interpretation. The Lalita Sahasranama does not use any such auxiliary conjunctions and is unique in being an enumeration of holy names that meets the metrical, poetical and mystic requirements of a sahasranama by their order throughout the text.
Composition
Lalita Sahasranama is said to have been composed by the eight Vaagdevis upon the command of the goddess Lalita herself. The text says that "One can worship Lalita only if she wishes us to do so." This stotra occurs in the Brahmanda Purana in the chapter of discussion between Hayagriva and Sage Agasthya in Kanchipuram. Hayagriva is an incarnation of Vishnu with the head of a horse and is held to be the storehouse of knowledge. Agasthya is one of the sages of yore and one of the stars of the constellation Saptarishi. At the request of Agasthya, Hayagriva is said to have taught him the thousand holiest names of Lalita. The temple at Thirumeyachur, near Kumbakonam, is said to be where Agastya was initiated into this sahasranama. An alternative origin is that the Upanishad Bramham Mutt at Kanchipuram is where this initiation happened.Structure
The verses are organized in such a way that Devi is described from head to feet. There are basically five works. They are creation, protection, destruction, hiding, and blessing. Devi herself has been described as "pañcakṛtya-parāyaṇa" in the verse, and her five tasks are described as follows:This means Devi is an aspect of Brahma while creating, an aspect of Vishnu while sustaining, and an aspect of Shiva during dissolution. These five entities are known as pañca-brahma, or the five Brahmas. Lalita has designated the five functions to these brahma. Sometimes, Devi will take away the life from these five Brahmas and make them inactive, performing all the five tasks herself. At that time, they will be called "pancha preta" that is lifeless bodies. The first three slokas are: Srimata – srshti; Sri Maharajni – sthithi; Srimat Simhasaneswari – samharam. The rest of the slokas cover thirodhanam and anugraham.
The next names – "chid-agni-kunda sambhootha deva-kaarya samudyatha" tells us that the goddess arose from the fire of knowledge to help the gods in their war against the demon Bhandasura. From the verse - Udyad-bhaanu sahasraabha till shinjaana-mani manjeera manditha shri padaambuja, all her parts like her face, forehead, eyes, mouth, tongue, voice, hands and legs have been described. Thereafter, The goddess's abode, her war against Bhandasura, Her use of the Kundalini Shakti, and her properties have been described.
A common image of the goddess depicts a crowned beautiful woman, having a red complexion with three eyes, bedecked in red clothes and exquisite jewellery, adorned with kumkum, turmeric powder and a mangalsutra, having four hands which hold a noose, goad, flower arrows with a parrot sitting on it and a sugarcane bow, which represents the sweetness of her mind. She is seated on the throne named Chintamani, with her right leg on the ground, decorated with the Sri Yantra. The goddess is sometimes seated in the lap of her husband Shiva known as Kameshwara in this form, the legs of the throne are made of the bodies of the gods Brahma, Vishnu, Shankara and Rudra. On either side of goddess Lalita are the goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati, as her servants. Her sons Ganesha and Kartikeya are seated on the base of the throne's pedestal as her guardians.
Commentaries
There are five known commentaries on the root text. These were written by:- Vimarśānanadanātha, about 2,000 granthas ;
- Vidyāraṇya Munīśvara, about 1,500 granthas;
- Bhaṭṭa Nārāyaṇa, about 2,500 granthas;
- Śaṅkara, mundane and not considered of much importance;
- Bhāskararāya, references the previous commentaries, esp. the first.
Key concepts
Dhyana
The start of the Lalita Sahasranama is characterized by the Dhyana, which are descriptive verses for visualization. There are four dhyana verses. It describes the yogi as meditating upon the form of Lalita and describes many of the qualities of the goddess. The Dhyana is said before chanting the thousand names.The first verse starts with "sinduraruna-vigraham" and is most likely the verse composed by the eight Vaag Devis. The second verse beginning with "arunam karuna-tarangatakshim" is said to have been composed by Dattatreya. The fourth, beginning with "sakumkuma-vilepanam", was probably composed by Adi Sankaracharya. No known information is available on the origins of the third verse beginning with "dhyayet padmasanastham". In all the dhyana verses there is a recurring theme on Devi's red complexion, which is said to resemble the sun at dawn, and her compassionate nature.
Lalita
The Lalita Sahasranama is organized in such a way that Devi is described from "Head to Toe". The names then go on to extoll Devi in all her achievements, powers, and forms.Physical description
The Lalita Sahasranama goes into great detail describing the physical aspect of the goddess. The beginning of the Sahasranama describes Lalita in her female form, Kameshvari, along with her consort, Kameshvara. Kameshvari is described as extremely beautiful, having dark thick long hair adorned with champaka, ashoka, punnaga and saugandha flowers, having a musk tilak on her forehead, and having eyebrows which appear as if they are the arch gates of Kamadeva's abode. The next few mantras continue describing Lalita Devi as the ideal feminine form whose splendor is unmatched by any other celestial: with cheeks that shine like a mirror of Padmaraga, having beautiful white teeth resembling the shodasakshari mantra, and having a voice sweeter than the sound emanating from Kachchapi, the veena of Saraswati. The last mantra describing Devi's physical appearance is the 46th name, "sinjana mani majira mandita sripadambuja".Kameshvara and Kameshvari
The next few names then continue to focus on the union between Lalita as Kameshvari, and Kameshwara. Devi is described as having a beautiful smile, beautiful breasts, and perfect thighs which steal the heart of Kameshvara; she wears a mangal sutra and necklaces, with succeeding names describing the lower half of Devi's body to her feet. This divine couple continues to stay united throughout the Sahasranama; the penultimate name is "sivasakti aikya rupini". As per Hindu philosophy, it is understood that there is nothing beyond this union of Siva and Shakti, or the Absolute form, except the true goddess Lalita herself. This is why the last name of the Sahasranama is "Lalitambika" effectively showing that Devi's form as Lalitambika is her most absolute form.The City of Sri Nagara
Origins
At the behest of name 57, the divine city of Sri Nagara is described in all its splendor. The origins of the city can be traced to two different texts. One is in Durvasa's Lalithastavaratna, saying that Sri Nagara was constructed by celestial architect Visvakarma. The other, in the Rudra Yamala, says that Sri Nagara is in the midst of an ocean of milk as an island called Ratnadvipa. This description fits name 61, "sudha sagara madhyasta," which describes Devi as residing in the middle of the ocean of nectar.Description
Sri Nagara is surrounded by twenty five walls, each wall representing a tattva. Sri Nagara has 25 streets circling it, made of elements, gems, and precious stones. In the eighth street is a forest of kadambas presided by Mantrini . On the fifteenth street resides the eight directional guardian deities. In the sixteenth resides Varahi who was Lalita's commander in chief in her battle with Bhandasura. In the seventeenth street resides the different Yoginis. In the eighteenth street resides Maha Vishnu. In the nineteenth street resides Esana, in the twentieth resides Tara Devi, in twenty first resides Varuni, in the twenty second resides Kurukulla who presides over the fort of pride, in twenty third resides Marthanda Bhairava, in twenty fourth resides the moon, and in the twenty fifth resides Manmatha presiding over the forest of love.In the center of Sri Nagara is the Maha Padma Atavi, the forest of the Great Lotuses, and within it the Chintamani Griha, a palace constructed out of Cintamani, the wish fulfilling gem. The palace is said to be on the northern side of Sri Nagara; to its north east is the Chid-agni kunda and on both sides of its eastern gate are the houses of Mantrini and Dandini. On its four gates stand the Chaduramnaya gods for watch and ward.
The Sri Chakra and Lalita herself are said to reside within the Chintamani Griha. The chakra is said to be made up of the following components, all represented in its decorative features: the square representing Trilokya Mohanam, the sixteen petaled lotus called the Sarvasa paripoorakam, the eight petaled lotus called the Sarvasamksopanam, the sixteen cornered figure representing Sarva Saubhagyam, the external ten cornered figure called the Sarvartha Sadhakam, the internal ten cornered figure called Sarva Raksha Karam, the eight cornered figure called the Sarva Roga Haram, the triangle called the Sarva Siddhi Pradam, and the central dot known as the Sarvananda Mayam or the Bindu. In the center of the Chakra, on the throne of the Pancha Brahmas on the Bindu Peeta sits Maha Tripura Sundari.