Lalita Sahasranama
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Lalita Sahasranama (
Lalita Tripura Sundari | |
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It is a principal text of
Etymology and names
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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
The names are organized as hymns, or
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.[citation needed]
Composition
Lalita Sahasranama is said to have been composed by the eight vaag
Structure
The verses (
Srishti karthri brahma roopa gopthri-govinda-roopini samharini-rudrha-roopa thirodhanakareeswari sadashivaa-anugrahadha Pancha krithya parayana[This quote needs a citation]
This means Devi is an aspect of
The next names – "chidhagnikunda sambhutha devakarya samudhyatha" tells us that devi arose from the fire of knowledge to help devas in their task (war against asuras – bhandasura). From the nama- Udhyath bhanu sahasraba till sinjanamani manjeera manditha sree padambuja, all her parts like her face, forehead, eyes, mouth, tongue, voice, hands and legs have been described.Thereafter, Devi's place (Chintamani gruham), her war against bandasura, kundalini shakti, and her properties have been described. A common image of the goddess depicts a parrot and a sugarcane with her. Sugarcane represents the sweetness of her mind.[citation needed]
Commentaries
There are five known commentaries on the root text. These were written by:[5]
- Vimarśānanadanātha, about 2,000 granthas (a verse containing 32 letters);
- 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 (the person reciting the Sahasranama) 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" (Kesadi Padam). 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
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 (28), beautiful breasts (33), and perfect thighs (39) which steal the heart of Kameshvara; she wears a mangal sutra and necklaces (30), 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" (who is the unification of Siva and Shakti). 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
Description
Sri Nagara is surrounded by twenty five walls, each wall representing a
In the center of Sri Nagara is the Maha Padma Atavi (59), the forest of the Great Lotuses, and within it the Chintamani Griha (57), 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
Bhandasura
One of the main events extolled in the Lalita Sahasranama is Devi's battle with the
The Five Works of God and the Trimurti
In the Lalitha Sahasranama, Devi herself has been described as "pancha krtya parayana" (274). This is in reference to the five works of God (pancha krtyam): creation (
264: Om Srishti Kartryai Namah // ...who is the Creator.
265: Om Brahma Rupayai Namah // ...who is in the form of Brahma
266: Om Goptryai Namah // ...who protects.
267: Om Govinda Rupinyai Namah // ...who has assumed the form of Govinda for the preservation of the universe.
268: Om Samharinyai Namah // ...who is the destroyer of the universe.
269: Om Rudra Rupayai Namah // ...who has assumed the form of Rudra for the dissolution of the universe.
270: Om Tirodhana Karyai Namah // ...who causes the disappearance of all things.
271: Om Isvaryai Namah // ...who protects and rules everything as Ishvara.
272: Om Sada Shivayai Namah // ... one who is always auspicious Shiva.
273: Om Anugraha dayai Namah // ...who confers blessing (in the form of liberation).[This quote needs a citation]
Devi is therefore described as an aspect of
The Yoginis
The first 60 names from 475 to 534 discuss the seven chakras of kundalini and sahasrara. Each chakra is presided over by a deity called a yogini (with seven in total). Lalita herself is described as being present in the form of the kundalini energy (the divine feminine energy at the muladhara chakra at the bottom of the spine). Since the kundalini energy has to transcend the other chakras to reach the sahasrara chakra (a representation of Siva or the divine masculine energy) from the muladhara chakra, worshipping the respective yoginis of each chakra is paramount. Each of these yoginis have their own mantras describing their complexion, armories, qualities, and sacred foods within the Lalita Sahasranama as a whole.
See also
References
- ^ Tagare 1958a.
- ^ Joshi 1997, p. 1286ff.
- ^ Yelle 2012, p. 73.
- ^ Tagare 1958b.
- ^ Sastry 1970, pp. xiv–xv.
- Works cited
- Joshi, Makarand (1997) [1952]. The Narada-Purana: Part III. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt.
- Sastry, R. Anantakrishna, tr. (1970). Lalitā-sahasranāman with Bhāskararāya's Commentary: Translated into English. Adyar, Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House. ISBN 978-0835670364.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - Tagare, G. V. (1958a). The Brahmanda Purana. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt.
- Tagare, G. V. (1958b). "Chapters 41-44". Lalitopakhyana. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt.
- Yelle, Robert A. (2012). Semiotics of Religion: Signs of the Sacred in History. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-1441104199.
Further reading
- Brooks, Douglas Renfrew (1990). The Secret of the Three Cities: An Introduction to Hindu Sakta Tantrism. Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0226075709.
- Brooks, Douglas Renfrew (1992). Auspicious Wisdom: The Texts and Traditions of Srividya Sakta Tantrism in South India. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0791411469.
- Brooks, Douglas Renfrew (2002). "Auspicious Fragments and Uncertain Wisdom: The Roots of Śrīvidya Śākta Tantrism in South India". In Harper, Katherine Anne; Brown, Robert L. (eds.). The Roots of Tantra. State University of New York Press. pp. 57–76. ISBN 978-0791453063.
- Rao, S. K. Ramachandara (2012). Lalitaarchana-Chandrika, Hymns to Lalita, Form of Tripurasundari. Lala Murari Lal Chharia Oriental Series. Delhi: Divine Books. ISBN 978-93-81218-45-7.
- Wilke, Annette; Moebus, Oliver (2011). "1.5.3.1 Modes and Multi-Dimensionality of Acoustic Piety". Sound and Communication: An Aesthetic Cultural History of Sanskrit Hinduism. Germany: De Gruyter. pp. 92–102. ISBN 978-3110240030.
External links
- Word by word - Śrī Lalitā Sahasranāma Stotra Mālā in IASTscript.
- Lalita Sahasra Namam as Translated by P. R. Ramachander