PREAMBLE - 3 (contd.)

औम् ह्रीम् श्रीदेवी नमः

14 January 2016

श्री ललिताम्बिका (śrī lalitāmbikā) has ten sahasranāma-s dedicated to her: 
गन्गा (gangā), गायत्री (gāyatrī), श्यामला (śyāmalā), लक्ष्मी (lakṣmī), कालि (kāli), बाला (bālā), ललिता (lalitā), राजराजेश्वरी (rājarājeśvarī), सरस्वती (sarasvatī), and भावनी (bhāvanī).

The very structure of the śrī lalitā sahasranāma is a sublime beauty. The Madhya bhāg comprising of 182.5 verses are split to give the 1,000 nāmā-s – beginning with श्री माता (Śri Mātā) and ending with ललिताम्बिका (Lalitāmbikā). None of the names are repeated and each is distinct. Word endings like tu, eva etc. are not present. Many compound verses containing several names together also gives meaning as a single compound name.

The general structure is as follows:

पुर्व भाग् (Purva Bhaḡ) - 51 verses
- तपिनी कला (Tapinee Kalā)

मध्य भाग् (Madhya Bhāg) – 182.5 verses
- तापिनी कला (Tāpinee Kalā)
- धूम्रिका कला (Dhoomrikā Kalā)
- मरीचि कला (Mareechi Kalā)
- ज्वालिनी कला (Jvālinee Kalā)
- रुचि कला (Ruchi Kalā)
- शुशुम्ना कला (Shushumnā Kalā)
- भोगता कला (Bhogatā Kalā)
- विश्वा कला (Vishvā Kalā)
- भोदिनी कला (Bhodinee Kalā)
- धारिनी कला (Dhāriṇee Kalā)

उत्तर भाग् (Uttara Bhā) – 82.5 verses
- क्शमा कला (Kshamā Kalā)

Totaling – 320 verses.

A ढ्यान (Dhyāna) section containing 4 verses is said before beginning the main recital portion.

Sanskrit has 51 alphabets and 32 alphabets are used to being the Nāmā-s, and the remaining 19 are not used. The reason for why these remaining are not used is not known. The alphabets are mapped to the Vāgdevī-s in different proportions. In Sanskrit, there is a separate goddess for each alphabet.

The Purva Bhāg is in the form of a dialog between श्री ह्यग्रिव (Śrī Hayagrīva) and the अगस्त्य मुनी (Sage Agastya) and the conversation is described in the 51 verses.

Sanskrit corpus has the सलक्शर सुत्र (Salakśara sūtra-s) containing 24 aphorisms. These were lost. श्री नरसिम्ह नाध (Śrī Narasiṃha Nādha) composed the 40 verses known as the परिभास स्तोत्र (Paribhāṣa Stotra) which provides the insight and rules as how to interpret the 182.5 verses as 1,000 distinct Nāmā-s of Śrī Devī. Without the Paribhāsa verses it would not have been possible to get the 1,000 Nāmā-s from the Madhya Bhāg verses.

The Paribhāsa verses are an extremely complex study that provides a remarkable insight into the depth of the Sanskrit language.

For example, considering the 1,000th Nāmā - ललिताम्बिका (Lalitāmbikā). This contains 5 alphabets – (ल - la, लि - li, ताम् - tām, बि - bi, का - kā). According to the Paribhāsa verses, this Nāma should contains 6 alphabets. To remedy this, औम् (Aum) is also taken into account to arrive at the correct meaning.

औम् ह्रीम् श्रीदेवी नमः

PREAMBLE - 2 (contd.)

औम् ह्रीम् श्रीदेवी नमः

13 January 2016

The श्री ललिता सहस्रनाम (śrī lalitā sahasranāma) is in the ललितोपाख्यान (lalitopākhyāna) of the उत्तर कान्दा (uttara kāndā) of the स्रीमद् ब्रह्मान्ड पुरान (srīmad brahmānḍa purāna). The śrī lalitopākhyāna contains divisions like मन्त्र कान्ड (mantra kānḍa),पूजा कान्ड (pūjā kānḍa),पुरश्चरण कान्ड (puraścaraṇa kānḍa),होम कान्ड (homa kānḍa),रहस्य कान्ड (rahasya kānḍa) and स्तोत्र कान्दा (stotra kāndā). The śrī lalitā sahasranāma occurs in the stotra kāndā.

It is said that the eight वाग्देवी (vāgdevī-s) compiled the śrī lalitā sahasranāma in order ordered by श्रीदेवी (śrīdevī) Herself. The vāgdevī-s are only the speech form of śrīdevī.

The eight vāg devī-s are: वाशिनी (vāsini), कामेश्वरी (kāmeśvari), मोधिनी (modhinī), विमला (vimalā), अरुना (arunā),जैनी (jainī), सर्वेश्वरी (sarveśvarī) and कोउलिनी (koulinī).

As to the question as to why śrīdevī Herself would order the vāgdevī-s to compose the sahasranāma elucidating Her glory, one interpretation is as follows. It means that without Her grace, it would not be possible to understand the sublime beauty of the śrī lalitā sahasranāma.

औम् ह्रीम् श्रीदेवी नमः

PREAMBLE - 1

औम् नमो भगवते श्री रमणाय ॥

10 January 2016

PREAMBLE

In the biography of Sri Adi Sankara, the following incident is noted. When Sri Adi Sankara wanted to write a commentary on Sri Lalitha Sahasranama, he asked a girl to go and fetch ‘the Sahasranama’. The girl returned with Sri Vishnu Sahasranama. Acharya sent the girl back to fetch the the Sahasranama of Sri Devi, but the girl again returned with Sri Vishnu Sahasranama. This happened thrice and Acharya decided to write his commentary on- Sri Vishnu Sahasranama.

Sri Adi Sankara did write his commenatary on श्री ललिता त्रिशती (śrī lalitā triśatī).

Sri Adi Sankara is known as शन्मथ प्रतिश्तापनाचार्य (śanmatha pratiśtāpanācārya) having established the six forms of worship including the शक्ति (śakti) worship.

The सोउभग्य भास्करम् (soubhagya bhāskaram) written by श्री भास्करराय (śrī bhāskararāya) on the श्री ललिता सहस्रनाम (śrī lalitā sahasranāma) is considered the pre-eminent commentary by scholars. This commentary is in Sanskrit.

A number of commentaries and translations are available, such as:

- śrī soubhagya bhāskaram by śrī bhāskararāya
- jayamangala by śrī bhatta narāyaṇa
- parimaḻam by śrī simamputla ramamūrthy sastry

The very nature of this सहस्रनाम is श्रीविद्य उपासक (śrīvidya upāsaka) and it is of an extremely subtle nature.

With respect to this endeavor, we will initially meditate on introductory topics.

औम् श्रीदेवी नमः