Moola Grantha names 1-10
Lalita Sahasranama meanings per name
1.Śrī Mātā
This is the very first name in this Sahasranama and has very many significant meanings.
1. Mata means ‘mother’. Srimata means She is the Mother of all Mothers.
2. She is the mother who wipes away the deepest sorrows (dukha) mandatorily faced by every being on this earth. They are a) Janma dukha, b) Jaraa dukha and c) Marana dukha.
Janma dukha- Every being grieves for having been born on this earth although he is not aware of it on the conscious plane. Jaraa dukha is the conscious or sub-conscious fear of old age. Marana dukha is the fear of death.
3. The word ‘Sri’ has many meanings, one among them is ‘speech’. The guardian deities of speech (*** Devatas) who composed this Sahasranama, addressed Her as their mother (mata) i.e. as a mother of speech and alphabets (Sri-mata).
4. ‘Sri’ is the seed letter of Goddess Lakshmi (goddess of prosperity). The ‘wealth of knowledge’ is the true prosperity She bestows. As it is the Divine Mother (mata) who has manifested as Lakshmi, She is addressed as Sri-mata.
5. As the Divine Mother is the personification of the three main energies of Mahakali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati, She is addressed as Sri-mata.
6. Sri means ‘nectar’ and also ‘poison’. Since She is the mother (mata) who removes poisons such as bad thoughts from the person and instills good thoughts /intellect, She is Srimata.
7. Sri means great, most supreme. Hence, with great respect, She is addressed as Srimata.
8. The term ‘Srimata’ also details the process of creation (sristi kriya). She is the creator of this universe.
9. To elucidate that the Supreme Mother is neither male nor female, the term ‘mata’ is used here in the first name. ‘Maata’ originates from the root word (dhatu) ‘maane’, which means ‘to measure’. Hence irrespective of the gender, the one who measures is ‘maata’.
The following hymn also reveals the same theory.
Pum roopam vaa samred Devi Stree roopam vaa vibhaavayet
Athava nishkalam dhaayet Sacchidananda lakshanam
Meaning of the hymn
The Supreme Parabrahma can be worshipped either as a male form (pum roopam) or as a female form (stri roopam) or He could be worshipped as a form of effulgence (jyoti) that is devoid of any form. The ultimate goal is to reach ‘Sacchidananda’ i.e. sat+chid+ananda (truth, knowledge and bliss).
‘Mata’ thus emphasizes that Shiva and Shakti (supreme father and mother) are not two separate energies, but just one supreme effulgence.
2.Śrī Mahārājñī
This name has multiple meanings
1. She is the wife (ragni) of the greatest emperor.
2. She is the force who ensures sustenance (stithi kriya) of this creation. She is the one who sustains and protects the entire kingdom (creation).
The principal task of a king is to protect his subjects. Naa vishnuh prithivi patih- One who does not have the traits of protection/sustenance (Vishnu) cannot be a king. A king also has to deliver justice i.e. decide on what is right and wrong, listen to witnesses, protect the virtuous and punish the wrong doers. The Supreme Mother is the inner witness (antarsakshi) who, seated within the being, performs these tasks.
3. Śrīmat Siṃhāsaneśvarī
This name has many meanings.
1. ‘Srimat’ means exquisitely beautiful. Therefore, this name implies that She is the empress (Eshwari) who is seated on an exquisitely decorated throne (simhasana).
2. ‘Simha’ means lion. This word is obtained through interchanging the alphabets of the word ‘himsa’ which means violence/injury. Sitting on the simha (lion/ throne) implies She subdues himsa i.e. She dispels all violent and negative thoughts/ emotions from within the person.
3. She is the force that absorbs the creation unto Herself.
4. ‘Srimat’ also means ‘5 aspects’. Therefore this name implies that She is seated on a throne which has the 5 aspects as its support. In other words, it means that the 5 aspects are under Her control.
The 5 aspects can be interpreted as the 5 Brahmas (pancha brahmas), or the five basic elements (pancha bhootas such as earth, water etc.), the 5 directions, the 5 actions (pancha kriya), the pancha rudras or the pancha pranava.
The Pancha Pranavas are Aim, Hreem, Sreem, Klim, Souh. Among them Aim, Hreem, Sreem represent the energies of creation, sustenance and absorption and also the energies of intent (Iccha), knowledge (Jnana) and action (Kriya).
Note - The first 3 names of this Sahasranama, all of which begin with ‘Sri’ are replete with endless essence. Subtly the aspects of creation, sustenance and merger/absorption are explained in these 3 names.
The first 3 stanzas of Soundarya Lahari composed by Sri Adi Shankara also bring out the essence of these 3 names.
The first stanza of Soundarya Lahiri states that Shiva gets His ability to create only when He is accompanied by Shakti (energy) and not otherwise. If we consider the human body as ‘Shiva’ we will realize, that tasks can be accomplished only when we have energy (shakti). Without shakti, it is a shava (dead body).
The second stanza states that Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and all other deities are performing the functions of creation, sustenance, and destruction, with the dust of Her feet.
The third stanza emphasizes that She is Vaarahi (the Divine Mother in the form of a boar) who uses Her tusks to pull up those who are deeply sunk in this samsara. She is the sunlight to those who are drowned in ignorance and the dust of Her feet makes the minds of the dull-witted (jadaa) fertile and eligible to receive the knowledge of self-realization. Ignorance here is not lack of education but lack of wisdom.
4. Cidagnikuṇḍa-saṃbhūtā
Meaning - She emerged out of the fire of consciousness (Chit+agni).
‘Sambhoota’ here should be interpreted as ‘emergence’ and not ‘birth’ as She is of eternal existence. Although eternal, She remains in an unseen form. Just as butter hidden in milk is procured from it only after considerable efforts, She emerges only after stringent spiritual efforts (Sadhana). She emerged from the Chidagni only after the Devatas undertook the sacrifice with full faith, dedication and feelings of complete surrender.
In this name, Her subtle form of illumination (chaitanya, jyoti) is elucidated. Through this form of pure consciousness, She dispels the ignorance.
5. Devakārya-samudyatā
Meaning - She manifested to fulfill and promote the divine cause of the Devatas i.e. to destroy evil and to grant salvation.
There are 3 stages of existence:
1) Paramatma sthaana (state of Supreme God)
2) Devata sthaana (level of deities)
3) Jeevi sthaana (individual beings).
Movement should always be upward. Through our actions and way of life, from human beings, we should try to become Devatas. Likewise, Devatas seek to move to Parabrahma state. This upward movement gradually leads to liberation (moksha) which is the true Deva karya - divine task.
The names above described Her subtle form. The next few names will explain the gross form. Lalita Sahasranama is equivalent of the Vedas. It describes the Supreme essence (Paramatma, Parabrahma) and hence the description of Her gross form begins from the head/hair and goes down to the feet. It is contrary to the common practice that the deity should be seen/worshipped starting from the feet, upwards.
6. Udyadbhānu-sahasrābhā
Meaning - Her shine is comparable to the dazzle of a thousand rising Suns!
What a beautiful way to explain divine effulgence. The number sahasra (or thousand) here denotes infinity. It thus means that this effulgence is unimaginable and limitless.
What will be the reaction of a person, who when attacked by demons and enveloped in complete darkness, suddenly sees a bright light arising in front of him? The light gives immense hope, faith and trust. The bright light that emerged from the homa fire gave hope to the Devatas who were absolutely distressed.
7. Caturbāhu-samanvitā
Meaning - She is endowed with 4 arms.
Slowly from within that illumination, 4 arms were visible, to reassure the Devatas and give them abhaya (assurance of fear not).
The 4 arms stated that She had come to restore the 4 Purusharthas (Dharma, Artha, Kaama, Moksha), the 4 Vedas as well as the 4 parts of the mind - the (mind) manas, chitta, intellect (buddhi), ego (ahamkara) to their previous glory.
Only human beings have been blessed with arms and with a body that is extremely suitable for spiritual practices.
The 5 fingers, each different from the other, contain immense hidden significance. No other animal except the monkey, has it. That is why the monkey is called vaanara. Vaa + nara. Nara means human; vaanara means ‘little like human’.
8. Rāgasvarūpa-pāśāḍhyā
Meaning - In one of Her arms, She holds the noose (pasha) to display Her love (raga).
Noose through which She drags/attracts the person towards Herself, displays Her love, affection and care for Her children.
No doubt She emerged to kill the demons, but at first She wanted to give them a chance to reform using Her love. Her love is not to cause bondages, but to relieve from bondages.
9. Krodhākāraṅkuśojvalā
Meaning - In another arm she holds the goad (ankusha, stick). Goad depicts her anger (krodha).
An elephant does not listen to a mahout who does not hold a goad. Where children do not obey, the mother uses external anger as a tool. Here, the Supreme Mother declares that if the demons do not change when She displays love, then She will use the goad to make them fall in line.
10. Manorūpekṣu-kodaṇḍā
Meaning - The mind (manas) is a bow (kodanda) in her hand. This is her third weapon.
She holds a sugarcane bow in her hand. A sugarcane bow symbolizes that She is holding the mind. It states that she will control the mind of the demons.