Lalitha Sahasranama names 211 - 220
Lalita Sahasranama meanings per name
211. Mṛḍapriyā
Meaning - She is very dear to Shiva. She is Gowri.
Shiva also takes on the name Mrda as He is the grantor of comforts. Mrda also means auspiciousness. As She is very dear to Mrda, She is Mrdapriya.
She is the form of bliss (ananda) and She bestows bliss. Those who are truly happy, blissful, enthusiastic and eager are dear to Her.
212. Mahā-rūpā
Meaning -
1) Her form (roopa) is large and infinite (mahā).
The emphasis here is on Her universal form (virat roopa). She is in the form of this vast universe. She is all pervading.
2) She is the cause behind the illusion (moha) that exists in every mind and hence is Mahā-rūpā.
The Vedic statement ‘Ropayati mohayatīti rūpam’ means - It is form (rūpā) that causes moha (illusion).
Moha can be understood to mean illusion, deep emotional attachment, infatuation.
Isn’t it a fact that this visible universe is the cause for our illusion? How could illusion exist in the absence of this universe? We also know that this entire universe is Her form. Therefore we can decipher that through Her form She causes illusion in the individual mind.
However, in those who are able to see this entire universe as Her form and are able to see Her in everything and every being, She does not cause illusion. Instead, from such people She dispels illusion.
213. Mahā-pūjyā
Meaning - She is the most venerable and is supremely worthy of worship.
The first puja is always offered to Her. In fact, all pujas reach Her.
To followers of a Guru, Guru is Mahā-pūjyā. Many families follow the tradition of setting aside a ‘Guru tamboola’ at every festival irrespective of whether the Guru is physically present or not. This is to show their reverence towards Him. Sant Kabirdas, when questioned, replied that His first pooja would be to His Guru and only then to *** (Govinda); because his Guru had created in him the worthiness to see *** and then had shown to him ***. So to him, Guru was the most revered.
This name also highlights Her form as a Guru.
214. Mahāpātaka-naśinī
Meaning - She destroys even the most heinous sins of her devotees.
Pātaka is that which causes a fall (patanam); it throws a person to lowest levels. It reduces the worthiness of the person (purity) and distances him from divinity. It spoils the mind.
Sins (pātaka) are of numerous classifications - Maha-pātakas, upa-pātakas, Jatibranshkarana, Shankarikarana, Apātrikarana and Malinikarana. Among them Maha-pātakas are the worst. Sins that accrue on account of actions such as abortion, killing of women, infants, Brahmins etc. are classified under this. It is immaterial whether such actions are performed knowingly or unknowingly.
She relieves her ardent devotees from the burden of even such sins.
Praying to *** is mainly to destroy the existing sins and to seek protection from committing sins in future. There is a beautiful verse that seeks protection from the Divine Mother in the Durga Stuti -
Na mantram no yantram tadapi cha na jāne stuti-maho
na chā-hvānam dhyānam tadapi cha na jāne stuti-kathāh
na jāne mudrāste tadapi cha na jāne vilapanam
param jāne mātas-tvadanusaraṇam kleśa-haraṇam
Meaning - O Mother! Neither do I know any mantra nor do I have any idea of yantra. I don't know any hymn (stotra, stuti) either. I have no idea how to invoke you or how to meditate upon you. I know neither your story nor your glory. I do not even know how to weep effectively and properly, so ignorant am I. But I have sought shelter under You, and I know that just following your orders and walking on your path is sufficient to end all troubles and sorrows.
The prayer ‘Kayena Vācha’ that is recited at the end of the worship relieves the devotee of sins of omission/ mistakes during the puja, if such a prayer is offered with total devotion.
215. Mahā-māyā
Meaning - She is the creator of the greatest (mahā) illusion (māya). This illusion is the basis for the creation.
Māya means ignorance (ajnana, avidya). The quality of maya is – Aghaṭita ghaṭana pateeyasi māya - that which makes the impossible possible. It causes the non-existing to appear as existing. It causes an alteration in the inherent individual nature (prakriti) and intellect.
Māya is the individual illusion (microcosm); mahā-māyā is the cosmic (universal) illusion. This Divine Mother as Goddess Mahā-māyā is seated at Haridwar. Her energy is called māyā shakti (power of illusion).
The word māyā consists of 2 alphabets Mā and Yā. The word ‘Mā’ has many meanings which include - ‘Lakshmi, prosperity, wealth, illusion (moha), ego (ahamkara), pride and useless thoughts’.
Māya has been defined as - ‘Yā mā saiva māyā’- meaning - that which supports the intoxication due to wealth and prosperity, that which causes pride and ego in the individual and that which is the root of all this illusion, is ‘māyā’.
Chandi Saptashati contains the following stanza in praise of the Divine Mother -
Jnaninām api chetānsi devi bhagawati hi sā
Balāt akruśya mohāya mahāmāya prayachati.
Meaning - With Her powerful personality, the Divine Mother as Mahāmāya deludes the mind of even the wise (jnani).
216. Mahā-sattvā
Meaning - She is the personification of Sattva guna (trait of purity). She is the supreme truth (sat).
The 3 main aspects of Parabrahma are ‘Sacchidananda’ i.e. sat +chit+ ananda, where ‘Sat’ stands for the Supreme Truth. She is replete with this ‘Sat’ (ultimate truth) and has complete knowledge of it. She Herself is truth; She is the true existence. She is Parabrahma.
There is only one truth and it does not have in it classifications of small, trivial, great and the like. Such truth can only be experienced. Towards achieving this, it is essential that the person should adhere to truth and should perpetually be searching for this truth.
Of the 3 traits (gunas), the traits of purity (sattva) are the most supreme. All those who understand the supreme truth (sat), those who aspire to know the supreme truth (sat), who are drawn towards pure (sattvik) traits are all predominantly sattvik. ‘Maha Sattva’ and ‘Maha Satya’ are synonyms.
The Divine Mother grants these traits to those devotees who are truly in search of the supreme truth (sat). The term ‘granting such traits’ does not imply a onetime shower on the person but means a slow a minute by minute positive change that takes place in the individual.
217. Mahā-śaktiḥ
Meaning - She is the greatest and the supreme-most energy (shakti).
This energy is the root behind all this creation.
Adi Shankaracharya’s ‘Soundarya Lahiri’ begins with a reference to this shakti (energy) -
śivah śaktyā yukto yadi bhavati śaktah prabhavituṃ
Meaning - Only when Shiva is coupled with energy (shakti), He can create. In its absence, He cannot budge even an inch.
The speciality of this energy lies in it being abundant, vast, unending and encompassing the entire creation. This is an indestructible energy. Every good thought, every good action and every good intention to walk in the right path originates out of this energy.
Upanishads collectively declare that Mahā-śaktih is that which fills knowledge (Jnana) and the illumination (chaitanya) within the beings. This name has the same meaning as Mahāmayā.
218. Mahā-ratiḥ
Meanings -
‘Rati’ means overflowing delight, love, affection and joy (prema, anuraaga).
1) Her heart overflows with endless love & affection towards all the yogis (ascetics), the spiritual aspirants (sadhakas) and the devotees who are walking on Her path.
2) ‘Mahat + ratih’ means that the tattva (principle) called ‘Mahat’ is very dear and joyful to Her.
‘Mahat’ is the first of the great principles (tattvas) behind this creation. This entire physical manifestation arises out of this Mahat.
219. Mahā-bhogā
Meaning - She enjoys the greatest and most supreme luxuries.
The entire universe is Her wealth. She enjoys the luxuries provided by it and bestows such luxuries on Her children.
‘Bhogā’ in common parlance refers to the materialistic luxuries, comforts, wealth and power (sukha) that give temporal joy. There is no cap for such desires and they create discontent.
Take the case of a homeless beggar living under a shade of a tree. Suffering the intensity of heat and cold, all he desires is a small shelter. He finds the shelter in a tarpaulin sheet that gives him the protection needed. But yet at heart he seeks more comfort. Assume that good tidings come his way and he moves into a tiny hut. Now the small tiled house that he can see from his window of his hut beckons him. He is sure that he would find more comfort and happiness there. Sometime later he is able to move into the tiled roof house, but no, there is no comfort. From his window he can see a large mansion with all its comforts. He desires to move into it. Such temporal happiness always causes an opening for another desire. It does not give contentment. Even food gives temporal contentment.
Yet such temporal happiness needs to end at some point. The end point is the merger into supreme bliss. This supreme bliss is the ultimate luxury (Maha bhogā) that the Divine Mother grants upon Her children.
She shares with her children Her treasure which is, the supreme bliss, a bliss that which has no comparison and that which has none superior to it. Such Maha bhogā is also called by various names Niratishayānanda, Parama sukha, Atma sukha and so on. This is state of total contentment and bliss.
220. Mahaiśvaryā
Meaning - She possesses the greatest wealth (aishwarya) of this creation.
‘Maha’ means ‘greatest’. Aishwarya refers to wealth (prosperity) and knowledge (vidya) enjoyed. Such materialistic earnings are essential to survive in this universe. The Divine Mother, on the other hand, possesses the greatest affluence and is called Mahāishwarya. Her wealth is the unending seed energy; without which this creation itself would not have come into existence! This energy is referred to as Brahma.
Offering the result of one’s good actions to Her feet will render the deed/action prosperous (mahaishwarya). Mahaishwarya leads to Mahabhoga (supreme bliss).