Lalitha Sahasranama names 271 - 280
Lalita Sahasranama meanings per name
271. Īśvarī
Meaning- For performing the task of Tirodhāna the Supreme Mother takes on the name Īśvarī.
Eśwara is He who keeps the various beings under His grip or sway (vasha). At the time of dissolution (laya or pralaya), He absorbs everything into Him. The same beings are once again re-created at the time of creation.
272. Sadāśivā
Meaning - As Sadāśivā, She performs the 5th task of Anugraha.
Sadāshivā can be split as sat+ā+shiva. ‘Sat’ is that which is eternal, deathless. ‘Aa’ is complete. ‘Shiva’ is He who grants auspiciousness. Therefore Sadāshivā is the Lord who spares the being from further re-births and grants everlasting and complete liberation (sampoorna moksha). He grants complete auspiciousness. This is the anugraha (blessing). The devotee through his spiritual efforts and good deeds can achieve such a state.
Sadāshiva and Sadāshivā refers to the same energy in the male and female forms respectively. Reaching this Lord is the sole aim of every life. He is of peaceful temperament and limitless compassion and should be visualized as such.
The names of Shiva, Eshwara and Rudra appear confusing. All these three 3 Lords resemble significantly, nevertheless based on their tasks performed, they are 3 different forces.
273. Anugrahadā
Meaning - As Sadāshivā, She accomplishes the task of granting Anugraha.
Anugraha is commonly understood to mean ‘bestowing blessings/ grace’. However anugraha consists of two words anu+graha. ‘Graha’ means forceful attraction. Anugraha means revolving around that forceful attraction.
The Supreme Lord follows those who forcefully attract Him and blesses them in accordance to what has been sought by them. Hasn’t the Lord declared in the Bhagavad Gita- ‘Ye yatha mām prapadyante tāms tathaiva bhajāmy aham’ which means ‘I will reward the person in accordance with the manner in which he attracts’.
The responsibility of putting in the requisite effort to attract Him lies within us. Where the attraction is feeble, the result will also be short lived. Where a person seeks permanent merger into Him, the same result will be granted.
274. Pañcakṛtya-parāyaṇā
Meaning - Through the medium of the Pancha Brahmas She is intently completing Her five major tasks.
This is explained in the 24th stanza of Soundarya Lahiri.
Jagat-sūte dhātā harir-avati rudrah kshhapayate
tiraskurvan-netat svam-api vapur-īshas-tirayati /
sadā pūrvas-sarvam tadidam-anugṛhnati ca shivah
tavājnām-ālabhya kshhana-calitayor-bhrūlatikayoh
Meaning - Brahma creates, Vishnu protects and Rudra destroys. Īśvara performs the task of tirodhāna and in the end it is the Supreme Mother, who as Sadāshiva, grants final liberation to the being. All this happens just by the subtle movement of Her eyebrows for a second!
Now the process of worshipping (upasana) Her as Goddess Bhairavi is detailed from the names 275 to 280.
275. Bhānu-maṇḍala-madhyastā
Meaning - She is seated in the centre of the entire solar system.
She is the cause/ force behind the self-illumination of the Sun.
The Sun is the cause of life and of its existence. He is the cause behind good health. Any person who analyses the help received from the Sun in daily life, will automatically entertain feelings of gratitude towards the Sun and will seek to salute Him. From this emerges the tradition of Surya-namaskara (saluting the Sun) early morning upon waking up.
Akin to this external solar system, within the heart of every being there exists a solar system. ‘Asavādityo Brahma’ states that the external visible Sun and the Sun who resides in the heart are one and the same.
In the Guru Gita it is said -
hamsābhyām parivrtta hārda kamalē...
2 lotuses that face each other exist within the heart. These two lotuses are symbolized by folding the hands as in namaskar. Lotus needs sunlight to bloom. For this reason, in the heart (chidākāsa), the Sun has positioned himself. He is an embodiment of knowledge (Jnāna) and provides the being with the necessary chaitanya (life force) and knowledge (Jnana). She manifests as this Sun. In other words, She exists subtly within our heart.
The truth is that the Supreme Mother’s energy can be visualized in every part of the body; in fact in every object in the external visible universe. The food that we take, the rivers, the stones are all forms of Parabrahma.
However in certain special centers of the body She can be easily invoked and they are- the centre of the eyebrows, the heart or the position of the navel. Focusing the mind at any one of these 3 locations enables quick spiritual progress.
276. Bhairavī
She is the energy of Lord Bhairava (another form of Shiva).
277. Bhagamālinī
This name can be interpreted in two ways -
1) She has worn the various types of prosperity (bhaga) as a garland (māla) around Her neck.
Aishwaryasya samagrasya veeryasya yaśaśah sriyah
Jnānah vairāgyayos caiva śanṇam bhaga iteernām
Meaning - Material prosperity, courage, valour, fame, knowledge and renunciation (vairagya) are all Her traits. These collectively are known as Bhaga.
She has worn these forms of prosperity (bhaga) around Her neck and She showers these onto Her devotees.
In Chottanikara temple in Kerala, the Supreme Mother is worshipped as Bhagawati or Narayani. The word Bhaga in Bhagawati represents this.
2) She has worn the 12 Suns (Bhaga) as a garland around Her neck (mala).
Bhaga is one of the names of the Lord Sun. Our ancient scriptures have declared authentically that our solar system consists of totally 12 suns viz., Mitra, Ravi, Surya, Bhanu, Khaga, Poosha, Hiranyagarbha, Maricha, Aditya,
Savitra, Arka, Bhaskara. All of these influence the life on earth. As She is shining brightly with these 12 Suns that are strewn into a garland around Her neck, She is Bhaga Mālini.
278. Padmāsanā
Meaning -
1) She is seated in the lotus pose or it can be said that She is seated on a lotus (padma) which to Her is a seat (āsana).
Padmasana is one of the poses in yoga. Padmasana is a very simple tool to lock (bandha) the flow of life force (prana shakti). It prevents the life force from flowing outwards.
2) Padma also refers to prosperity and She is seated upon it.
Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of prosperity) is known as Padma. In the Sri Suktam of the Vedas, She is addressed as Padma in the verse- padma priye padmini padma haste padmā laye padma dala yatāksi. This Goddess blesses the devotee with prosperity, which could be either material prosperity, or in the form of knowledge.
Lotus is a very delicate flower, which withers easily and is dependent on the Sun for its life. It teaches us that money/ material prosperity is very insubstantial and can disappear easily.
279. Bhagavatī
Meaning - She manifests as Goddess Bhagawati.
She is the form of complete prosperity. Bhagawati is Prabrahma.
Our ancient scriptures define Bhagawati as-
Utpattim pralayam caiva bhutā-nāmāgatim gatim
avidyaya vidyayos tattvam vetteeti Bhagavati sow
Meaning - She who has complete knowledge of the creation, sustenance and dissolution of the creation is Bhagawati. She is an embodiment of both knowledge (vidya) and ignorance (avidya).
280. Padmanābha-sahodarī
Meaning - She is the sister of Vishnu (Padmanābha). It implies that along with Vishnu, She takes on the responsibility of sustenance of this creation.
In the Puri Jagannatha temple, the siblings Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra are worshipped. During the incarnation of Krishna, She appeared twice- at first She was born to Vasudeva and Devaki (parents of Krishna) as Yogamāya to protect Baby Krishna from the clutches of demon Kamsa and later on She was born to the same couple as Subhadra.
With this name Bhairavi upasana is complete.