Lalita Sahasranama meanings per name
331. Varadā
Meaning – She is the one who grants boons; She is Varalakshmi.
In the process of worshipping Her through ‘Manonmaṇi siddhi’ She is known as Varadā. This worship grants tremendous purity of speech (vak shuddhi), the gift of speaking effectively and powerfully (vak siddhi and vak shakti). These are the true boons; hence She is Varadā.
332. Vāma-nayanā
Meaning –
1) She has exceptionally beautiful eyes.
2) In the Ardhanāreshwara (half-Shiva and half-Devi) form of the Almighty, She is the left (vāma) side and Shiva is the right. In this form the left eye (vāma+nayanā) belongs to Her and hence She is bestowed with this name.
3) Vāmanayana is She who alters the outlook of the devotee and guides him on the path towards the Supreme.
‘Vāmam nayateeti vāmanayana’- Vāma means blissful or beautiful (sundara) and nayana is the outlook; the guide. She blesses her devotees with a good outlook towards life. It means that She leads the devotee towards auspiciousness.
333. Vāruṇi-mada-vihvalā
Meaning –
1) She is the intoxication caused by spiritual knowledge in the person.
When the devotee is totally immersed in the supreme knowledge, he is said to be in a state of intoxication (bliss) wherein he loses cognizance of his body. At such time, pleased with the devotee, She performs the tandava (cosmic) dance within his mind.
2) She is eternally balanced.
This name can be split as Vārunimat+ avhihala. Vārunima is Adishesha (the 1000 headed serpent who carries the load of the entire universe). Despite bearing this weight of the universe, Adishesha remains stable and balanced. Here She is compared with Adishesha, to drive home the fact that like Him, She is calm and balanced in all situations.
3) She is the Vāruṇi vidya.
Vāruni vidya (form of knowledge known as Vāruni) is an extremely sacred branch among the Upanishads. It is a very holy and blessed knowledge that contains the teachings about Varuna given by Bhrugu Maharsihi.
334. Viśwādhikā
Meaning – She is in a state that is over and above (adhika) this entire Vishwa.
The word ‘Vishwa’ at the microcosm level refers to the individual’s waking state (jāgrat avastha; refer nama 256 ‘Vishwaroopa jāgarini’) and at the composite (macrocosm) level it refers to the entire universe.
‘Rudra’ is also known as ‘Vishwādhikā’.
Vedas state – Vishvādhiyo rudro maharishi:
hiranyagarbham pashyata jayamanagum dsano devas shubhayaa ssmrubya samyunakthu
Meaning – He who has witnessed the creation of the first being is Vishwādhikā. Only he who possesses the capacity to create the universe, sustain it and thereafter merge/ absorb it completely into Himself is entitled to be addressed as ‘Vishwādhikā’.
Such a state is known as the ‘Tureeya state’ (the 4th state of existence) and can be achieved only from the ‘waking state’. It is to state that Turiya state is the end point of all states of existence.
Among the four fold aims of life- Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Moksha, the last one Moksha (liberation) is the most superior state and the ultimate destination for every being. Dharma, artha and kāma should be utilized to achieve salvation (moksha). Likewise here achieving the fourth state (Tureeya) is the goal of all spiritual pursuits (Sadhana). Thus, in both the cases, the fourth states are the foundation for all other states.
Vishwa-adhika also means that She is the light for the universe. The universe benefits due to Her presence.
335. Vedavedyā
Meaning – She can be realized through Vedas. All the Vedas teach purely about Her.
Veda means the Supreme knowledge (Jnana). Veda is not a book but is the sum total of every form of Knowledge.
Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all the Upanishads. Bhagavad Gita extols the Vedas as –
sarvasya cāham hridi sannivishto
mattah smritir jnānam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-krid veda-vid eva cāham
Meaning – I am the one who is residing in every heart, from Me comes remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. I am to be known through the Vedas. All the Vedas teach purely about Me. All the knowledge in the world merges into that Supreme Knowledge that is contained in the Vedas. I am the author of Vedanta, and I am the one who is desirous of knowing the Vedas.
336. Vindhyācala-nivāsinī
Meaning – She resides in the Vindhya Mountains.
At one point of time the Supreme Mother destroyed demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. Many eons after this (after many manvantara) these 2 demons were reborn in the clan (tribe) of Nanda. (Nanda and Yashoda are the foster parents of Lord Krishna). The Supreme Mother took birth as Krishna’s sister and destroyed these demons. Thereafter she settled down in the Vindhya Mountain range.
Among the huge mountain ranges that protect and support us are the Vindhyas. Within this range are the sacred Jyotirlinga temples such as Omkaareshwara (Madhya Pradesh) and Mahakaleshwar. The sacred River Narmada flows within this range.
337. Vidhātrī
Meaning – Vidhātri is She who bestows upon others everything that is needed for their sustenance. She fulfills their desires.
She manifests as the creator Brahma (Vidhāta).
338. Veda-jananī
Meaning – She is the author/creator of Vedas and hence is their mother (Janani).
She bestows the knowledge of Vedas to those who truly seek it.
339. Viṣṇu-māyā
Meaning – She creates the illusion (Vishnu māya).
Vishnu māya is said to be the supreme most illusion, an illusion that is all-pervading and that which encompasses everything and anything on its path. As this illusion envelops this entire creation, every being who is within it, is necessarily under its control. This illusion causes the being to believe that he is the body and that this body is everything. It makes him believe that what he is seeing is true and permanent. This is a divine illusion that is encompassed of all the gunas. In his incarnation as Krishna, the Supreme Lord totally displayed this illusion (Vishnu māya).
But for Her grace it is impossible to cross over this illusion. Only those who surrender to Her divine feet and seek refuge can cross over to the other side.
Lord Krishna explains about this in Bhagavad Gita –
Daivi hyesha gunamayee mama māyā duratyayā,
Māmeva ye prapadyante māyāmetām taranti te.
Meaning – This divine illusion, consisting of gunas (traits), is extremely difficult to overcome. I am the creator of this illusion. Whoever surrenders to me, turning away from the world, succeeds in crossing the terrible māyā.
340. Vilāsinī
Meaning –
1) She laughs playfully.
This illusion (Vishnu māyā) is Her creation for Her amusement. She playfully laughs at all those who try to cross over this illusion without surrendering to Her and seeking Her help, for, it is a futile attempt.
2) She is the total illumination (Chaitanya).
Chaitanya (prakasha) is known as Vilāsini. Brightness/ illumination is that which drives out darkness.
3) Vilāsini also conveys that She is a treasure house of Supreme Knowledge.
An aspirant can reach the state of ‘Vilāsini’ only after crossing over the ‘Vishnu māyā’. Vishnu māyā (339th name) can be overcome if and only when it is understood from deep within that She Herself is ‘Veda Janani’ (the mother of the Vedas; 338th name)!
Only He who is able to understand that She is ‘Vidhātri’ (Lord Brahma) (337th name) can realize that She has created the Vedas. To understand this, the ego should be completely routed out in the person. When ego is routed out, Her form as ‘Veda vedya’ (335th name) is visualized. The aspirant is then able to visualize Her as Vishwadhika (334th name).
All these names are the foundations for the Jnana khanda (branch of knowledge) of Lalita Sahasranama that is about to be taught. Up to now the explanations were about the path of devotion (bhakti). Devotion and knowledge (Jnana) are inter-twined.