Lalita Sahasranama meanings per name
391. Nityā-ṣoḍaśikā-rūpā
Meaning – She shines in Her 16 eternal forms.
Moon has 16 phases (the 16 days of the lunar fortnight, tithi). Each phase is one form of the Divine Mother. The Divine Mother is worshipped with a different name on each of the days with Nitya being the first and Tripurambika being the last among them.
392. Śrīkaṇṭhārdha-śarīriṇī
Meaning – She is the left half of Shreekanta’s body. (Sreekanta is Shiva). This is the Ardha-naareshwara form of the divine wherein the right half of the body is that of Shiva’s and the left half is Hers.
At one point of time, Lord Shiva gulped down the poison in order to save the world. The term ‘Shri’ stands for both nectar and poison. Kanta is the neck/throat. As this Lord gulped down the poison He is Shreekanta. This Lord resides in Nanjangud, near Mysore. Nanja means poison. As She is the left half of the Lord’s body, the poison also went down Her throat. This shows the oneness between them.
Our Upanishads authentically state that prior to creation only Paramatma existed. This atma divided into 2 and threw itself into the world. One was the male form and another female; the husband and the wife. The atma that was inherently devoid of traits (nirguna) and form, now took on a form. The splitting of one atma (Paramatma) into two is depicted as ardha-naareeshwara roopa (half male- half female form).
Lalita Sahasranama is entering the Prabhā vidya. The names from 393 to 404 relate to Prabhā Vidya.
Prabha means effulgence, light or brightness. This aspect of effulgence is a trait of the Sun and hence this knowledge is known as Savitri Vidya (knowledge relating to the Sun). Savita also means Supreme Knowledge. Light (knowledge) dispels darkness (ignorance).
Just as there is a visible Sun, there exists within our heart a Sun that is guiding us with its light and effulgence. We should understand that both the Suns are one and the same.
393. Prabhāvatī
Meaning – She is shining with infinite and endless effulgence (knowledge).
Often behind the head of the deity or a saint a halo is projected. This circle of light depicts the endless effulgence and knowledge. Prabha is the self-illuminating light.
She is the Sun who has surrounded herself with infinite rays. Rays prevent us from seeing the Sun. Yet, these rays are not separate from Her and have not enclosed Her. These rays are an inherent part of Her and cause Her illumination. It would be more apt to say that She is light. She is the force behind the illumination; She causes the illumination and She is the cause for us to see Her illumination.
There is a very popular Vedic statement – Asavadityo Brahma- the visible Sun is Parabrahma. Within the heart there is a Sun, who is none other than Parabrahma. With this belief, tarpana should be offered to the Sun Lord at the time of Sandhya.
394. Prabhārūpā
Meaning – She is the form of illumination (same as above).
395. Prasiddhā
Meaning – She is very famous. The Supreme Knowledge and its effulgence are inherently well known to every being.
The most common misconception that every being possesses is that the spiritual knowledge is an unknown and distant subject. The truth however is that this is an inherent knowledge that every being possesses. Just as fire and heat are inseparable, the being and the Supreme Knowledge are inseparable. The reality is that the being, having separated from the Paramatma has temporarily forgotten the Supreme Knowledge that is inherently his own. This ignorance causes the being to consider itself as a separate existence.
This has caused words such as I and mine (Aham) to come into existence. Out of ignorance, the being uses the word ‘I’ at the individual level to express his identity. When the same ‘I’ is used at the universal (virat) level, the Supreme Knowledge comes back to memory. One should practice universal oneness; learn to see his self in every object of this creation. This is universal ahamkara. This is the change that the Sadguru strives to bring about in his student.
396. Parameśvarī
Meaning – She is the supreme ruler (Parama+eshwari) for this entire creation. As She holds the entire creation in Her grip, She is Eshwari.
Parama can also be split as Para+ma where ‘ma’ stands for Lakshmi. Parama means this it is a force beyond the scope of the intellect, mind and intentions.
Divinity can be worshipped as illumination (Prabharoopa) or as Parameshwari. The former is formless worship (nirguna upasana) and the latter is worship with form (saguna upasana). Worshipping illumination directly is not an easy approach. Take the case of a vehicle approaching with its headlights turned powerfully on. Blinded by the light it is impossible to even figure out the type of vehicle that is drawing near. As the light passes by, we will realize that it is a car that is familiar to us. The light moves still further, then we are able to recognize our relatives seated within. Likewise complete illumination blinds us. Hence the form that follows thereafter is worshipped in Saguna upasana. This procedure is apt for the karma yogis who follow the tradition of worship, puja, homas and so on. To the Jnana yogis who are replete with the Supreme Knowledge, She is Prabhavati (illumination). Each being has to move from the worship of form to the worship of the formless.
It is important to understand the bright illumination. This is what the Vedas teach – sa brahma sa sivah sendrah so’ksharah paramah svarāt –
Meaning – He is Brahma, He is Vishnu, He is Siva, He is Indra, He is Eternal, He is Supreme (Parama), He is the Lord of all. He is self-illumination (svarāt).
397. Mūlaprakṛtiḥ
Meaning – She is the fundamental cause behind this entire creation (sarva kārana kāranam).
‘Moola’ refers to the fundamental cause. ‘Prakriti’ combines 3 words pra+ kri+ ti. ‘Pra’ means immense/ supreme. ‘Kri’ is creation (sristi). Prakriti thus means a supreme/ vast creation that can run on its own. Thus ‘Mūlaprakṛtiḥ’ means She is the fundamental cause behind this vast creation.
Mūlaprakṛtiḥ is the first amongst Her tattvas (principles). Bhagavad Gita explains this as- bhinna prakriti ashtada –
Meaning- It is my essence (prakriti) that manifests visibly as the Ashta murtis (the eight forms) of earth, fire, water etc.
398. Avyaktā
Meaning – She is in an un-manifested, invisible state. This is akin to the moola prakriti state at which point she is invisible.
As a fundamental cause She is invisible / subtle. For example, the Rivers Ganga and Kaveri, at their birthplace are tiny rivulets, hardly noticeable and almost invisible. Yet they manifest into large rivers capable of sustaining thousands of people and flow across the breadth of the country.
Before the formation of the pot, it was in the shape of mud. Even before that there was a time when even this mud did not exist. Various minute atoms had to collect for the formation of the mud particles. Avyakta refers to this state prior to the formation of even the mud particles.
399. Vyaktāvyakta-svarūpiṇī
Meaning – Both the manifest and the un-manifest are Her forms.
She manifests from the un-manifest and becomes visible. She manifests so that the spiritual aspirant (sadhaka) has a concrete shape/form upon which he can contemplate and focus during his dhyana.
A being before its birth is in an un-manifest state. Birth in this world is manifestation, that too for a brief period (vyakta madhyā) lasting up to the point of death. Thereafter the being once again goes back to the un-manifest state. Bhagavad Gita in its second chapter states-
Avyaktādini bhutāni vyakta-madhyāni bhārata,
avyakta-nidhanāny eva tatra kā paridevanā
Meaning – All beings are in an un-manifest state in the beginning before birth, they manifest in the in-between state when they take on a form, and upon death they become un-manifest again.
400. Vyāpinī
Meaning – She is all pervading.
What happens to the soul after death? Having left the earthly body the being now merges into the infinite. In its un-manifest (avyakta) state, it becomes all pervading.
The person who gives up all attachments, anger and other bondages is able to merge permanently into the infinite. He will be all pervading.
With this name, Lalita Sahasranama moves into the fifth enclosure. The last name of the previous enclosure introduces the concepts that are to be taught now.