Lalita Sahasranama meanings per name
721. Komalāṅgī
Meaning – She has very delicate limbs.
This name has connection to yogic pursuits and the delicate limbs subtly refer to the Sushumna nādi. The Supreme Mother is said to be as faint as a ray of lightening.
722. Guru-priyā
Meaning – To Her, the tradition of following a Guru (Guru sampradaya) is very dear. She coaxes her devotees to get on the path of the Guru.
Every person desirous of undertaking sadhana should take shelter under a Guru and proceed per His direction. The importance of Guru is re-iterated once again through this name. Sadguru is the guide for spiritual journey.
723. Svatantrā
Meaning – Being self-created She enjoys absolute freedom.
Sva+ tantra is ‘She who is self-created’. This entire creation belongs to Her and is under Her absolute control.
Only the Sadguru and the Divine Mother enjoy absolute freedom. Every other being is controlled by some other force- be it time, breath, health etc. Even the most powerful ruler depends on the earth and life-force for support and hence cannot claim to be absolutely free.
Absolute freedom means to have absolute control over the mind and the intellect even when enjoying freedom. Freedom is to be secured from ignorance and from illusion. Spiritual pursuits under the guidance of an able Sadguru are all directed to attain that goal. Only She can bless her devotee with absolute freedom.
724. Sarva-tantreshī
Meaning – She is the composite form of all Tantras. She is the creator of all Tantras and rules them.
Mantra is extremely cryptic and short. The same mantra is expanded to a certain degree in the Yantra. Yet the essence of God does not get completely absorbed by the mind. Hence the Yantra is fully blown up and explained in great detail. This is Tantra.
725. Dakṣiṇāmūrti-rūpiṇī
Meaning – She has manifested as Lord Dakshināmūrty to bestow knowledge (jnana).
Dakshināmūrty is the Guru of all Gurus. In this form He dispels ignorance and grants knowledge (Jnana).
Dakshināmūrty stotram states –
Mouna Vyakhya prakatitha, para, Brahma thathwam yuvanam,
Varshishtha anthevasad rishiganai, Ravrutham brahma nishtai,
Maharishis Sanaka, Sananda and others, who are great jnanis (highly knowledgeable), experienced some discontent (lack of peace) as they were unable to grasp the highest tattva. In order to understand this, they approached Brahma. Lord Brahma however was engrossed in reciting the Vedas while Saraswati Devi was occupied with nadopaasana through her Veena. Here Lord Brahma was preaching the supreme essence through the medium of Nada (Vedas and Veena).
Not impressed by this, they reached the abode of Lord Vishnu who was being dutifully served by his spouse, Goddess Lakshmi. Here Vishnu was imparting the divine essence through ‘Seva’ as a medium. Being eminent jnanis who had scaled greater heights than nada and seva, these Maharishis were unimpressed.
They now proceeded to the abode of Lord Shiva, who was imparting the same essence through the medium of the tandava dance (dance of bliss). This too had no effect on these saints. As they were about to depart, Lord Shiva threw aside ignorance and illusion from his right side and sat under a tree in absolute silence (mouna). It was the Divine Mother who appeared in this form. His smile was enchanting and his face serene. Silence was his mode of preaching. This mouna (silence) of Lord Dakshināmūrty gave them immense peace. It was then that they realized that true peace resides within. Silencing the mind and allowing it to remain stable is the key to bliss.
The Lord faces south and hence has taken on the name Dakshināmurty. He imparts knowledge (Jnana). He dispels all ignorance and doubts.
726. Sanakādi-samārādhyā
Meaning – She is worshipped by the 4 Maharishis- Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara and Sanatsujaata.
Lord Brahma and the beginning of the creation created these saints. They remain eternally young. Sanat means he who is eternal.
727. Śiva-jñāna-pradāyinī
Meaning – She bestows the knowledge of Shiva on to Her devotees.
‘Shiva Jnana’ means ‘pure knowledge’. When worshipped as Dakshināmurty, She grants this knowledge.
With this the initiation into Saraswati vidya, which began with nama 701, is complete. Dakshināmurty is a form of knowledge and hence acquiring the knowledge of Shiva concludes this upasana.
The namas 728 (Cit-kalā) to Mrtyu daara Kutharika teach ‘Nandi vidya’. Nandi is the primary deity for Mrudamgam and laya (merger, absorption). Absorption (laya) concerns the mind.
728. Cit-kalā
Meaning – She resides as Cit-kalā in every being.
‘Kalā’ means ‘phase’. Just like the moon, each being has 16 phases (shodasha kalā), which are the cause for its sustenance. Among them She is the Cit-kalā.
Upanishads declare that Parabrahma enters into the foetus from its Brahmarāndhra (the invisible opening at the top of the head) in the form of Cit-kalā (jnana). This Cit-kalā comes in the form of Pranashakti (life force). Life begins only after this. The Cit-kalā that had entered through the Brahmarāndhra should also leave the body through the same mode but this happens only in the case of liberated beings. In all other beings, it leaves the body through other exits.
729. Ānanda-kalikā
Meaning – She dwells in every being in the form of bliss (ānanda) that is in a budding/ blossoming state.
Kalika is the tender flowering bud that is yet to fully blossom. This bud blooms into a flower resulting in infinite bliss.
One of the 3 basic inherent desires of every being is to be in a state of eternal bliss (Ananda). The individual bliss and the divine bliss are separated by a thin lining known as ahamkara (ego, sense of individuality). Because of this ego, the individual enjoys temporary, periodic bliss. Divinity on the other hand, is free from egotism and therefore enjoys pure eternal bliss.
730. Prema-rūpā
Meaning – She is an embodiment of love.
Devotion has been compared to love (prema). Love causes the mind to be focused on the object of love. A mother who loves her child always thinks about him/her; a newlywed wife has her thoughts focused on her husband. Likewise, similar love should be developed towards divinity. Thoughts such be endlessly focused on the Lord. Such love is devotion (bhakti).