Lalitā Sahasranāmam 10-12
Description
10. Manorūpekṣu-kodaṇḍā मनोरूपेक्षु-कोदण्डा
Mind involves both saṁkalpa and vikalpa. Saṁkalpa means resolve, process of thought. Vikalpa means difference of perception. Both are opposite to each other. Mind is also subtle, like knowledge. Mind is reflected through the five sense organs. It has both saṁkalpa and vikalpa quality, as it acts through the impressions received from sense organs that get fine tuned in the form of thought and finally explode in the form of actions. Ikṣu means sugarcane and kodaṇḍa means a bow. She is holding in Her left lower arm a bow of sugar cane. Why sugarcane bow? If sugarcane is crushed, sweet and tasty juice is obtained from which sugar is manufactured. It means if one crushes his mind, controlling it, he gets the sweet reality of Brahman. This arm is represented by Mantrinī also known as Śyāmala Devī.
11. Pañcatanmātra-sāyakā पञ्चतन्मात्र-सायका
Pañca means five and the tanmātras are sound, touch, sight, taste and smell, the perceptions of the five basic elements ākāśa, air, fire, water and earth. Sāyakā means arrows. The previous nāma spoke about the bow and this nāma talks about Her arrows. She has five arrows made of flowers. The five flower arrows represent the five subtle elements. These five flowers or arrows are described differently in various tantra-śāstras. These five flowers are lotus flower, raktakairava flower, kalhara flower, indivara flower and mango tree flowers. These five flowers represent excitement, madness, confusion, stimulation and destruction. The arrows are used in wars targeting the enemies. Lalitāmbikā targets Her devotees with these arrows to destroy the illusion or māyā, as the five subtle elements are associated with māyā. This is Her right lower hand. Vārāhī Devī is represented by this hand.
Nāmas 8–11 have secret bījākśaras. For example, nāma 8, Rāgasvarūpa-pāśāḍhyā has hrīṁ-bīja also known as māyā-bīja. The eighth nāma begins with rāgasva which is formed of ra + aga + sva. Aga means Śiva. The bīja for Śiva is hāṁ (हां). This is to be taken as ha. The next is ra (र) and this is to be taken as it is. Sva means the letter īṁ (ईं) with a bindu (dot) on the top. The bīja hrīṁ (ह्रीं) is thus formed by ha + ra + īṁ and pronounced as hrīṁ. Similarly, in the other three nāmas, bījākaśaras da, ra, ka, la, ya, sa, va, ā, ī and ū are hidden. That is why Lalitā Sahasranāma is considered as sacred and esoteric as the Vedas. Most importantly, this Sahasranāma should not be recited with rāga or svara (musical notes) but chanted in the same manner as śruti.
12. Nijāruṇa-prabhā-pūra-majjad-brahmāṇḍa-manḍalā निजारुण-प्रभा-पूर-मज्जद्-ब्रह्माण्ड-मन्डला
Her rosy complexion irradiates the universe with red color. From this nāma, the gross description of Lalitāmbikā begins. When physical description of a God is made, it is from foot to head and for Goddesses it is from head to foot. So Lalitāmbikā’s description begins from Her head. For Śiva the descriptions are both from His head and feet, as He represents both Śiva and Śakti in the ardhanārīśvara form, where Śiva and Śakti combine in a single form, half male and half female, conjoined vertically. In Pañcadaśī-mantra there are three parts or kūṭas (divisions). Out of the three kūṭas, the first, vāgbhava-kūṭa is meditated upon as Her head, which is in line with the tradition of describing Her from head to foot.
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