Lalita Sahasranama meanings per name
741. Rambhādi-vanditā
Meaning – Divine damsels such as Rambha ardently worship Her.
Divine damsels are not ordinary celestial dancers, as is commonly understood. Enjoying celestial dance actually represents a state of divine bliss that is being enjoyed by the person. Great insights about these dancers are contained in the Vedas. ‘Rambhādi vanditā’ implies that all the various energies in this creation worship the Divine Mother.
742. Bhava-dhāva-sudhā-vṛṣṭiḥ
Meaning – She is the rain of nectar (amruta varsha) that extinguishes the forest fire (dhava) known as samsara (bhava).
The result Nandi-vidya upasana (worship) is being explained here. This birth that we have taken was a result of some karmas performed earlier. Life with all its ups and downs is like a terrible forest fire. She showers the rain of nectar and extinguishes it.
743. Pāparaṇya-davānalā
Meaning – She is the fire who reduces to ashes the heaps (forest) of sins of Her devotees.
Every person should, prior to retiring to bed, write down all his/her karmas done during the day. The acts by which he/she hurt others or the good deeds by which he could help others on that day should be mandatorily recollected. Such conscious recollection prevents the repetition of the misdeeds and encourages the good deeds.
Extensive Pranayama burns out heaps of sins. Pranayama should be undertaken until the body is fully drenched with sweat. The body vibrates when the supply of prana shakti is stopped. Such vibration is the repentance (prayaschitta) for the sins/ bad deeds.
The human mind generally chases sins. Our mind should be trained to see good in bad. Good deeds should be undertaken as they wipe out the heaps of sins. Fear of sin prevents the mind from chasing them. Love towards dharma and fear towards sins (dharma preeti- paapa bheeti) are essential sutras for spiritual path.
744. Daurbhāgya-tūla-vātūlā
Meaning – She is the huge gale that blows and shreds the misfortunes of her devotees, which can be compared to small cotton ball.
To blow a small cotton piece, a huge gale storm is unnecessary. However misfortunes can be compared to the tiny blade of grass that remain firm and grounded even in the face of floods and earthquakes. To overpower even these trivial misfortunes the force equivalent of that of an intense gale storm is required. Divine Mother uses that strength to relieve her devotee out of his/her misfortunes.
The following have been classified as dourbhagya (misfortunes)-
1) Being indebted (runa) to others, financially or otherwise.
2) Begging (yāchana) is also a misfortune.
3) The problems of old age.
4) Not attending to the needs of the family and having paramour.
5) Lack of adequate understanding between the husband and wife.
6) Stealing.
7) Poverty.
8) Ill health.
9) Eating the left-overs of others (bhukta shesha bhojana).
745. Jarā-dhvānta-ravi-prabhā
Meaning – She is the bright sunlight that dispels ill-health and other problems of old age.
Jarā-dhvānta also stands for ignorance that the Divine mother wipes out in those who earnestly seek Jnana. Prayers should be aimed towards this end.
746. Bhāgyabdhi-candrikā
Meaning – She is the moonlight that causes the ocean of good luck to swell in her devotees.
That the full and new moon causes the ocean to swell is a well-known fact. These 2 days are very auspicious. Like the full moon, which causes the ocean to swell, She causes a rise in good fortune on those who ardently worship Her.
747. Bhakta-citta-keki-ghanā ghanā
Meaning – Just as the peacock dances in joy at the sight of the rain/clouds, She causes the minds of the devotee to dance in joy.
Inner sounds originate from the Anahata chakra. To this Anahata She is the rain clouds (Ghanāghana). A sadhaka who has reached Anahata Chakra beings to hear divine sounds that lead the way to the top.
748. Roga-parvata-dhambholiḥ
Meaning – She is the Vajrāyudhā (diamond weapon of Lord Indra) that can shred diseases of the body and mind which are as huge as mountains.
Vedas state that in the beginning of creation mountains had wings and hence could fly. At that time, Lord Indra took his Vajrāyudhā and chopped the wings of the mountains. This is no fantasy story. A deep significance is hidden within it.
The Lord created the earth and it was slowly formed as a combination of various elements from various directions. After a certain point the Supreme force decided to stop this exercise. Nevertheless, the atoms still continued to get attracted to and fall on the earth. These are referred to as the flying mountains. These were potentially dangerous to the life on earth. If huge stones and pebbles from outer space get attracted to the earth and keep hitting it with force, then what about the life on earth? Hence the Supreme Lord, in his form as Indra, used his power of attraction to attract them towards himself and thus prevented them from landing on earth. Simultaneously he increased the gravity of Mother Earth.
749. Mṛtyu-dāru-kuṭhārikā
Meaning – She is the huge axe that chops the tree called death.
Mrtyu here refers to the ‘fear of death’ within the person. With Her grace, She dispels such fear in her devotees. Also, She relieves her devotee from the cycle of births and deaths (samsara).
Mrtyu means forgetfulness. Forgetting God and Sadguru is mrtyu.
Names 742 (Bhava-dhāva-sudhā-vṛṣṭiḥ) to 749 (Mṛtyu-dāru-kuṭhārikā) detail the results of performing Nandi-vidya upasana. All these names above subtly referred to Her as a form of the five basic elements (pancha bhootas). With this name, the Nandi-vidya concludes.
From the 750th name (Māheshwarī) up to the 790th name (Parāparā) teaches the Mangala-chandi-vidya; the knowledge about the Supreme Mother Mangala-chandi.
She is known by this name for the following reasons-
– An emperor by name Mangala who belonged to Manu’ lineage worshipped Her and due to this She was addressed as Mangala-chandi.
– Chandi is that aspect of Divine Mother who dispels the inauspiciousness and bestows auspiciousness. Hence She is Mangala-chandi (mangala means auspiciousness).
– At the time of the destruction of Demon Tripuraasura, Lord Shiva worshipped Her as Chandi. The Devatas, who witnessed this worship, could see His auspicious form (mangala swaroopa) and hence this Devi was called Mangala-chandi.
– Subrahmanya, who is also known as Mangala-graha (Planet Mars), worshipped Her and hence She is Mangala-chandi.
Devi Bhagavatam contains this hymn (stotram) on Mangala-chandika –
Raksha raksha jaganmāta devi Mangala-chandike
Harike vipadam rashe harsha-mangala-kārike
Harsha mangala dakshe ca harsha mangala dāyike
Shubhe mangala dakshe ca shubhe mangala-chandike
Mangala mangalarhe ca sarva mangala mangale
Satam mangalade devi sarvesham mangalalaye
Pujya mangala-vāre ca mangalabhishta deivathey
Poojya mangala bhupasya manuvamshasya santatam
Mangaladhishthatru devi mangalanam ca mangale
Samsara mangaladhare moksha mangala dāyini
Sare ca mangaladhare pare ca sarvakarmanam
Om chandikāyai namah!
750. Māheshwarī
Meaning – As She has retained the Supreme Lord Eshwara under her sway She is Māheshwarī.
Eshwara is the Lord who has the entire creation including even the five basic elements (pancha bhootas) under his sway. Such a Lord is under the sway of the Divine Mother and hence She is aptly addressed as Māheshwari.