Truth as clear and pristine as an unpolluted
mountain stream.
Sri Lalita Sahasranama
201-300
201)
Sri Sadgati-Prada
—
Leads devotee to Highest Truth or Reality which is Herself.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
Finite
and transient are the fruits of sacrificial rites.
The
deluded, who regard them as the highest good remain subject to birth and
death.
Living
in the abyss of ignorance, yet wise in their own conceit,
The
deluded go round and round [countless rebirth], like the blind led by the
blind.
Living
in the abyss of ignorance, the deluded think themselves blessed.
Attached
to works, they know not God.
Works
lead them only to heaven, whence, to their sorrow,
Their rewards quickly
exhausted, they are flung back to earth.
Considering
religion to be observance of rituals, and performance as acts of charity,
the
deluded remain ignorant of the highest good.
Having
enjoyed in heaven the reward of their good works,
They enter again into
the world of mortals.
But
the wise, self-controlled, and tranquil souls, who are contented inspirit, and who practice austerity,
And
meditation in solitude and silence are freed from all impurity,
And
attain by the path of liberation the immortal, the truly existing,
The
changeless Self.
Mundaka
Upanishad 1.2.7-11
"Muhammad
al-Harraq (d. 1845): "Seekest thou Laila [Divine Reality], when she
is manifest within thee? Thou deemest her to be other, but she is not
other than thou." Jalal al-Din Rumi (d.1273): "Though the many
ways [diverse religions] are various, the goal is one. Do you not see
there are many roads to the Kaaba?"
In
some Sufi orders the goal of the mystical quest is "personified as a
woman, usually named Laila which means ‘night’... this is the holiest
and most secret inwardness of Allah... in this symbolism Laila and haqiqa
(Divine Reality) are one." This, and the above statements appear to
be distinctly contrary to Muslim orthodoxy in their blatant echoes of
Eastern mystic religions. Yet, for Sufis this is not a problem. As Ibn ‘Arabi
stated,
My
heart has become capable of every form: it is a pasture for gazelles and a
convent for Christians, and a temple for idols and the pilgrims Ka‘ba
and the tables of the Torah, and the book of the Koran. I follow the
religion of Love: whatever way Love’s camels take, that is my religion
and faith.
Another
Sufi saint, Mahmud Shabistari, in his work Gulshan-i Raz (The Mystic Rose
Garden) concurs, declaring, "what is mosque, what is synagogue, what
is fire temple? ... ‘I’ and ‘You’ are the Hades veil between
them.. When this veil is lifted up from before you, there remains not the
bond of sects and creeds."
Thus,
not only has Sufism been influenced by other religions, but its
mystic quest for spirituality has led it to embrace all sorts of
religion, as abundantly shown in the writings of the great Sufi
saints. To try to deny this as a scholar is incomprehensible.
Yet, those scholars who are sympathetic towards Islam, as
previously shown, have a marked tendency to minimize or
altogether ignore these facts."
William
Van Doodewaard, Sufism: The Mystical Side of Islam
(University of Western Ontario, London, Canada: 1996)
202)
Sri Sarvesvari
—
Queen of the Universe.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
May
the Sages who first discovered the Word, who,
After meditating upon it
long and silently in their hearts and spirits,
Were
illumined in their own inner beings, and succeeded in communicating,
And
pronouncing that same Word to their fellowmen —
May they themselves
shine with lustrous splendor!
Brahmavidya
AV IV, 1
That
Sacred Word which was first born in the East,
The Seer has revealed from
the shining horizon.
He
disclosed its varied aspects, high and low,
The womb of both the Existent
and the Nonexistent.
May
this ancestral Queen who dwells among beings,
Stride forth toward
primordial creation!
I
have conveyed to her this shining Sunbird.
Let them offer warm milk to the
one who is thirsty for worship.
The
wise who knows from birth this world's hidden thread,
Discerns the
coming to birth of all the Gods.
From
the bosom of the Sacred Word, He brought forth the Word.
On high, below,
he abides in his own laws.
Abiding
by Cosmic Order, he fixed as his seat,
The mighty firmaments of Heaven
and Earth.
Mighty
from birth, dwelling in earth and heaven,
He fixed those mighty masses,
defining their spheres.
From
birth at depths abysmal, the Sacred Word has passed up to the summit;
The
cosmic ruler, the Lord of the Sacred Word, is her divinity.
Just
as the luminous day is born from light,
So may the radiant singers shine
far and wide!
Professor
R. Panikkar, The Vedic Experience
(Prof. R. Panikkar, The Vedic Experience,
http://www.cybrlink.com/)
203)
Sri
Sarvamayi
—
Immanent in All.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
Salutations
again and again to the Devi who in all beings is termed as
Consciousness.
Sri
Durga-Saptasati 17-19
Know
the masculine, but keep to the feminine:
And become a watershed to the
world.
If
you embrace the world, the Tao will never leave you,
And you become as a
little child.
Know
the white, yet keep to the black: Be a model for the world.
If
you are a model for the world, the Tao inside you will strengthen,
And you
will return whole to your eternal beginning.
Tao
Te Ching 28 (Lao-Tzu)
(Translated
by J.H. McDonald, Public Domain, 1996)
204)
Sri Sarva-Mantra-Svarupini
—
Embodiment of all mantras totaling 700,000.
—
Embodiment of all Vedas.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
205)
Sri Sarva-Tantrarupa
—
Form of all Tantras.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
207)
Sri Manonmani
—
Highest state of Consciousness.
—
Secret name of Sri Durga.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"Manonmani
is the eight place from the centre between the eyebrows, just below the
Brahmarandhra; being of that form, She is so called." The Svacchandasamgraha
says, "There is a Sakti, the cause (of all causes), and above
that comes unmani. In that centre there is no time or space, no
tattva, no deity, complete freedom, purity, supremacy, what is called rudravaktra
(mouth of rudra.) This is called the Sakti of Siva; in it there is neither
subject nor object, spotless." So in the Sruti (Rudradhyaya),
"Salutation to Vamadeva, supreme excellence," it is explained,
that the Sakti of Siva is named Manonmani. The Tripura Up. Also
mentions that "When the mind, free from attachment to object, fixed
on the heart, attains the state of unmani, then the Supreme Abode (one
reached.)"
Again
manonmani is a kind of mudra according to the Yoga-sastra, its
characteristics are described thus: "By this process the eyes neither
close nor open, by which breath is neither inhaled nor exhaled and the
mind is a blank neither speculating nor doubting, direct that manonmani
towards Me." The Br. Naradiya Pr. Says, "When the process
of meditation, meditator and the object of meditation are entirely
destroyed, then unmani stage arises; consequently he enjoys the
ambrosia of wisdom."
R.
Ananthakrishna Sastry
(R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988, p. 121)
208)
Sri Mahesvari
—
One with Him, God Almighty.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
Say,
He is God, the One! God, the eternally Besought of all!
He
neither begets nor was begotten.
And there is none comparable unto Him.
surah
112 Al Ikhlas (The Purity of Faith)
(Abdullah
Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’an, Amanna Corporation)
He
is the one God, hidden in all beings, all-pervading,
The Self within all
beings, watching over all works,
Dwelling
in all beings, the witness, the perceiver, the only one, free from
qualities.
Svetasvatara
Upanishad 6.11
"We
Hindus believe that there is one all-pervasive God which energizes the
entire universe. We can see Him in the life shining out of the eyes of
humans and all creatures. This concept of God as existing in and giving
life to all things is called "panentheism." It is different from
pantheism, which is the belief that God is the natural universe and
nothing more. It is also different from theism which says God is only
above the world. Panentheism is a beautiful concept. It says that God is
both in the world and beyond it, both immanent and transcendent. That is
the Hindu view. Hindus also believe in many devas who perform various
kinds of functions, like executives in a large corporation. These should
not be confused with God. There is one Supreme God only. What is sometimes
confusing to non-Hindus is that we may call this one God by many different
names, according to our tradition. Truth for the Hindu has many names, but
that does not make for many truths.
Hindus
believe in one God, one humanity and one world. People with different
language, different cultures have understood this one God in their own
way. This is why we are very tolerant of all religions, as each has its
own path to this one God. One of the unique understandings in Hinduism is
that God is not just far away, living in a remote heaven, but is also
inside of each and every soul in the heart and consciousness, waiting for
you and me to discover. Knowing the One Great God in this intimate and
experiential way is the goal of Hindu spirituality."
S.
S. Subramuniyaswami, July 4th, 1990
(Himalayan
Academy, 1998, www.hinduismtoday.kauai.hi.us/)
He
is the Sole Supreme Being; of eternal manifestation; Creator, Immanent
Reality; Without Fear, Without Rancor;
Timeless
Form; Unincarnated; Self-existent;
Realized by the grace of the Holy
Preceptor.
Sri
Guru Granth Sahib (Japuji, p. 1: The Mul Mantra)
This
body is the puppet of Maya.
The evil of egotism is within it.
Coming
and going through birth and death,
The self-willed manmukhs lose their
honor.
Serving
the True Inner Guru, eternal peace is obtained,
And one's light merges
into the Light.
Serving
the True Inner Guru brings a deep, profound peace,
And one's desires are
fulfilled.
Abstinence,
truthfulness and self-discipline are obtained, and the body is purified;
The
Lord, Har, Har, comes to dwell within the mind.
Such a person remains
blissful forever, day and night.
Meeting
the Beloved, peace is found.
I
am a sacrifice to those who seek the Sanctuary of the True Inner Guru.
In
the Court of the True One, they
are blessed with true greatness;
They are intuitively absorbed into the
True Lord.
O
Nanak, by His Glance of Grace She is found;
The Gurmukh is united in His
Union.
Sri
Guru Granth Sahib
(Siree
Raag, Third
Mehl, p. 31.)
I
laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty.
You
wander restlessly from forest to forest,
While the Reality is within your
own dwelling. The truth is here!
Go
where you will — to Benares or to Mathura;
Until you have found God in
your own soul,
The
whole world will seem meaningless to you.
Kabir
"Sufism
was early criticized by those who feared that the Sufis' concern for
personal experiential knowledge of God could lead to neglect of
established religious observances and that the Sufis' ideal of unity with
God was a denial of the Islamic principle of the "otherness" of
God. The execution (922) of al Hallaj, who claimed mystical communion with
God, is related to this second issue, and in later centuries some Sufis
did indeed move to a theosophical monism (for example, Ibn Arabi, d. 1240;
and Jili, d. c.1428.) By combining a traditional theological position with
a moderate form of Sufism, al Ghazali made mysticism widely acceptable in
the Muslim world."
Willem
A. Bijlefeld, Professsor of Islamic Studies
The
Hartford Seminary Foundation, Conn.
(Source: 1998 Grolier
Multimedia Encyclopedia.)
209)
Sri Mahadevi
—
The Greatest Goddess.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"The
culture of the
Great
Goddess was very ancient in the Indian area. According to E.
Mackay, besides the Indus small statues found in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
represented Parvati, the wife of Shiva-Pashupati (the divine Shepard, Lord
of Creatures) despite the fact that these names had not yet appeared in
the pre-Vedic period. Her equivalent in the Aryan Vedas was Ushas (the
dawn), the daughter of Heaven (Dyaus Pitar.) The effigy of Shiva-
Pashupati carved on a ceramic seal from the third millennium discovered in
Mohenjo-Dara depicted the deity seated in a Yogic asana since Shiva is
Yogeshwara (Lord of Yogis.) The culture of the Mother Goddess was dominant
with the Dravadians too.
The
age of the Vedic Gods started with the Aryan invasion, when the Divine
Mother was represented as Bhoomi-Devi (Earth Goddess, Mother Earth),
earlier called Prithivi or as the sacred Cow Kamadhenu or Surabhi. The
Vedas mentioned Gayatri about whom Kennedy (Hindu Mythology, p.
345) wrote: "Nothing in the Vedas is superior to Gayatri. The Gayatri
is the Mother of the Vedas and of brahmins. . . . For the Gayatri is
Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva, and the four Vedas." The old holy
scriptures talk about Gods who become important in the later age of the
Puranas.
The
Divine Mother occupied a prevailing place among the Puranas deities. She
is the Adi Shakti. As Maha-Devi She is the wife of the supreme God Shiva,
being known under different other names: Bhairavi (the Terrible) when
Shiva becomes Bhairava; Uma (Light), in Kena Upanishad; Haimvati (the
daughter of the Himalayas); Jagadamba or Jagan-mata (the Mother of the
World); Durga (the Inaccessible); Parvati (the Mountaineer); virgin Gauri
(the Yellow or Brilliant); Kali (the Black) first mentioned in the Vedas
where She was associated with Agni, later as the wife of Shiva. In the
Puranas we find Her as Lakshmi (the Luck), Vishnu’s wife, ‘. . . This
enumeration might further continue with Bhavani, Chandi or Chandika,
Shyama (the Black) and the others that reach the number of one thousand
names, all mentioned in the Sri Lalitambika Sahasranama Stotram.
She
has always been the Shakti, the Power of the corresponding masculine
incarnation when appearing in the human form, as a Mother, Wife or
Daughter, for example: Sita — Rama’s wife; Radha — Krishna’s wife;
Draupadi — wife of the Pandavas; Mary — Jesus’ mother; Fatima —
Muhammad’s daughter and Hazrat Ali’s wife. She has now manifested at
the end of the Kali Yuga to announce the dawn of the golden age, Satya
Yuga."
Dan
Costian, Bible Enlightened
(Dan Costian, Bible Enlightened, Computex Graphics, 1995, p. 270-72.)
210)
Sri Mahalaksmi
— Great
source of wealth.
—
Mahalaksmi
is the origin of everything manifested as the three
gunas. Mark. Pr.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
212)
Sri Maharupa
—
The Supreme Form.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
213)
Sri Maha-Pujya
—
Worshipped by the Highest i.e. Sri Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"Attributes
of God
The
basic formula (Mool Mantra) of Sikh theology that characterises the
ultimate Reality, God and that unfolds the nature of monotheism advocated
by Guru Nanak, runs as follows: —
"Ik
Onkar, Sat Nam, Karta Purkh, Nirbahu, Nirwair, Akal Murat, Ajuni Saibhang,
Gur, Parsad." (P.
1 ADI GRANTH)
1,
Transcendal Immanent, Truth, Numeon, Creator, Spirit, Non-thesis,
Non-antithesis, Beyond Time, Model, Unborn, Self-expression, Light,
Gracious."
God
is One: Spake Guru Nanak: —
"My
Master is One, the One alone, the Absolute one, One-in-One."
(P.
350 Adi Granth)
There
is no place for polytheism in Sikhism. The gods and goddesses are not
independent entities; they represent certain natural powers that ensue
from God.
"The
Brahma, Vishnu and Siva too are contained in Him, the One." (P. 908, Adi Granth)."
Pritam
Singh Gill, The Trinity of Sikhism
(P.
Singh Gill, The Trinity of Sikhism, New Academic Publishing Co.,
Jullundur, India, 1990, p. 65.)
214)
Sri Maha-Pataka-Nasini
—
Destroys the greatest of sins.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
215)
Sri Maha-maya
—
Supreme Creator of Illusion and Confusion to the greatest of Gods
like Trimurtis.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"Eastern
philosophy espouses the view that ultimate reality is the unity of
opposites, two most fundamental of which are the masculine and feminine
principles. God is not conceived as predominantly masculine or feminine,
either as God the father or the divine mother. God is the unity of these
two opposites variously known as Shiva and Shakti, Yang and Yin, Yab and
Yum, or Logos and Eros. . . .
An interesting story in yoga philosophy tells how
maya, the principle, involves people in the affairs of life, and yet this same
principle, involves people in the affairs of life, and yet this same
principle also helps us in getting out of our involvement. Maya is a
beautiful dancing girl, and Purusha, the spirit, is the beholder, the
witness, the onlooker. Maya comes in front of Purusha and begins to dance
wonderfully, unfolding the charms and graces of her celestial form. The
spirit beholds, bewitched and enchanted. So long as the beholder watches
with great interest, Maya continues to dance. But she is very sensitive.
The moment she realizes it has had enough, she immediately turns around
and shrinks, withdrawing her dance form. Magically she is transformed from
the dancing girl into the divine mother. This same power or energy now
begins to help the beholder in attaining supreme liberation, which is the
ultimate spiritual destiny of life. So Maya is the great enchantress whose
power can bring supreme liberation to the individual self; for without
divine grace, salvation is not possible."
Dr.
Haridas Chaudhuri, The Essence of Spiritual Philosophy
(Dr.
H. Chaudhuri, The Essence of Spiritual Philosophy, Thorsons Pub. Group, UK, 1990, p. 107-8.)
"The
enchantress, the Great Maya, who delights in imprisoning all creatures in
the terrors of samsara, cannot be pronounced guilty in her role of
temptress who lures souls into multiform all-embracing existence, into the
ocean of life (from the horrors of which she unceasingly saves individuals
in her aspect as ‘boat woman’), for the whole sea of life is the
glittering, surging play of her shakti. From this flood of life caught in
its own toils, individuals ripe for redemption rise up at all times, in
Buddha’s metaphor like lotus blossoms that rise from the water’s
surface and open their petals to the unbroken light of heaven."
Sitaram
Shastri and Zimmer: Kaula And Other Upanishads
(S.
Shastri and Zimmer, Kaula And Other Upanishads, p. 87.)
216)
Sri Maha-Sattva
—
Supreme Existence.
—
Supreme Energy.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
217)
Sri Maha-Saktih
—
The Greatest Power.
—
"To the Devi who abides in All beings in the form of
Power."
Sri Durga-Saptasati 32-34
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"Because
She is the Energy of the whole universe. The Yadava says, "Sakti,
power, strength, strife, weapon." The Visnu Purana says:
Just
as the brightness of a fire is spread abroad, so the Energy of the Supreme
Brahman [spreads throughout] the whole world.
Just
as the the brightness is greater or less according to the distance [of the
fire], so it is with this Energy, O
Maitreya."
R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama
(R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988, p. 125.)
218)
Sri Maharatih
—
The Greatest Bliss.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"What
is the Nature of the Yoga Pada?
SHLOKA
39
Yoga
is internalized worship which leads to union with God. It is the regular
practice of meditation, detachment and austerities under the guidance of a
satguru through whose grace we attain the realization of Parashiva. Aum.
BHASHYA
Yoga,
"union," is the process of uniting with God within oneself, a
stage arrived at through perfecting charya and kriya. As God is now like a
friend to us, yoga is known as the sakha marga. This system of inner
discovery begins with asana — sitting quietly in yogic posture — and
pranayama, breath control. Pratyahara, sense withdrawal, brings awareness
into dharana, concentration, then into dhyana, meditation.
Over
the years, under ideal conditions, the kundalini fire of consciousness
ascends to the higher chakras, burning the dross of ignorance and past
karmas. Dhyana finally leads to ecstasy — first to savikalpa samadhi,
"the contemplative experience of Satchidananda, and ultimately to
nirvikalpa samadhi, Parashiva. Truly a living satguru is needed as a
steady guide to traverse this path. When yoga is practiced by one
perfected in kriya, the Gods receive the yogi into their midst through his
awakened, fiery kundalini. The Vedas enjoin the yogi, "With earnest
effort hold the senses in check. Controlling the breath, regulate the
vital activities. As a charioteer holds back his restive horses, so does a
persevering aspirant restrain his mind." Aum Namah Sivaya."
S.
S. Subramuniyaswami, May 21, 1999
(Himalayan
Academy, 1998, www.hinduismtoday.kauai.hi.us/)
220)
Sri Mahaisvarya
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
221)
Sri Mahavirya
—
The Greatest Might.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
222)
Sri Mahabala
—
The Greatest Strength.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
223)
Sri Mahabuddhih
—
The Greatest Intelligence.
—
"To the Devi who abides in All beings in the form of Pure
Intelligence." Sri Durga-Saptasati 20-22
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"When
the intelligence is directed towards Her, nothing remains to be known. The
Sruti (Cha. Up., VI. 1) says, "Which, when known, the whole
universe is known." Or, from whom one obtains the highest (mahat)
intelligence."
R.
Ananthakrishna Sastry
(R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988, p. 126.)
224)
Sri Mahasiddih
—
The Greatest Fulfillment.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"The
siddhis are well-known super-human powers, namely anima, etc. Other
siddhis are also explained in the Skanda Pr.
"The
first siddhi is the manifestation of taste [when no object is
tasted];
The
second is the overcoming of the pairs of opposites;
The
third is the being both superior and inferior, i.e. he perceives no
difference of degree;
The
fourth is the indifference towards the conditions of pleasure, pain, and
life;
The
fifth called without sorrow [visoka] is illuminator of body;
The
sixth is steadfastness in penance and contemplation of the supreme Self;
The
seventh is the power of unrestrained motion (through space);
and
the eight is the power of suspension, i.e. uniform equilibrium."
R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama
(R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988, p. 126.)
226)
Sri Maha-Tantra
—
The Greatest Tantra.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
227)
Sri Maha-Mantra
—
The Greatest Mantra.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
228)
Sri Maha-Yantra
—
The Greatest Yantra.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
He
who regards as equal to the other [Vidyas], with the Vidya of Lalita,
Also
this mantra with other mantras, also this yantra with other yantras
— That man is only bewildered in mind.
Nitya
Tr.
(source:
R. A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988.)
232)
Sri Mahesvara-Maha-Kalpa-Maha-Tandava-Saksini
—
Silent
Witness to the dissolution of the Universe.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"The
Witness to the Great Dance of Mahesvara in the Great Cycle (mahesvaramahakalpa-
mahatanda — vasaksini). Mahakalpa, the Great Dissolution (pralaya);
Great Dance is caused by the fact that the Self alone remaining and having
become Bliss after the universe has been drawn into it; as, at that time,
there is no one beside Herself, She is the Witness.
The
Pancadasistava says,
"Your
form alone is excellent, having the noose, elephant hook,
Bow of
sugarcane, and the arrow of flowers,
And
witnessing the dance of the axe-bearing Parabhairava [Siva in His aspect
of Destruction]Started
at the time of His drawing the universe [into Himself]."
The
Devi Bhag. Pr. also says,
"This
[Devi] at the Dissolution [of the
universe],
Having
drawn the universe into Herself sports,
Having absorbed the souls [linga]
of all beings in Her own body." "
R.
A. Sastry, Lalita Sahasranama
(R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988, p. 128.)
"This
universe, and indeed all of existence, is maya, Siva's mirific energy.
While God is absolutely real, His emanated world is relatively real. Being
relatively real does not mean the universe is illusory or nonexistent, but
that it is impermanent and subject to change. It is an error to say that
the universe is mere illusion, for it is entirely real when experienced in
ordinary consciousness, and its existence is required to lead us to God.
The universe is born, evolves and dissolves in cycles much as the seasons
come and go through the year. These cycles are inconceivably immense,
ending in mahapralaya when the universe undergoes dissolution. All three
worlds, including time and space, dissolve in God Siva. This is His
ultimate grace — the evolution of all souls is perfect and complete as
they lose individuality and return to Him. Then God Siva exists alone in
His three perfections until He again issues forth creation. The Vedas
state, "Truly, God is One; there can be no second. He alone governs
these worlds with His powers. He stands facing beings. He, the herdsman,
after bringing forth all worlds, reabsorbs them at the end of time." "
Hinduism
Today
(Himalayan
Academy, 1998,www.hinduismtoday.kauai.hi.us/)
237)
Sri Maha-Chatuhsasti-Koti-Yogini-Gana-Sevita
—
Served
by 6,400,000 yoginis to fight powers of Darkness.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
In
Lalita’s nine cakras, O beloved one,
There
are many saktis, numbering to 64 crores (6,400,000.)
Tantraraja
(source:
R. A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988.)
244)
Sri Charachara-Jagannatha
—
Queen of the Universe.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"That
nothing can exist unless there is ground for its existence, some
substratum from which it may rise, is expressed in the Sikshavalli of the
Taittireya Upanishad. "The universal substratum is known as Para
Brahman and the potentiality of manifestation — Sakti, appears in the
form of opposing tendencies represented as cohesion — Vishnu, and
disintegration — RudraSiva, and their balance, which is the space-time
creating principle, being known as Brahma — Immense Being."
The
tension between the opposites from which movement arises in the substratum
is depicted as the first appearance of Energy (Sakti). It is from manifest
energy that existence springs forth. Energy appears as the substance of
everything, pervading everything. It can be the power of Siva, the power
of Vishnu and the power of Brahma. As the power of their combined form —
ParaSivam, it becomes the Supreme Sakti — the resplendent 'Mother of
millions of world clusters'.
Grace
is the power which is regarded as the Universal Mother, and being
inseparably inherent in Siva is also called the Consort of Siva. Listen to
Her silent footsteps! She comes, comes, ever comes. Let us sing Her glory
at all times. So declared St. Tayumanavar in a canzone of exquisite charm
which bears close association with Swami's plaintive song on Guharini:
"All-filling,
Ancient, Auspicious, Independent Destroyer of the Triple city, Three-eyed,
Beautous,
Excellent,
Blissful causing bliss Narani on thousand-petalled lotus throned,
Sovereign
Lady beyond the ken of thought.
Cosmic
Force transcending quality manifest there where Vibration ceaseth:
Of
Thy servants who thus chant thy names am I worthy even to utter their
names?
As
Mistress of the Vedas hailed by Him whose locks are wreathed with atti
flower,
Mother
of millions of world-clusters, yet Virgin by the Vedas called !
Oh
Swan whose form is bliss, fertile Tevai's Queen, praised of Ganga in whose
waters maidens sport!
Lady
Uma who lovest mountain haunts and was born, dear to the Mountain-king as
the apple of his eye!" "
St.
Tayumanavar (Malaivalar Kathali)
(source:
Himalayan Academy, 1998,ww.hinduismtoday.kauai.hi.us/)
252)
Sri Paramananda
—
The
Ultimate Bliss.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"Every
being dwells on the very brink of the infinite ocean of the force of life.
We all carry it within us: supreme strength — the plenitude of wisdom.
It is never baffled and cannot be done away, yet it is hidden deep. It is
down in the darkest, profoundest vault of the castle of our being, in the
forgotten well-house, the deep cistern. What if one should discover it
again, and then draw from it unceasingly? That is the leading thought of
Indian philosophy. And since all Indian spiritual exercises are devoted
seriously to this practical aim — not to a merely fanciful contemplation
or discussion of lofty and profound ideas — they may well be regarded as
representing one of the most realistic, matter-of-fact, practical-minded
systems of thought and training ever set up by the human mind. How to come
to Brahman and remain in touch with it; how to become identified with
Brahman, living out of it; how to become divine while still on earth —
transformed, reborn adamantine while on the earthly plane; that is the
quest that has inspired and defied the spirit of man in India through the
ages.
Still,
we cannot say that this is exclusively an Indian objective . . .
Throughout the world we find men striving for this summum bonum:
the gold, the pearl, the watercress of deathlessness."
Heinrich
Zimmer, Philosophies of India
(Heinrich
Zimmer, Philosophies of India, Princeton University Press, 1974, p.
80-1.)
254)
Sri Dhyana-Dhyatr-Dhyeya-Rupa
—
In
the form of meditation, meditator and meditated.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"I
meditate on all those who meditate on Me."
Shri
Nirmala Devi
Montreal,
Canada — June 27, 1994
The
cosmic soul is truly the whole universe, the immortal source of all
creation,
All action, all meditation.
Whoever
discovers Him, hidden deep within,
Cuts through the bonds of ignorance
even during his life on earth.
Atharva
Veda, Mundaka Upanishads 2.1.10.
256)
Sri Visvarupa
—
Universe is Her From.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
I
Myself am the universe and there is no other permanency.
Devi
Bhag. Pr.
(source:
R. A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988.)
"VisvarUpa : Visva, tha jivas in the waking state
manifested through
the gross elements, and VaisvAnara is he who is the aggregate of the jivas.
Rupa, form ie these two are her forms.
Or, by the preceding name [255] is meant that she is inseparable
form the universe; hence this name expresses that Devi is in the
form [rUpa] of the universe [visva]; the meaning is that her form is
the universe itself and she has no other form except this as the
supporter of the universe. The Visnu Pr. Says, "Just as the
plantain tree cannot be seen independently of bark and leaves, like
wise the universe, O Lord, is seen, depending on you only." The De.
BhAg.Pr. Also in the first book mentions, "I myself am the universe
and there is no other permanency."
Or, vi, separate, svarUpa, a dog's form- the evolution of human
being [jivabhAva] of Brahman directly is the lowest kind of form,
comparable to that of a dog; so, inferior service is called svavrtti
[dog's service, see Manu Smr.]; the lower human existence
[pasubhAva] is called SvarUpa [ a dog's form of the devotees], vi
released by means of Devi's grace."
BhAskararAya's
Commentary
Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry.
For
millions upon millions, countless years was spread darkness,
When
existed neither earth nor heaven, but only the limitless Divine Ordinance.
Then
existed neither day or night, nor sun or moon;
As the Creator was absorbed
in an unbroken trance.
Existed
then neither forms of creation, nor of speech; Neither wind nor water.
Neither
was creation or disappearance or transmigration.
Then
were not continents, neither regions, the seven seas,
Nor rivers with
water flowing.
Existed
then no heaven, no mortal world, no nether world;
No hell, no heaven, or
time that destroys.
Hell
and heaven, birth and death were then not — None arrived or departed.
Then
were not Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva: None other than the Sole Lord was
visible.
Neither
existed then female or male, or caste and birth —
None suffering and joy
received.
Unknowable
Himself was She the source of all utterance;
Herself the unknowable unmanifested.
As
it pleased Him, the world She created;
Without a supporting power the
expanse She sustained.
Brahma,
Vishnu, and Shiva She created, and to maya-attachment gave increase.
To
a rare one was the Master's Word imparted.
Herself She made His Law
operative and watched over it:
Creating
continents, spheres and nether worlds, the hidden She made manifest.
Creating
the universe Herself, He has remained unattached.
The humane Lord made the
holy center [the human being].
Combining
air, water and fire She created the citadel of body.
The Creator
fashioned the Nine Abodes [of sensation];
In
the Tenth [the Sahasrara] is lodged the Lord, unknowable, limitless.
The
illimitable Lord in Her unattributed state of void assumed might;
He, the
infinite One, remaining detached:
Displaying
His power, She Herself from the void created inanimate things.
From
the unattributed void were created air and water.
Raising creation, She
dwells as Monarch in the citadel body.
Lord!
In the fire and water [of the body] exists Thy light;
In Thy state of void
was lodged the power of creation.
Sri
Guru Granth Sahib, (Maru Sohale, M.1, p. 1035-37.)
257)
Sri Jagarini
—
The Awake.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
262)
Sri Turya
—
The
Fourth.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"The
state of sleep is incapacity of discrimination, namely illusion. One
says, "I slept happily, I know nothing," thus one says from
recollection. By this saying, three modifications of avidya are
indicated; namely ignorance, egoism, and happiness; sound sleep is that
state in which these three exist. . . .
Turya
state is the state in which the experience called Suddhavidya is
acquired and the result of discrimination of these (lower)
three states and enjoyers thereof. The Spandasastra says,
"He who perceives the object of attainment in the three abodes and
the subject thereof, though he participates in it, yet remains
unpolluted." Varadaraja slaso says, "Turya is the
supreme abode, the participation in that state produces astonishment.
Though there are different states, namely waking, dreaming, and
sleeping, [real] enjoyment exists only in the fourth one. Ecstasy in the
fourth state should be allowed like oil to permeate the other
three." The jiva is called he who is merged in the great
causal body (mahakarana.) Devi is called Turya because She is
both the individual and collective form of this state.
The
means of attaining the state of turya is set forth by a Siva-sutra
(I. 15.) "He should project his mind by means of his own
thought." (The commentary on this is as follows): "Abandoning pranayama
and other uncertain gross means, ‘by his own thought,’ by his own
knowledge, by the internal experience of astonishment, i.e. by the aid
of turya, extinguishing the notion of body, etc. In consequence
of merging himself [into the fourth state], this he should enter."
Or,
Turya is a deity according to the Saktirahasya as described
in the Sruti (Man. Up. 7), "They consider the
fourth calmness, non-dual." Acarya (Saun. La. v. 97), "Thou
art Turiya, unlimited mystery, difficult of attainment." The
Turiya-siddhanta says, "O fair-faced one, as She is a
pleasure to Turiyanandanatha [a certain teacher] Devi is known by the
name Turiya."
"
R.
Ananthakrishna Sastry
(R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988, p. 143.)
"The
highest state is Turiya-Turiya, wherein Akhandaikarasa disappears like the
dust of the clearing nut (Kataka) used for clearing water. This is the
Arupa or the formless state and is beyond cognition” (Vedanta in
Daily Life, pp. 211-14). The Kaivalyopanishad says that the states of
consciousness are appearances of one Brahman, and that one who knows this
is freed from all bonds (Verse, 17)."
(PDF
format)
www.swami-krishnananda.org/
263)
Sri Sarvavastha Vivarjita
—
Beyond
all states. She is one with those who are beyond all those states
mentioned above.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"There
is a fifth state of jivas but as it has no special name and as it is
beyond the turiya state, it is simply called, ‘beyond turiya;’ . . .
Because when a man transcends the fourth state, he necessarily transcends
the other three. Vivarjita transcending: Vi, entirely, that is one does
not return to the other states. This state also has two aspects, the
individual and the collective. This fifth state arises from firmness in
the fourth one (turiya.) For it is said, "The supreme state
which is beyond turiya is only to be attained through a firm hold on the
turiya." Varadaraja, the commentator also states, "The aspirant,
by much familiarity with the fourth state attains the state which
transcends the fourth one, and become equal to Siva who is the Soul of the
Universe and who is pure Absolute Bliss."
There
are three sutras (in the Siva-sutras, III. 27, 28 and 29):
describing the nature of the man who has attained the fifth state.
"His physical life is a religious observance; his conversation is japa;
his giving is knowledge of the Self." His physical life is
religious and not worldly (lit. Trifling) because it is the means of
worshipping Siva by searching into his own soul. So Bhattotpala desires
physical life in these words: "Let me have this body invigorated by
the nectar of pure Sakti manifested in me, for the sake of worshipping
Thee." His random conversation is japa, because his mind has
grasped the truth. . . . Krasnadasa says. "The direct experience of
Atman described above as consciousness (caitanya) itself, is the
knowledge which is his gift and which, with promptness, he freely gives."
"
R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama
(R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988, p. 144.)
265)
Sri Brahmarupa
—
Of
the
Form of Sri Brahma, the Creator.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
O Brahmana! Brahma, Visnu, and Siva are the chief saktis of Brahman.
Visnu
Purana
(source:
R. A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988.)
267)
Sri Govindarupini
—
Of
the form of
Sri
Vishnu, the Sustainer.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
In
the form of Govinda (govindarupini.) In the Harivamsa,
Narada says, "The first portion of prakrti, the famous Devi called
Uma. [The second one] the manifested Visnu, the All-Pervading, Protector
of the Universe, is known as woman."
R.
Ananthakrishna Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama
(R.
A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988, p. 146.)
268)
Sri Samharini
—
Destroyer of Universe.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
She
creates the universe, She protects, She destroys what She protects at the
end of the cycle.
She it is who in Her three forms bewilders the universe.
Brahma, united with Her, creates the universe.
Vishnu, united with Her,
protects. Rudra, united with Her, destroys.
She binds the whole universe
and holds bewildered by the noose of illusion, O king, by the firm noose
of ‘I’ and ‘Mine.’
Yogins released from worldly attachments,
desiring liberation and seeking after emancipation, worship the beneficent
Devi alone, the Ruler of the Universe.
Devi
Bhag. Pr. IV
(source:
R. A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988.)
280)
Sri Padmanabha-Sahodari
—
Sister
of Sri Vishnu.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
285)
Sri Abrahma-Kita-Janani
—
Mother of all Life.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
How
can ye reject [45] the faith in Allah.
Seeing that ye were without
life, and He gave you life;
Then
will He cause you to die, and will again bring you to life;
And again to
Him will ye return.
It
is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth;
Moreover
His design comprehended the heavens,
For He gave order and perfection to
the seven firmaments;
And
of all things He hath perfect knowledge.
surah
2: 28-9 Al Baqarah (The Heifer)
"45.
He brought you into being. The mysteries of life and death are in His
hands. When you die on this earth, that is not the end. You were of Him
and you must return to Him. Look around you and realize your own dignity:
it is from Him. The immeasurable depths of space above and around may
stagger you. They are part of His plan. What you have imagined as the
seven firmaments (and any other scheme you may construct) bears witness to
His design of order and perfection, for His knowledge (unlike yours) is
all-comprehending. And yet will you deliberately reject or obscure or
deaden the faculty of Faith which has been put into you."
Abdullah
Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an
(Abdullah
Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’an, 1989.)
He
who has found the Mother [Tao],
And thereby understands her sons [things of
the world],
And
having understood the sons, still keeps to its Mother,
Will be free from
danger throughout his lifetime.
Close
the mouth, shut the doors [of cunning and desire],
And to the end of life
there will be peace without toil.
Open
the mouth, meddle with affairs, and to the end of life there will be no
salvation.
Tao
Te Ching 52 (Lao-Tzu)
"The
Divine Mother also manifests in different faculties in the living
creatures. She herself declares in Devi Bhagavata (3.6.8.1):
aham
buddhir aham shrIsh cha dhritiH kIrtiH smritis tathA |
shraddhA
medhA dayA lajjA kShudhA triShNa tathA kShamA ||
kAnti
shAnti pipAsA cha nidrA tandrA jarA+ajarA|
vidyA+avidyA
spruhA vAnChA shaktish cha+asdhakatir eva cha||vasA
majjA cha tvak cha+aham druShTir vAk anrutA ruta |
parA
madhA cha pashyantI nAdI+aham vividhAsh cha yAH||
kim
nA aham pashya samsAre, mad viyukta kim asti hi|
sarvam
eva aham iti+evam nishchayam viddhi padmaja ||
(I
myself am the knowledge, grace, courage, memory, sincerity,
intelligence, modesty, hunger, thirst, capacity, luster, peace, sleep,
aging, blood, bone, marrow, nerve, skin, sight, truth, untruth, para,
madhyama and pashyantI sounds — and everything else in this
Universe, believe me, I am. What is there that I am not?)
And,
in Devi Mahatmya of Markandeya Purana (‘chanDi’/ saptashati’), She
is addressed as:
yA
devi sarva bhUtEShu shakti/buddhi/ shraddhA....
rUpeNa samsThitA| nams tasyai, nams tasyai, nams tasyai, namon namaH||
(To
Her who is in the form of Strength/Knowledge/Sincerity .... our
salutations!)
Sri
Lalita Puja is basically the worship of that Devi sarvAtmikA, the all
pervading Energy!"
Shikaripura
Harihareswara
(HOYSALA@worldnet.att.net)
290)
Sri Sakalagama-Samdoha-Sukti- Samputa-Mauktika
—
Most Precious Treasure.
—
Quintessence of All Knowledge.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
"[2]
As fire is the direct cause of cooking, so Knowledge, and not any other
form of discipline, is the direct cause of Liberation; for Liberation
cannot be attained without Knowledge.
Fire
etc. — Though
other articles, such as water, pots, and pans, are necessary, it is the
fire that actually cooks a meal.
Knowledge
— Knowledge
of Self.
Any
other form of discipline
—
Such as practice of austerity and of rituals, the bestowing of gifts,
and charity. The purpose of these disciplines is purification of the
heart and creation of a mental condition that will be conducive to
Self-Knowledge.
According
to Vedanta the truth about man is that he is Brahman, or Infinite
Spirit. The cause of his bondage and suffering is ignorance of his real
nature. Knowledge destroys this ignorance and Self-Realization
immediately follows. Spiritual disciplines purify the heart, train the
aspirant in concentration, and thus create the necessary condition for
the revelation of Knowledge, which always exists. Since the Self
is by nature eternal and immortal, It cannot be the result of an
antecedent cause. Knowledge, Liberation, Self, and Consciousness all
denote the same spiritual experience. Knowledge is stated in the text to
be the cause of Liberation only in the figurative sense. The attainment
of Knowledge really means the rediscovery of Knowledge, which is never
non-existent."
Swami
Nikhilananda, Self-Knowledge
(S. Nikhilananda, Self-Knowledge [Atmabodha],
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda
Center, 1989, p. 119.)
296)
Sri Anandinidhana
—
Having neither Birth nor Death.
—
Eternal.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
297)
Sri Hari-Brahmendra-Sevita
—
Served by Sri Vishnu, Brahma and Indra, being Their Overlord.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
Brahma, Visnu, Siva, Indra, Varuna, Yama, Vayu, Agni. Kubera, Tvastr, Pusan,
Asvins, Bhaga, Adityas, Vasus, Visvedevas, Marudganas, all these meditate
on Devi, the cause of creation, preservation, and destruction.
Devi
Bhag. Pr.
(source:
R. A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988.)
298)
Sri Narayani
—
Wife of Sri Vishnu, the Sustainer.
Sri
Lalita Sahasranama
(Sri
Lalita Sahasranama, C. S. Murthy, Assoc. Advertisers and
Printers, 1989.)
I,
the Supreme Lord, have divided Myself into two forms.
One is Narayana the
other is Gauri, the Mother of the universe.
So
My supreme form is known to neither the Devas,
Nor the Rsis, because I am
One.
I am Devi and Vishnu.
Kurma
Purana
(source:
R. A. Sastry, Lalita-Sahasranama, The Adyar Library and Research
Centre, Madras, 1988.)
