Lalitasahasranama - 005 - verse 1, names 1-5

There are many levels of understanding – each name of Lalita can be discussed at various levels for hours, I have limited myself to the literal meaning here.
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These posts on Lalitasahasranaam are part of an attempt to understand the worship of Devi. The literal meaning of the 1000 names of Lalita are only an indicator to the power of Devi. There are many levels of understanding – each name of Lalita can be discussed for hours, from the perspective of various schools of thought. I have limited myself to the literal meaning here, with some references to the scriptures.

As we worship with our limited Body-Mind-Intellect equipment, the scriptures describe worship at the gross, subtle, subtler and the subtlest levels – sthūla, sūkśma, sūkśmatara and sūkśmatama.

Of the 1000 names in the Lalitasahasranaam

• 12-51 represent the gross form, beginning from nijāruṇa-prabhāpūra-majjadbrahmāṇḍa-maṇḍalā to sarvābharaṇa-bhūşitā,
• 85-89 represent the mantras, the subtle form Sridevi starting from  śrīmadvāgbhava-kuṭaika-svarūpa-mukha-pankajā
• 88-89 represent the subtler form Kamakala described by  and mūlamantrātmikā and mūlakūṭatraya-kalevarā,
• 90-111 represent the subtlest form Kundalini, the 22 names beginning kulāmrutaika-rasikā  to bisatantu-tanīyasī.

As I start with the first verse, I know that the Lalitasahasranama has many beejakshara – a letter or a combination of letters that bestows potent power on someone who chants it with knowledge of the meaning. One such beejakshara is the “shreem”, and it comes thrice in the first line of the Lalitasahasranaaam that describes Lalita as the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the universe. I do not have an understanding of beejakshara, so I will not discuss them in these posts.

Á ´ÉÏqÉÉiÉÉ ´ÉÏqÉWûÉUÉ¥ÉÏ ´ÉÏqÉÎixÉÇWûÉxÉlÉåµÉUÏ |

ÍcÉSÎalÉ-MÑühQû-xÉÇpÉÔiÉÉ SåuÉMüÉrÉï-xÉqÉѱiÉÉ ||1||

om śrīmātā śrīmahārājnī śrīmatsimhāsaneśvārī  |
cidagni-kuṇḍa-sambhūtā devakārya-samudyatā ||1||
 
´ÉÏ = respected, qÉÉiÉÉ= mother, qÉWûÉUÉ¥ÉÏ = queen, ´ÉÏqÉiÉç = respected, ÎxÉÇWûÉxÉlÉ= throne, DµÉUÏ = owner, ÍcÉiÉ= consciousness, AÎalÉ= fire, MÑühQ= receptacle, xÉÇpÉÔiÉÉ = respected, SåuÉ= divine, MüÉrÉï = work, xÉqÉѱiÉÉ = she who facilitates

1.    ´ÉÏqÉÉiÉÉ ( śrīmātā) Respected Mother

The Lalitasahasranama starts with addressing Lalita as the Respected Mother. The role of the mother is an ideal of Indian womanhood. It represents nourishment, caring, compassion, and protection.

A mother figure evokes love, respect, comfort and trust. As the universal mother, she has given birth to the universe and everything in it, and she nurtures and nourishes it. It is to the mother that a child turns for relief, and the mother defends the child against harm. And if the mother is angry, it is for the good of the child. At all times, a mother’s only concern is the well-being of the children. The chanting of the 1000 names begins with remembering Lalita first and foremost as the mother to evoke the warmth that a child feels for the mother. 

Adding the honorific “sri” to the word mother gives Lalita a higher status than a mother. Whereas all mothers are to be respected, she is respected as the mother of the universe.

2.    ´ÉÏqÉWûÉUÉ¥ÉÏ (śrīmahārājnī) Respected Queen

As the Respected Queen, she is recognized as the supreme ruler of the world. As the mother she nurtures, and as the queen she manages. 

This positions her in a dominant role in the universe.  

3.    ´ÉÏqÉÎixÉÇWûÉxÉlÉåµÉUÏ (śrīmatsimhāsaneśvārī)  Respected Owner of the Throne of the Mind

´ÉÏqÉiÉç + ÎxÉÇW +  AûÉxÉlÉ +  DµÉUÏ = honorific + lion + seat + lord  

Lalita is addressed as the Respected Owner of the Throne of the Mind. The honorific glorifies the position. The throne is traditionally shown as a seat on a lion to describe dominance over all. Here the Mother is referred to as sitting on the throne of the mind.
ÎxÉÇW derives from the root ÌWÇûxÉÉ, which means destruction, and
AûÉxÉlÉ derives from the root AûxÉ, which means to drive out.
This refers to the role of the Lalita as the destroyer.
 

4.    ÍcÉSÎalÉMÑühQûxÉÇpÉÔiÉÉ One born of the Fire Altar of the Mind

Born of the Fire Altar of the Mind, she is the remover of darkness. The darkness in the mind represents ignorance. She is the manifested Consciousness that removes ignorance. T

Refer the Bhagwad Gita (Ch.4, verse 37) where Krishna says that the fire of knowledge burns the effect of all action. This is the fire that Lalita represents.  
 

5.    SåuÉMüÉrÉïxÉqÉѱiÉÉ Facilitator of Divine Activity

As the Facilitator of Divine Activity, she is acknowledged as working for positive forces in the universe.