"Full many a ray of purest ray serene the dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, and waste its sweetness to the desert air."
from "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Lalitasahasranama - 007 - verses 4-7, names 13-20

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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From the second line of the third verse, the physical appearance of Lalitha is described from head to foot. The next four shlokas 4-7 of the Lalitasahasranama describe the forehead, eyes and nose of Lalita.

cÉqmÉMüÉzÉÉåMü-mÉѳÉÉaÉ-xÉÉæaÉÎlkÉMü-sÉxÉiMücÉÉ |
MÑüÂÌuÉlSqÉÍhÉ-´ÉåhÉÏ-MülÉiMüÉåOûÏU-qÉÎhQûiÉÉ ||4||


13.    cÉqmÉMüÉzÉÉåMü-mÉѳÉÉaÉ-xÉÉæaÉÎlkÉMü-sÉxÉiMücÉÉ (campakāśoka-punnāga-saugandhika-lasatkacā) She who is fragrant with the champak, ashok, punnag, saugandhika flowers in her shining locks

cÉqmÉMü = fragrant orange-yellow flowers of an evergreen timber tree, AzÉÉåMü = crimson or red flowers that bloom in spring, mÉѳÉÉaÉ = a fragrant white flower used in worship, xÉÉæaÉÎlkÉMü = fragrant flowers, sÉxÉiMücÉÉ = shining locks of hair,

Lalita is described as wearing fragrant flowers in her hair. It is not the flowers that impart fragrance to her hair, but her fragrant luscious hair that impart fragrance to the flowers.


14.    MÑüÂÌuÉlSqÉÍhÉ-´ÉåhÉÏ-MülÉiMüÉåOûÏU-qÉÎhQûiÉÉ (kuruvindamaṇi-śreṇī-kanatkoṭīra-maṇḍitā) She who is decorated with a row of red rubies

MÑüÂÌuÉlSqÉÍhÉ = a rare ruby, ´ÉåhÉÏ = row, MülÉiMüÉåOûÏU = on the crown, qÉÎhQûiÉÉ = she who is decorated,

Lalita is described as wearing rows of rubies on her crown. .

A¹qÉÏcÉlSì-ÌuÉpÉëÉeÉ-SÍsÉMüxjÉsÉ-zÉÉåÍpÉiÉÉ |
qÉÑZÉcÉlSì-MüsɃ¡ûÉpÉ-qÉ×aÉlÉÉÍpÉ-ÌuÉzÉåwÉMüÉ ||5||

15.    A¹qÉÏcÉlSì-ÌuÉpÉëÉeÉ-SÍsÉMüxjÉsÉ-zÉÉåÍpÉiÉÉ (aşṭamīcandra-vibhrāja-dalikasthala-śobhitā) She whose forehead is beautiful like the crescent moon on the eighth day of the new moon

A¹qÉÏ = eighth day of the new moon, cÉlSì = moon, SÍsÉMüxjÉsÉ = forehead, zÉÉåÍpÉiÉÉ = shining locks of hair,
Lalita is described as having a beautiful forehead shaped like the even crescent on the eighth day of the new moon.


16.    qÉÑZÉcÉlSì-MüsɃ¡ûÉpÉ-qÉ×aÉlÉÉÍpÉ-ÌuÉzÉåwÉMüÉ (mukhacandra-kalankābha-mruganābhi-viśeşakā) She whose forehead is beautiful like the crescent moon on the eighth day of the new moon

qÉÑZÉcÉlSì = the face of the moon, MüsɃ¡ûÉpÉ = spot, qÉ×aÉlÉÉÍpÉ = musk, ÌuÉzÉåwÉMüÉ = sporting
Lalita is described as sporting a spot of musk on her forehead that looks like the spot on the face of the moon.

uÉSlÉxqÉU-qÉÉ…¡ûsrÉ-aÉ×WûiÉÉåUhÉ-ÍcÉÎssÉMüÉ |
uÉY§ÉsɤqÉÏ-mÉUÏuÉÉWû-cÉsÉlqÉÏlÉÉpÉ-sÉÉåcÉlÉÉ ||6||

17.    uÉSlÉxqÉU-qÉÉ…¡ûsrÉ-aÉ×WûiÉÉåUhÉ-ÍcÉÎssÉMüÉ (vadanasmara-māngalya-gruhatoraṇa-cillikā) She whose eyebrows are like the decorations on Kamadeva’s palace for auspicious occasions

uÉSlÉxqÉU = of Kamadeva, qÉÉ…¡ûsrÉ aÉ×W = palace for auspicious occasions, ûiÉÉåUhÉ = decorations, ÍcÉÎssÉMüÉ = eyebrows
Lalita is described as having eyebrows that inspired the decorations in Kamadeva’s palace for auspicious occasions.


18.    uÉY§ÉsɤqÉÏ-mÉUÏuÉÉWû-cÉsÉlqÉÏlÉÉpÉ-sÉÉåcÉlÉÉ (vaktralakşmī-parīvāha-calanmīnābha-locanā) She whose eyes move like fish across the face from which beauty flows

uÉY§ÉsɤqÉÏ = beauty, mÉUÏuÉÉW = flows, û cÉsÉ = moving, qÉÏlÉÉpÉ = fish, AÉpÉ = face, sÉÉåcÉlÉ = eyes
Lalita is described as having eyes that move like fish across the pond of her face that has a flow of beauty.
The reference to the fish is for the shape of the eyes, and the motion refers to her omnivision.

lÉuÉcÉqmÉMü-mÉÑwmÉÉpÉ-lÉÉxÉÉShQû-ÌuÉUÉÎeÉiÉÉ |
iÉÉUÉMüÉÎliÉ-ÌiÉUxMüÉËU-lÉÉxÉÉpÉUhÉ-pÉÉxÉÑUÉ ||7||

19.    lÉuÉcÉqmÉMü-mÉÑwmÉÉpÉ-lÉÉxÉÉShQû-ÌuÉUÉÎeÉiÉÉ (navacampaka-puşpābha-nāsādaṇḍa-virājitā) She whose nose is shaped like a newly blossomed Champaka flower
lÉuÉ = new, cÉqmÉMü = fragrant yellow-orange flowers of an evergreen timber tree, ûmÉÑwmÉ = flower, AûÉpÉ = face, lÉÉxÉÉShQ = the line of the nose, ÌuÉUÉÎeÉiÉÉ = face
Lalita is described as having a nose shaped like the newly blossomed champaka flower.  

20.    iÉÉUÉMüÉÎliÉ-ÌiÉUxMüÉËU-lÉÉxÉÉpÉUhÉ-pÉÉxÉÑUÉ (tārākānti-tiraskāri-nāsābharaṇa-bhāsurā) She whose nose-ornament’s brilliance far exceeds that of stars

iÉÉUÉMüÉÎliÉ =  brilliance, ÌiÉUxMüÉËU = far exceeds, lÉÉxÉ = nose, AÉpÉUhÉ = ornament, pÉÉxÉÑUÉ = shining

Lalita is described as having a nose ornament whose brilliance far exceeds that of shining stars   


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