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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 35 – Lakṣya-roma-latā-dhāratā-samunneya-madhyamā
Name 35: Lakṣya-roma-latā-dhāratā-samunneya-madhyamā (लक्ष्य-रोम-लता-धारता-समुन्नेय-मध्यमा) Meaning: She whose extremely slender waist can only be inferred because it supports the creeper-like line of hair. Introduction Following the visual ascent from the navel in the previous names, the seer’s meditative gaze now rests upon the Divine Mother’s waist. Classical Sanskrit poetry frequently extols the beauty of a waist…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 34 – Nābhyālavāla-romāli-latā-phala-kuca-dvayī
Name 34: Nābhyālavāla-romāli-latā-phala-kuca-dvayī (नाभ्यालवाल-रोमालि-लता-फल-कुचद्वयी) Meaning: She whose two breasts are the fruits of the creeper-like line of hair rising from the water-basin of Her navel. Introduction Continuing the intricate visual meditation (Dhyana) of the Divine Mother, Name 34 uses a profoundly beautiful botanical metaphor to describe the divine symmetry of Her torso. The seer visualizes…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 33 – Kāmeśvara-prema-ratna-maṇi-pratipaṇa-stanī
Name 33: Kāmeśvara-prema-ratna-maṇi-pratipaṇa-stanī (कामेश्वर-प्रेम-रत्न-मणि-प्रतिपण-स्तनी) Meaning: She who offers Her breasts in exchange for the precious gem of Lord Kameshwara’s love. Introduction Continuing the descent of the seeker’s meditative gaze, this profoundly esoteric name shifts the focus to the Divine Mother’s breasts. While Name 32 described the jewels adorning Her chest, Name 33 explores the supreme…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 32 – Ratnagraiveya-cintāka-lola-muktā-phalānvitā
Name 32: Ratnagraiveya-cintāka-lola-muktā-phalānvitā (रत्नग्रैवेय-चिन्ताक-लोल-मुक्ता-फलान्विता) Meaning: She who is adorned with a gem-studded necklace and a beautiful pendant with dangling pearls. Introduction As the seeker’s meditative vision continues to absorb the divine form of the Mother, the focus returns to Her chest and neckline. Following the description of Her golden armlets in Name 31, Name 32…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 31 – Kanakāṅgada-keyūra-kamanīya-bhujānvitā
Name 31: Kanakāṅgada-keyūra-kamanīya-bhujānvitā (कनकाङ्गद-केयूर-कमनीय-भुजान्विता) Meaning: She whose beautiful arms are gracefully adorned with golden armlets and bracelets. Introduction Continuing the visual meditation (Dhyana), the gaze of the seeker moves gracefully down from the sacred Mangala Sutra resting upon Her neck to Her majestic arms. Name 31, Kanakāṅgada-keyūra-kamanīya-bhujānvitā, describes the exquisite golden ornaments adorning the Divine…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 30 – Kāmeśa-baddha-māṅgalya-sūtra-śobhita-kandharā
Name 30: Kāmeśa-baddha-māṅgalya-sūtra-śobhita-kandharā (कामेश-बद्ध-माङ्गल्य-सूत्र-शोभित-कन्धरा) Meaning: She whose neck is brilliantly adorned with the Mangala Sutra (the sacred thread of auspiciousness and marriage) tied by Lord Kameshwara. Introduction As the meditative gaze of the Vāgdevīs slowly descends from the incomparable beauty of the Mother’s face and chin, it comes to rest upon Her graceful neck (Kandhara).…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 29 – Anākalita-sādṛśya-cubuka-śrī-virājitā
Name 29: Anākalita-sādṛśya-cubuka-śrī-virājitā (अनाकलित-सादृश्य-चुबुक-श्री-विराजिता) Meaning: She who is resplendent with a chin whose supreme beauty defies all earthly or heavenly comparison. Introduction After meditating upon the radiant, blissful flood of the Mother’s gentle smile, the Vāgdevīs complete the description of Her divine face by resting their vision upon Her chin. Name 29, Anākalita-sādṛśya-cubuka-śrī-virājitā, elevates the…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 28 – Mandasmita-prabhāpūra-majjatkāmeśa-mānasā
Name 28: Mandasmita-prabhāpūra-majjatkāmeśa-mānasā (मन्दस्मित-प्रभापूर-मज्जत्कामेश-मानसा) Meaning: She whose gentle smile radiates a flood of luminous bliss in which the mind of Lord Kameshwara is completely submerged. Introduction Following the description of Her radiant teeth (Name 25), camphor-scented breath (Name 26), and sweet voice (Name 27), the Vāgdevīs now synthesize these exquisite features into a single, captivating…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 27 – Nija-sallāpa-mādhurya-vinirbhartsita-kacchapī
Name 27: Nija-sallāpa-mādhurya-vinirbhartsita-kacchapī (निज-सल्लाप-माधुर्य-विनिर्भर्त्सित-कच्छपी) Meaning: She whose sweet speech puts to shame the melodious music of the Kacchapī veena (played by Goddess Saraswati). Introduction Following the meditation on the intoxicating fragrance of Her breath, the Vāgdevīs now invite the seeker to listen to the enchanting sound of Her voice. Name 27, Nija-sallāpa-mādhurya-vinirbhartsita-kacchapī, shifts the sensory…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 26 – Karpūra-vīṭikāmoda-samākarṣi-digantarā
Name 26: Karpūra-vīṭikāmoda-samākarṣi-digantarā (कर्पूर-वीटिकामोद-समाकर्षि-दिगन्तरा) Meaning: She who captivates all the directions of the universe with the sweet fragrance of the camphor-laced betel leaf She chews. Introduction Flowing seamlessly from the brilliant, illuminating smile of Her pristine teeth, the meditative vision of the Vāgdevīs now captures the divine and intoxicating fragrance of the Mother’s breath. Name…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 25 – Śuddha-vidyāṅkurākāra-dvija-paṅkti-dvayojjvalā
Name 25: Śuddha-vidyāṅkurākāra-dvija-paṅkti-dvayojjvalā (शुद्ध-विद्याङ्कुराकार-द्विज-पङ्क्ति-द्वयोज्ज्वला) Meaning: She who is radiant with two rows of teeth that resemble the blossoming sprouts of pure knowledge (Shuddha Vidya). Introduction As the meditative vision of the Vāgdevīs moves from the Mother’s flawlessly red lips (Name 24), those radiant lips gently part to reveal Her gleaming teeth. Name 25, Śuddha-vidyāṅkurākāra-dvija-paṅkti-dvayojjvalā, shifts…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 24 – Nava-vidruma-bimba-śrī-nyakkāri-radanacchadā
Name 24: Nava-vidruma-bimba-śrī-nyakkāri-radanacchadā (नव-विद्रुम-बिम्ब-श्री-न्यक्कारि-रदनच्छदा) Meaning: She whose lips put to shame the beauty and redness of fresh coral and the bimba fruit. IntroductionFollowing the meditation on the glowing, ruby-like radiance of Her cheeks, the Vāgdevīs guide our vision to the delicate and captivating beauty of the Divine Mother’s lips. Name 24, Nava-vidruma-bimba-śrī-nyakkāri-radanacchadā, describes Her lips…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 23 – Padmarāga-śilādarśa-paribhāvi-kapolabhūḥ
Name 23: Padmarāga-śilādarśa-paribhāvi-kapolabhūḥ (पद्मराग-शिलादर्श-परिभावि-कपोलभूः) Meaning: She whose cheeks outshine the beauty of mirrors made of polished rubies. IntroductionAfter meditating upon the breathtaking cosmic scale of the Mother’s ear ornaments—the glowing orbs of the Sun and the Moon—the Vāgdevīs gently guide our focus back to the exquisite features of Her divine face. Name 23, Padmarāga-śilādarśa-paribhāvi-kapolabhūḥ, describes…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 22 – Tāṭaṅka-yugalī-bhūta-tapanodupa-maṇḍalā
Name 22: Tāṭaṅka-yugalī-bhūta-tapanodupa-maṇḍalā (ताटङ्क-युगली-भूत-तपनोडुप-मण्डला) Meaning: She whose two ear ornaments are the radiant orbs of the Sun and the Moon. Introduction Following the enchanting vision of Her ears gently adorned with fragrant Kadamba flowers, the Vāgdevīs now elevate our vision to reveal the breathtaking, cosmic scale of the Divine Mother. Name 22, Tāṭaṅka-yugalī-bhūta-tapanodupa-maṇḍalā, shifts our…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 21 – Kadamba-mañjarī-kḷpta-karṇapūra-manoharā
Name 21: Kadamba-mañjarī-kḷpta-karṇapūra-manoharā (कदम्ब-मञ्जरी-क्लृप्त-कर्णपूर-मनोहरा) Meaning: She who is captivating, adorned with bunches of Kadamba flowers fashioned as ear ornaments. Introduction As our meditative gaze moves outward from the dazzling, star-eclipsing jewel upon Her nose, the Vāgdevīs draw our attention to the divine ears of the Mother in Name 21: Kadamba-mañjarī-kḷpta-karṇapūra-manoharā. This beautiful name shifts the…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 20 – Tārākānti-tiraskāri-nāsābharaṇa-bhāsurā
Name 20: Tārākānti-tiraskāri-nāsābharaṇa-bhāsurā (ताराकान्ति-तिरस्कारि-नासाभरण-भासुरा) Meaning: She who shines resplendently with a nose ornament that eclipses the brilliance of the stars. Introduction Following the delicate meditation on the Mother’s perfectly shaped, Champaka-like nose in the previous name, the vision of the Vāgdevīs now rests upon the magnificent jewel adorning it. Name 20, Tārākānti-tiraskāri-nāsābharaṇa-bhāsurā, describes the dazzling…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 19 – Navacampaka-puṣpābha-nāsādaṇḍa-virājitā
Name 19: Navacampaka-puṣpābha-nāsādaṇḍa-virājitā (नवचम्पक-पुष्पाभ-नासादण्ड-विराजिता) Meaning: She who is resplendent with a nose that resembles a freshly blossomed Champaka flower. Introduction Following the meditation on the Mother’s dynamic, fish-like eyes, the poetic vision of the Vāgdevīs moves to the graceful center of Her divine face. Name 19, Navacampaka-puṣpābha-nāsādaṇḍa-virājitā, describes the exquisite beauty and perfect symmetry of…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 18 – Vaktra-lakṣmī-parīvāha-calan-mīnābha-locanā
Name 18: Vaktra-lakṣmī-parīvāha-calan-mīnābha-locanā (वक्त्रलक्ष्मी-परीवाह-चलन्मीनाभ-लोचना) Meaning: She whose eyes resemble fish playfully darting in the overflowing stream of beauty of Her face. Introduction Following the meditation on the sacred musk tilak adorning Her forehead, our contemplation moves to the profound beauty and dynamic grace of the Divine Mother’s eyes in Name 18: Vaktra-lakṣmī-parīvāha-calan-mīnābha-locanā. This name paints…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 17 – Vadanasmara-māṅgalya-gṛha-toraṇa-cillikā
In our ongoing journey through the thousand sacred names of the Divine Mother in the Lalita Sahasranama, each name reveals a distinct facet of Her supreme, transcendent, and simultaneously intimate form. Moving past the features of Her face and the musk tilak, we now arrive at Name 17: Vadanasmara-māṅgalya-gṛha-toraṇa-cillikā. This name paints a breathtakingly poetic…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 16 – Mukhacandra-kalaṅkābha-mṛganābhi-viśeṣakā
Name 16: Mukhacandra-kalaṅkābha-mṛganābhi-viśeṣakā (मुखचन्द्र-कलङ्काभ-मृगनाभि-विशेषका) Meaning: She whose moon-like face is adorned with a tilak (visheshaka) of musk, which resembles the spot on the moon. Introduction Continuing our contemplative ascent along the radiant form of the Divine Mother, we move from her glowing forehead (Name 15) to the gentle beauty of her countenance in Name 16:…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 15 – Aṣṭamīcandra-vibhrāja-dalikasthala-śobhitā
Name 15: Aṣṭamīcandra-vibhrāja-dalikasthala-śobhitā (अष्टमीचन्द्र-विभ्राज-दलिकस्थल-शोभिता) Meaning: She whose forehead shines with the splendor of the moon on the eighth day of the waxing fortnight. Introduction Moving further down from her radiant jeweled crown (Kuruvindamaṇi-śreṇī-kanat-koṭīra-maṇḍitā), our contemplative journey now rests upon the exquisite expanse of the Divine Mother’s forehead in Name 15: Aṣṭamīcandra-vibhrāja-dalikasthala-śobhitā. This name beautifully compares…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 14 – Kuruvindamaṇi-śreṇī-kanat-koṭīra-maṇḍitā
Name 14: Kuruvindamaṇi-śreṇī-kanat-koṭīra-maṇḍitā (कुरुविन्दमणि-श्रेणी-कनत्कोटीर-मण्डिता) Meaning: She whose radiant crown is adorned with rows of rubies and kuruvinda gemstones. Introduction Continuing our contemplative journey through the divine attributes of the Goddess, after experiencing the sweet, fragrant flowers adorning her dark, lustrous locks (Campakāśoka-punnāga-saugandhika-lasat-kacā), we now look upward to her glorious crown in Name 14: Kuruvindamaṇi-śreṇī-kanat-koṭīra-maṇḍitā. This…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 13 – Campakāśoka-punnāga-saugandhika-lasat-kacā
Name 13: Campakāśoka-punnāga-saugandhika-lasat-kacā (चम्पकाशोकपुन्नाग-सौगन्धिका-लसत्कचा) Meaning: She whose shining locks of hair are fragrant and adorned with Campaka, Aśoka, Punnāga, and Saugandhika flowers. Introduction Moving forward in our contemplative journey through the physical attributes and adornments of the Divine Mother, after experiencing the all-encompassing crimson effulgence that floods the entire cosmos (Nijāruṇa-prabhāpūra-majjad-brahmāṇḍa-maṇḍalā), we now turn our…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 12 – Nijāruṇa-prabhāpūra-majjad-brahmāṇḍa-maṇḍalā
Name 12: Nijāruṇa-prabhāpūra-majjad-brahmāṇḍa-maṇḍalā (निजारुण-प्रभापूर-मज्जद्ब्रह्माण्ड-मण्डला) Meaning: She whose innate reddish glow floods and submerges all the spheres of the cosmos. Introduction Continuing our exploration of the divine attributes of the Goddess, after examining how her delicate floral arrows govern the subtle building blocks of our sensory experience (Pañcatanmātrasāyakā), we encounter the expansive cosmic radiance of the…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 11 – Pañcatanmātrasāyakā
Name 11: Pañcatanmātrasāyakā (पञ्चतन्मात्र-सायका) Meaning: She who wields the five subtle elements as her five arrows. Introduction Continuing our exploration of the divine weapons held in the hands of the Divine Mother, after examining her sugarcane bow which represents the mastery and sweet transformation of the human mind (Manorūpekṣu-kodaṇḍā), we encounter her five floral arrows…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 10 – Manorūpekṣu-kodaṇḍā
Name 10: Manorūpekṣu-kodaṇḍā (मनोरूपेक्षु-कोदण्डा) Meaning: She whose bow is the sugarcane stalk, which takes the form of the human mind. Introduction Continuing our exploration of the divine weapons held in the hands of the Divine Mother, after examining her fierce, protective goad that corrects our path (Krodhākāraṅkuśojvalā), we encounter her first major instrument in Name…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 9 – Krodhākāraṅkuśojvalā
Name 9: Krodhākāraṅkuśojvalā (क्रोधाकाराङ्कुशोज्ज्वला) Meaning: She who shines brilliantly with the goad (aṅkuśa), which is of the form of divine wrath or righteous indignation (krodha). Introduction Continuing our exploration of the weapons held in the hands of the Divine Mother, after examining the gentle noose of love (Rāgasvarūpa-pāśāḍhyā), we encounter her second major instrument in…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 8 – Rāgasvarūpa-pāśāḍhyā
Name 8: Rāgasvarūpa-pāśāḍhyā (रागस्वरूपपाशाढ्या) Meaning: She who holds the noose (pāśa), which is of the form of divine love and attachment (rāga). Introduction Continuing our journey through the sacred Sri Lalita Sahasranama, after contemplating the four-armed form of the Divine Mother (Chaturbāhu-samanvitā), the text explores the profound symbolism of the weapons and tools she holds.…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 7 – Chaturbāhu-samanvitā
Name 7: Chaturbāhu-samanvitā (चतुर्बाहुसमन्विता) Meaning: Endowed with four arms. Introduction As we journey deeper into the sacred Sri Lalita Sahasranama, each name reveals a specific facet of the supreme cosmic form and attributes of the Divine Mother. Following her radiant manifestation as the embodiment of a thousand rising suns (Udyadbhanu-sahasrābhā), the text turns to her…
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Lalita Sahasranama Series: Name 6 – उद्यद्भानु-सहस्राभा (Udyadbhānu-sahasrābhā)
Spiritual & Esoteric Significance