LALITHA SAHASRANAM ललिता सहस्रनाम MAI SAHASRANAM माई सहस्रनाम
61) Sudhaasaagara-madhyasthaa सुधासागरमध्यस्था – Residing in the centre of the ocean of nectar, with which the city is surrounded.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 61
Some of the principal places of Her residence are enumerated as:-
(1) Mountain, (2) City, (3) Happy home, (4) Lotus forest (5)Kadamba groves and (6) Ocean.
Mountain is golden and miraculously herbed. City is full of civilization. Home is seat of sacrificing, fraternal and parental love and sheltering place for guests, hungry, distressed, etc. Forests represent renunciation. Groves represent sportivity. Ocean represents immortality.
Thus She is prominently present wherever there is an over poweringness of Royalty, Civility, Hospitality, Sportivity and immortality, affording a happy and wonderful combination of even contrasts.
62) Kaamaakshi कामाक्षी –Lovely eyed. She to whom Her devotees are as dear as Her own eyes.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 62
63) Kaamadaayini कामदायिनी –The fulfiller of desires. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 63
64) Devarshigana sanghaata stuyamaanaatma vaibhavaa
देवर्षिगणसंघातस्तूयमानात्मवैभवा – Her power is praised by the assemblies of multitudes of Devaas and Rishis.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 64
Mother is “lovely-eyed” and “fulfiller of all desires.” Mother is a wonderful player in both fields of opposites, so that She is equally praised by Devaas full of desires and greatness and abundance of all enjoyments, as also by Rishis the masters of Siddhis, divine knowledge, meditation and renunciation, etc.
65) Bhandaasura-vadhodyukta-shakti-senaa-samanvitaa
भण्डासुरवधोद्युक्तशक्तिसेनासमन्विता – She is endowed with an army of Shaktis (powers) for the sake of slaying the sinful-suggesting and life-sucking in-dweller.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 65
There is a belief in many religions that there is a Satan or a devil,who drives away one towards sinfulness. Here the idea is that there is an in-dweller within every being, something like the personification of the lower mind, who is an unavoidable being, being co-existent with the embodied and imprisoned soul, afflicted with ignorance, impermanency, limitedness, pain, sorrow, fear, etc.
The best way of breaking this In-dweller’s power is prostration to Mother’s Lotus Feet, as by falling flat before Mother’s Lotus Feet, the in-dweller is within our grip, being pressed between the ground and our heavy body. He can be emaciated and annihilated in course of time by the all-evil-consuming rays rushing from the Lotus Feet, the fingers and the nails which while coursing through our head and heart up to the toe and returning to Mother’s Feet, take away a large portion of our worldly attachment and consciousness.
Asura असुर is made of Asu असु, meaning life and ra र meaning to take away. Asura असुर therefore means he who takes away life. Mythologically Bhandaasura was a demon born from the ashes of the God of love after he was burnt by Shiva. Philosophically the outlook about good and evil should be widened on knowing that evil is only offspring of love itself, but when misplaced.“Bhanda” भण्ड means beautiful to look and hellish to deal with, wrathful and shameless, apologising and repeating the same sins and harassments again & again.”Bhandaasura”
भण्डासुर may also mean a fettered soul and to destroy him means to transmute a bound soul to be a free soul.
As there are many further descriptive names, it is better to go side by side , with different meanings comprising concrete and abstract conceptions , and literal and philosophical interpretations. The reader of the book like this is expected to do much of the gap-filling, sorting and similar work, himself. There must be an ample field for him to exercise his own faculties, to serve himself and Mother.
The Mother’s army consists of Ganesha and Bhairava and Shaktis. Ganesha means determination after discrimination, and Bhairava means strong and perseverant, whole-hearted, nothing-sparring effort. Shaktis means powers which are best gained and awakened by Mother’s meditation, as Meditation has creative power.
66) Sampatkari-samaarudha-sindhura-vraja-sevitaa
संपत्करीसमारूढसिंधूरव्रजसेविता – Attended by herds of elephants conducted by Sampatkari.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 66
To these elements of discrimination, determination, and efforts, is added the cheerfulness which is the fulness of the joyous state of mind, with patience.
Elephants are known for wisdom and their quite and cheerful disposition. In one word they are of Saatvik, i.e., equipoised and discriminative nature.Elephant-goad is previously stated to represent control or knowledge. So Sampatkari is the knowledge-energy of the three energies.
67) Ashvaarudha-adhishtita-ashva-koti-koti-bhiraavritaa
अश्वारूढाधिष्ठिताश्वकोटिकोटिभिरावृता –Surrounded by many crores of horses conducted by Ashvaarudha.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 67
The power of Ashvaarudha sprang from the noose of Lalitaa and ran in front of Mother with a great speed, riding a horse called Aparaajitaa अपराजिता ( The invincible ), and crores of swift horses followed Her.The senses are called horses. Arudhaa अरूढा means rider (of horses), the controller of the senses, i.e., mind.
What is meant by Ashvaarudha riding, followed by crores of horses, is that She directs and drives endless sense-impressions in millions of minds simultaneously. Thus Ashvaarudhaa is full of Raajasik,राजसिक i.e., active nature. The noose represents desire, and Ashvaarudhaa may be taken to mean energy of desire.
Viewing Mother as in battle field She has in Her army:- first, elephants with Sampatkari संपतकरी , then horses with Ashvaarudhaa अश्वारूढा, next Dandini दण्डिनी, then Mantrini मन्त्रिणी and then She Herself. Dandini दण्डिनी, Mantrini मन्त्रिणी and Herself are seated each in a chariot.
Dandini rides forth with a rod in her hand and is a power of action. She proclaims the advent of Mother striking fear and establishes the consciousness about the final supremacy of the powers of Mother that follows. Mantrini who next follows is the intimate minister of Mother for discussion, decision and propagation of the simplest welfare remedy of repeating Her names with sacred Mantras Praise Hymns, etc.
Viewed from the point of view of the inner life, while conquering the inner foes , it becomes apparent that the first thing is that the knowledge of our imperfection & bondage.(Sampatkari). The second thing is the strong desire to do everything to be, be liberated. (Ashvaarudhaa).The third thing is breaking all obstructions with the rod. Say, by making chitta-shuddhi or attaining purity of mind by hard struggle, by penance, by becoming enemy of oneself, and by undergoing rigid observances, etc.(Dandini). The fourth thing is Grace which is the result of Mantra repetition, devotion, praising Mother,etc. (Mantrini). The fifth and last thing is the acceptance by mother Herself, on perfecting what still remains as imperfection.
To understand and appreciate Mother’s names one great truth should be constantly borne in mind, viz., the underlying idea of the intense spirit during the repetition of all descriptions is that Mother makes Her devotee to be what She is described as, and that Her devotee becomes Mother like by either Her special making or by natural psychic law of ” We become what we meditate upon,” or by the combination of both Grace and unifying meditation.
Thus when we describe Mother as victorious over worst enemies, apparently, there is no propriety of saying so when Mother is all in all, but the spirit behind the idea of repeating the name, and of praising Her with these words is that the devotee becomes victorious over his worst enemies.“
68) Chakraraaja-rathaarudha-sarvaayudha-parishkritaa
चक्रराजरथारूढसर्वायुधपरिष्कृता – Seated in the chariot named Chakraraaja, She is armed with all the weapons. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 68
The king of chariots, Chakraraaja, belongs to the great Queen Mother and it carries Ananda flag, the flag of Bliss.
It should be noted Mother alone has weapons and she has all weapons. The other two can help, but not finally and fully.
“She has all weapons.” This means that however wicked or weak you may be, that can be set right in no time by Mother’s Grace. Bliss which represents the flag is secured for them that are under Her banner.
For a very mediocre devotee who prays for immediate relief or gain, Chakra means all different vicissitudes of life, the various ups and downs. She is the Raaj राज (Master) of them. TheDisposer of them. She is always ready for earliest flight to the devotee being Rathaarudha i.e., mounted in chariot, with all weapons, i.e., remedies to secure relief to the devotee against all kinds of enemies or obstructions , as of personal imperfections or worldly in-congenialities, etc.
69) Geyachakra-rathaarudha-mantrini-pari-sevitaa
गेयचक्ररथारूमन्त्रिणीपरिसेविता – She is attended by Mantrini who rides the chariot Geyachakra. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 69
By Geya the simplest meaning may be taken to be “praiseworthy”. Geya means worthy of singing or carrying singing as in modern radio-furnished motors. Geya chariot may be taken to be chariot ” connected with praise ,” i.e., sympathetic with the pedestrians on the spiritual path of praising, singing psalms, etc., i.e., devotion to Mother.
70) Kirichakrarathaarudha-dandanaathaa-puraskritaa
किरिचक्ररथारूढदण्डनाथापुरस्कृता – She is preceded by Danadanaatha, who rides Her chariot Kirichakra. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 70
Kiri means boar.The chariot is drawn by boars. Kirichakra-mounting is riding rough-shod.
Taking the case of very mediocre devotee, to start with, Dandanaatha दण्डनाथ same as Dandini दण्डिनी, helps him by giving him strength to override rough conditions and sometimes also by saving him from consequences of others riding rough-shod over him. Next, Mantrini मन्त्रिणी saves him from the evils of worldliness and of temporary happy living, by constantly reminding him of the Mother’s lotus Feet, and of the supreme truth, that whatever good has fallen to his lot is due to Her Grace.
God as Mother and Father in MAIISM AND HINDUISM 