Thread by @nsitharaman

On Vijaya Dashami, a few tweets on Lalita Sahasranamam (LS) the 1000 names of Lalita. LS is a Chapter in the Brahmanda Purana (3rd Cent BCE) compiled by Vyasa. It is in a dialogue format, between Hayagriva and Agastya. The names were uttered by Rishi Vagdevis such as Vaśi.

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Each of the 1000 names is a description of a woman Goddess, Shakti. They extol the qualities, describe the beauty, attribute cosmic/grandiose features — and thereby perceive Her as mundane and spiritual, equally. All this about “the Woman”, “Shakti”, at least 2500 years ago.

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Will present 2 verses in the following tweets — Verse 44 for the alliteration, and for the qualities attributed; Verse 48 for the sheer imagination contained in it. Following that, 5 names with beautiful meanings that should carry a lot of spiritual heft than what I’ve shown

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निर्लेपा निर्मला नित्या निराकारा निराकुला ।
निर्गुणा निष्कला शान्ता निष्कामा निरुपप्लवा ॥ ४४॥

Nothing covers Her; She is The Truth,
Pure
Eternal
Formless
Clear substance
Devoid of binary qualities: good/bad, like/hate
Can’t be fragmented
Calm
Desire-less
Can’t perish

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निष्क्रोधा क्रोधशमनी निर्लोभा लोभनाशिनी ।
निःसंशया संशयघ्नी निर्भवा भवनाशिनी ||

She is devoid of anger
Helps douse anger
Devoid of greed
Destroys greed
Devoid of doubts/ambiguity in thought
Removes doubts, imparts knowledge
Is Eternal
Wipes out cycle of birth/death.

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निस्तुला 184 Name, Verse 50
Incomparable/ No match

अप्रमेया 413 Name, Verse 89
Immeasurable by any standard

मनोवाचामगोचरा 415 Name, Verse 89
Not felt/ gauged by mind or by words

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अव्याज-करुणा-मूर्तिर् 992 Name, Verse 181
Showers Grace without expecting anything in return

अज्ञान-ध्वान्त-दीपिका 993 Name. Verse 181
She is a small lamp that removes ignorance.

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Information sourced from this book.

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Lilt of Lalita lingers.

The sheer beauty of the language!
The qualities attributed!
The scale of the imagery!
About a Woman!
Over at least 2 milennia ago!

A few more for today, in the following tweets.

First line of Verse 176
And
the second line of Verse 177

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धरा धरसुता धन्या धर्मिणी धर्मवर्धिनी ।Verse 176

Bears/holds the world (Patience-virtue presumed)
Daughter of the mountain
Accomplished all duties
Infused with dharma
Nourishes dharma (dharma= self-restraint, mind & body cleanliness/purity, positivity in thought,word & deed) 2/4

सुमङ्गली सुखकरी सुवेषाढ्या सुवासिनी ॥ Verse 177

Manifestation of everything auspicious
Provides/makes wellness
She is auspicious. She is endowed with clothes & accessories reflective of/appropriate to this auspicious-ness
Living with goodness.
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The Consonance!

लोकातीता गुणातीता सर्वातीता शमात्मिका ॥ second line Verse 176

Beyond all worlds
Beyond - all traits, qualities that differentiate, senses, mind & the prana
Beyond all/ everything (even if perceived differently)
She is in Whom everything abides. 4/4