LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM 121-123

Bhayapaha (121) She dispels fear. Please visit fear to know more about fear. Taittitriya Upanishad II.9 says ‘having known the Brahman, he is not afraid of anything as there is none by his side’. He is with the Brahman who is always a witness; therefore Upanishad says that there is none with him. Brhadaranyaka Upanishad I.iv.2 says ‘If there is nothing else except me, where is the question of fear’. The cause of fear is the existence of a second person. The existence of second person is felt only out of ignorance. In fact there is no second in this universe. It is only the same Supreme Self within you prevails in everybody which is mistaken for the second. This happens out of maya. The very recitation of Her name will dispel fear. The same nama is 935th nama in Vishnu Sahasranamam. Soundarya Lahari verse 4 says that Her feet alone can dispel fear. But Shankara says that cycle of birth and death afflicted with samsara (bondage) is known as fear. He does not talk about fear from others. Shankara’s interpretation of fear is also confirmed by Sage Dhurvasa in his ‘Shakthi mahimna’. He says ‘jaramruthi nivaraya’ meaning relief from the fear of birth and death. Those who worship Her do not have the fear of birth and death. Mere recitation of Her name will dispel this fear. Shambhavi (122) Shiva is known as Shambu and His wife is Shambhavi. Vishnu Sahasranamam nama 38 is ‘Shambhavae’ which is interpreted as ‘the one who gives comforts to devotees’. In that way both Shiva and Lalithai give comforts to their devotees. There is a mudra called ‘sambavi mudra’ which is used in kundalini meditation. Focusing both the eye balls internally towards ajna chakra and lifting the consciousness upwards, by correspondingly raising the eye balls is called sambavi mudra. There are other interpretations also. There are three types of dikshas (initiations) and one among them is sambavi diksha. The other two are shaakthi and maantri. Worshippers of Shiva are called Shambavaas. She is the mother of Shambavaas. SL 34 says ‘shariram tvam Shambhoh’ meaning ‘you are the body of Shiva’. The next verse says ‘shiva yuvaati bhavena’ meaning ‘contemplating as the wife of Shiva’. Such narrations are plenty to affirm that She always remains as part of Shiva, both physically and mentally. Shambhavi also refers to a young girl of 8 years. There is a ritual explained in ‘Devi Bagavatam’ about worshipping Her in the form of a girl of 8 years. If such a ritual is performed as per the prescribed method, it is said that the devotee will become prosperous and wealthy. Sharadaradhya (123) Sharada means Sarasvathi, the Goddess of speech. She is worshiped by Sarasvathi. Sharada could also mean the vak devis, the authors of this sahasranamam. In India, She is worshipped for nine days in the month of October or November and this is called ‘navaratri’, meaning nine nights. Shakthi worship is always done in the nights as per tantra sastra. It is said that Vishnu is to be worshipped in the morning, Shiva in the evening and Lalithambigai in the night. Apart from the navaratri falling in the month of October/November, there are two other navaratris that are celebrated. They are called vasantha navaratri and sharada navaratri. Possibly this nama could mean sharada navaratri. Kalika purana says ‘Once upon a time in spring, in the ninth day you were awakened by devas. Hence you are known to the world by the name Sharada”. This nama means that she is worshipped by knowledgeable (knowledge gained from Vedas and sastras) men.