LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM 362-365

Citihi (362) She is in the form of eternal knowledge. Cit can be explained as pure knowledge that helps in realizing the Brahman. The opposite of cit (vidya) is nescience (avidya or ignorance about the Brahman). Her vimarsha form is discussed here. Brahman has two forms prakasha or the static and self illuminating energy and vimarsha or the kinetic and reflecting energy. The one without the other is not capable of sustaining this universe and this interdependency is called as the union of Shiva and Shakthi. Tatpada-lakshyartha (363) She, who is denoted by the word “That”. ‘Tat-twam-asi ‘or ‘you are That’ is said to indicate that you are the Brahman where ‘That’ refers to the Brahman. This goes to prove the omnipresence nature of the Brahman and His non-dualistic nature. The previous nama discussed about the two forms of the Brahman. Prakasha form is without attributes and is eternally pure and vimarsha form is with attributes and though pure is subjected to modifications exclusively for the purpose of administering the universe. Though they are interdependent, in literal sense there appears to be no difference between these two as they are embodiments of pure knowledge or Cit. In fact this undifferentiated form of the Brahman is known as That or Cit. In order to avert any confusion arising out of the previous nama, this nama confirms Her nirguna (unconditioned) Brahman status. Cideka-rasa-rupini (364) She is the essence of knowledge. The difference between knowledge and the essence of knowledge is to be understood. The knowledge of the unconditioned Brahman or the prakasha form of the Brahman is different from the conditioned Brahman or the vimarsha form of the Brahman. The Brahman with attributes and without attributes remains the same so also their purity of the knowledge. This is the reason for establishing the identity of the both as one. This nama says that She is not different from Cit (nama 362) or That (nama 363), the qualities of the Brahman. There is no difference between conditioned and unconditioned Brahman as any modifications take place purely at the will of Brahman for the purpose of creation, sustenance and dissolution. When knowledge is extracted, we get the essence of knowledge, possibly from its gross form to its subtle form. But, the nature of the gross form of knowledge and subtle form of knowledge is not different. Swatmananda-lavi-bhuta-brahmadyananda-santatih (365) The sum total of bliss of Gods like Brahma and others is only a droplet of Her bliss. All gods and goddesses enjoy the ananda or bliss. Brahma and other gods indicate the three actions of the Brahman viz. creation, sustenance and dissolution. Every action of the universe is said to be controlled by one form of god or goddesses. For example Brahma is said to be in charge of creation, Vishnu for sustenance and Rudra for destruction, Varuna for waters, Agni for fire, etc. But what is bliss? Our real nature is always in the state of bliss or happiness or ananda whatever you call it. But this perennial nature of the bliss is disturbed by the powerful tools of desire and associated losses. Desire is for the one that you do not possess and loss is a situation where, what you had earlier is not with you now. Taittiriya Upanishad II.8 beautifully described the bliss. “To give the idea of bliss that Brahman represents, take a young and honest man with a commanding personality, well versed in the scriptures, well built and strong. Suppose he owns the wealth of the entire world, then take his maximum stage of happiness as one unit and multiply it with infinity is the bliss of the Brahman” (this is not verbatim translation). In the next verse this Upanishad says “…being free from desires, he first attains the self represented by the vital breath, then the self represented by the mind, then the self represented by the intellect and the self represented by bliss and finally merges into the cosmic self or the Brahman”. The bliss is the penultimate stage of the final salvation. Such a sort of bliss can be enjoyed only at the time of merging into the Brahman, the final stage of liberation. This nama is in confirmation of nama 363 which says that she is in fact the Supreme Brahman or the Brahman without out attributes.