LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM 416-417

Chitchaktihi (416) Chit means pure consciousness and the pure knowledge. The Brahman (without attributes or nirguna Brahman) is made up of three important aspects. They are sat (perpetual existence), chit (the present nama – pure form of consciousness) and ananda (the bliss). These three attributes together is called ‘satchidananda’ and the Brahman is also known by this name. The pure consciousness here means the spiritual consciousness. Only the pure and un-afflicted knowledge is capable of producing spiritual consciousness. Let us now understand Chit. It is also known as chidatma. When this is reflected in universal nescience, it is known as the Ishwara and when reflected in individual nescience it is known as soul. Ishwara is not the Brahman as it is the reflection of universal nescience. There are two aspects to this interpretation. Here, Ishwara is said to be reflective in nature and not self-illuminating. Self-illumination is the exclusive quality of the Brahman. Secondly, the Brahman can never be associated with nescience. This Ishwara is said to be the Lord of prakriti or the nature. The soul or individual nescience comes into contact with prakriti, the soul induces evolution of a new physical body for the karmas embedded in it to manifest. However, Ishwara remains in an unconditioned form, but the soul continues its conditioned form afflicted by the lower levels of consciousness, which is also known as individual conscience. Ishwara remains un-afflicted by the influence of three gunas and the soul gets influenced by three gunas, leading to creation. Ishwara can be interpreted as the cosmic counter part of soul. Ishwara and prakriti in combination with other 24 principles or tatwas cause the creation. Therefore, we get introduced to a new principle in this nama that is known ‘Ishwara tatwa’ or the principle of Ishwara in this sahasranamam. Since Ishwara is said to be the Lord of Prakriti, it can also be called as the aggregate aspect of maya and the individual souls are aggregative. This principle or tatwa of Ishwara is one among the four distinctive states of the Brahman, the other three being avyakta (nama 398), hiranyagarbha (it is within the subtle body. It binds all the constituents of the universe together) and virat (nama 778. the universal cosmic form). Svetasvatara Upanishad (V.1) also refers to this phenomenon. ‘Para Brahman is higher than hiranyagarbha. Knowledge and ignorance are both hidden in Para Brahman. Ignorance is the cause of birth and death, but knowledge leads to immortality. He who controls ignorance and knowledge is separate from both. That is Brahman (pure and without attributes) the supreme’. This nama says that She is in this form of chitchakthi. Chetana rupa (417) It is called chaitanya, the pure and unconditioned form of consciousness, in its functional state. It can also be explained as the purer form of the preceding nama. The entire universe emerges from this chaitanya that has two sides. The first one is gross and the other one is subtle. The gross form is made up of name and form and the subtle form is made up of mind and its modifications called anthakkaranam (mind, intellect, consciousness and ego). The gross form gives direct experience and the subtle form gives internal experience. In the stage of Chaitanya, both objective and subjective worlds get formulated as experiences. Her chetana form or chaitanya form is also known as Her vimarsha form.