LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM 424 - 428

Tattvasana (424) Tatwas mean the principles, either 24 or 36. She is seated on these tatwas or these tatwas form her throne. Tatwas function both internally and externally. Mind, intellect, consciousness and ego together called anthakkaranam or internal tools, work internally. Senses work externally. Senses are the extensions of the five basic elements. Five basic elements are akash, air, fire, water and earth. Five karmaenthriams are Mouth, Legs, Hands, organ of excretion and organ of procreation. Five jnanaethriams are Ears, Eyes, Nose, Mouth and Skin. Five thanmatras are Sound, Taste, Smell, Light, and Touch. All these make 20 and with anthakkaranam, they become 24. The principles or tatwas become 36 if we add 5 tatwas of Shiva and 7 tatwas of Vidya (1.Prakasha 2.Vimarsha 3.Saadaakhya, 4. Aishwarya, 5. Suddhavidya, 6. Kala, 7. Vidhya, 8. Raaga, 9. Kaala, 10. Niyathi, 11. Purusha and 12. Prakathi). It can also be said that She is beyond these tatwas. A reference can be made to namas 906 and 907 later. Tat (425) The Brahman is referred to by three qualities. They are ‘om’ ‘tat’ ‘sat’ (Om tat sat). Tat means “That”. She is That and this That indicates the Brahman. Vishnu Sahasranamam nama 731 is also Tat. Bhagavad Gita XVII.25 says “The seekers of liberation then perform various rites of sacrifice and austerities while concentrating on “Tat” without desiring results”. The highest level of God consciousness is called Tat. She is said to be in the form of the highest level of consciousness. We have already seen that the highest level of consciousness is the Brahman. Tvam (426) Tvam means you, indicating Her. Here tvam means the Brahman and is aptly described in Kena Upanishad I.4 which says ‘That Brahman is different from all known and familiar objects. It is beyond even unknown objects’. Self realisation is nothing but union of this “That” and “I”. This reality will dawn one day like a sudden flash. There is a great saying “Tat twam asi” (Tat means That, twam means you and asi means are) which means ‘you are That’. That means the Brahman. You are That Brahman. Ayi (427) Ayi is a way of addressing mother or sister. Since She is the supreme mother of the universe, she is addressed as ayi. When someone is addressed as ayi, it expresses more love than respect. This also means auspiciousness. It is pertinent to note that namas 425, 426 and 427 together form ‘tattwamayi’ and this is nama 907 of this sahasranamam. Pancha-koshantra-sthita (428) She resides in the five sheaths. We have exhaustively discussed on the five sheathes of our body in our e-book understanding our gross body. Apart from the gross body, there is another interpretation. While performing navavarana puja, after the ninth avarana there is a ritual called pancha panchika puja. Here five devis are worshiped one above the other, above the bindu (the central point of Sri Chakra). The details may not be necessary for the interpretation of the nama, as the main interpretation should be based on the five sheaths of the gross body. However, these coverings could also mean five different stages of samadhi. To reach the final stage of nirvikalpa samadhi, we have to transcend the other stages of samadhi.