LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM 586-587

Kamasevita (586) Kama means the lord of love Manmata. She is worshipped by Manmata. Panchadasi mantra was formulated by 12 of Her great devotees and Manmata is one among them. Names of all the worshippers have been mentioned in nama 228. Kamaha also means Maha Kameshwarar (the highest form of Shiva) who is also Her devotee. Possibly this nama could also refer to His worship (this is based on the fact that Shiva cannot function without Shakthi). Shiva and Shakthi alternatively assumed the roles of guru and disciple. On many occasions Shiva initiated Shakthi and on certain occasions Shakthi initiated Shiva on various aspects of mantra sastras. In purvabhag of Lalitha Trisati (verse 13), it is said that Lalitha Trisati was told to Hayagrivar jointly by Kameshvara and Kameshvari. Lalitha Trisati is extremely auspicious and contains 300 namas. Kamaha signifies Manmata without bodily form. There is a story in Lingapurana, chapter 101 regarding the bodiless form of Manmata. Shiva was doing penance forgetting his wife Uma. Brahma and Indra summoned Manamata and his wife Rati to break Shiva’s penance and to unite Uma with Shiva. Manmata and his wife Rati reached the cave where Shiva was doing His penance. Shiva knew the purpose of Manmata’s visit. The fire blazed from Shiva’s third eye and burnt Manmata. Rati who stood by Manmata’s side inconsolably cried. Shiva took pity on her and gave Manmata a bodiless form for the purpose of dalliance. This nama says that body is not necessary to mental worship. Bodily form is required only to perform rituals that are only secondary in nature when compared to mental worship (meditation). This nama also implies that without understanding the essential natures of Shiva and Shakthi (prakasha and vimarsha form), worship may not fructify. For further reading on Manmata please refer namas 84 and 375. Soundarya Lahari verse 5 says that Manamata got his power to induce coquetry by worshipping Shakthi. Panchadasi mantra has 15 bijas. If the repetitive bijas are removed, the balance would be 9 bijas. Mahalakhmi (consort of Vishnu) taught 108 namas of Lalithambigai (9 bijas multiplied by numeric 12 making 108) to Manamata beginning with these nine bijas of Panchadasi. Sri-shodasahkshari-vidya (587) Shodashi mantra is superior to panchadasi. Shodashan means 16 and shodash means 16th. Shodashi mantra is derived by adding one more bija to panchadasi mantra. In fact, shodashi mantra consists of 27 bijas and formed like this. Om is excluded for computation, as all the mantras begin with OM. 1. Om (1 bija) 2. Shreem-hrim-kleem-im-sow: (5 bijas) 3. Om-hrim-shreem (3 bijas) 4. Ka-a-e-la-hrim (4 bijas) 5. Ha-sa-ka-ha-la-hrim (6 bijas) 6. Sa-ka-la-hrim (4 bijas) 7. Sow:-im-kleem-hrim-shreem (5 bijas) If this mantra is observed, one can find lines 4, 5 and 6 are the panchadasi mantra and each line representing one kuta of panchadasi. If lines 2 and 7 are observed, the bijas contained in the 2nd line are placed in the 7th line in reversed order. For example the last bija in line two is ‘sow:’ and this is placed as the first bija of the 7th line. This mantra is known as shodashi because of 16 bijas, each kala representing a kala of moon. This is arrived at by adding Lakshmi bija ‘shreem’ at the end of panchadasi mantra. These sixteen bijas are arrived at by considering each kuta of panchadasi mantra as one bija. This way, lines 4, 5 and 6 are considered as one bija each, thus forming three bijas. The sixteen bijas are arrived by adding 5+3+1+1+1+5 (from line 2 to 7). There are two ‘om’s in this mantra. The first om is not considered for calculation. The second om in line 3 is replaced by atma bija of the practitioner and this is decided by one’s guru. Such a decision can be made by a guru if he is conversant with mantras and bijas. Any wrong bija is capable of destroying the practitioner. Shodashi mantra is to be used exclusively for liberation and those who seek liberation alone should be initiated in this mantra. Shodashi mantra is the ultimate of all mantras and there is no other mantra superior to this. It is said that Shodashi mantra yields fruits after reciting 900,000 times. Those who are initiated into this mantra are not supposed to prostrate before anyone except one’s guru. Shakthi is worshipped in ten different forms and this is known as ‘dasa-maha-vidya’ and shodashi is one among them. Shodashi vidya has too many prescribed rituals.