LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM 851 - 856

Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-tapta-jana-viśrānti-dāyini (851)

Living beings are afflicted by birth, old age and ultimate death. She provides solace to such beings. Solace is in the form of salvation. Salvation or liberations is different from ‘moksha’ or the heaven. Heaven is only a temporary sojourn for the soul, which has to re-enter earth for further births. A liberated soul is not born again as it merges with the Brahman. It loses its individual identity.

Sarvopaniṣad-udguṣṭā (852)

She is glorified in all the Upanishads. ‘ud’ is used for implying superiority in place, rank or power and ‘guṣṭā’ means announcing. This nama says that all the Upanishads announce Her glory. Upanishads are the tools that impart knowledge. By attaining such knowledge one is able to realise the Brahman. Shakthi alone is capable of revealing the Brahman. Without Her aid, Shiva can never be realised. She takes Her devotes in front of Shiva for ultimately revealing Him to them. The blinding light and conflagration of the Brahman cannot be endured without our Her grace. As Sri Mata, she knows the extent to which Shiva can be revealed.

Upanishads are the latter part of Vedas and deals with the Supreme knowledge. Upanishads are also known as jnana kanda that imparts Supreme knowledge and is capable of revealing the Brahman. Chandogya Upanishad (I.i.10) says “Knowledge and ignorance produce different results. Anything done with knowledge, with faith in teachers and in scriptures and according to the principles of the Upanishads is more fruitful.”

The statement of Chandogya Upanishad is endorsed by Brahma Sutra (III.iii.1), which says ‘Any excogitation imparted in all the Upanishads on account of the sameness of injunction, etc.” The aphorism says that the main purport of Upanishads is to establish a connection with the Brahman. This nama says that such vital connection between the Brahman and souls are established and maintained by Her.

Śantyatīta-kalātmikā (853)

Śantyatīta is a kala or time factor. Śantyatīta means transcending peace (Śanti). This is referred in navavarana puja in the ninth avarana, applicable to those who are initiated into Shodasi mantra. This is the stage of jivan mukti, the stage where avidya has been totally destroyed by acquiring Supreme knowledge, referred to in the previous nama. However, a trace of ignorance still prevails in this stage to undergo pains or pleasures of the balance in karmic account. But he continues to enjoy bliss, as he has already transcended duality. The next stage is liberation. Transcending the jivan mukti stage is known as Śantyatita kala. She is said to be in that form.

Gambhīrā (854)

She is abysmal. Gambira also means reservoir. Shiva Sutra (I.22) says “By uniting with the infinite reservoir of divine power (the pure consciousness), the power of Supreme I (the Brahman) is attained.” Her svatantra (independent energy derived from Shiva) form merges with Shiva or in other words, the Supreme consciousness merges with the Brahman. Therefore, what is to be explored is the divine reservoir. She is said to be that divine reservoir. This augurs well with the previous namas as well.

There is another interpretation for this nama. ‘Gam’ (गं) is Ganapati bija, ‘bhi’ (भी) means fear and ‘ra’ means drives away. The fear of Her devotees are driven away by making them worship Lord Ganesha whose bija is ‘gam’.

Gaganāntasthā (855)

The One who permeates the space. Shvetashvatara Upanishad (III.9) says “The same Self fills the whole universe”. It also means the One (the Brahman) who prevails even after the dissolution of akash during the great deluge, also known as annihilation. Please refer nama 571 ‘maha-pralaya-sakshni’.

Gagana means the akash. From akash, other elements originated (Taittiriya Upanishad (II.1). The bija for akash is ‘ha’. The bijas for other elements (air, fire, water and earth) ya, ra, va, la also originated from akash. Therefore, it is said that She represents the five elements. The same Upanishad says “from the Brahman came space” which again confirms Her as the Brahman.

Garvitā (856)

She is proud. She has so many reasons to be proud. The correct explanation would be that She is the embodiment of “I” consciousness or ‘aham Brahmasmi’ or ‘I am That’ or such maha vakyas. In various namas, it was found that She gives whatever She is endowed with. This nama should interpreted in the same manner. This should not be confused with ego that is associated with human mind, a deterrent factor to realisation. Nama 508 is ‘adhi garvita’ (extremely proud) and 158 is ‘nirmada’ (devoid of proud).