Pañca-yajña-priyā (946)
Pañca means five and yajña means act of worship and devotion that prevailed during Vedic period and offerings, oblations and sacrifice prevailing in post-Vedic literature. Yajna actually means sacrifice personified.
There are two types of yajna, the one referred in Vedas that has been heard or communicated from the beginning. It is the sacred knowledge orally transmitted from generation to generation. Rig Veda contains numerous references to rituals. Yajur Veda samhita on the other hand contains mantras that are to be recited at the rituals and prose passages explaining them, known as brāhmaṇās. Brāhmaṇā passages guide to execute and preserve the intricacies of Vedic rituals. The other type of yajna is referred in smṛti, the whole body of sacred tradition or what is remembered by human teachers in contradistinction to śruti. Smṛiti includes the six Vedāṅgas, the Sūtras (both śrauta and gṛhya), the law-books of Manu, etc.
The five yajnas referred in Vedas are agntihotra, darśapūrṇamāsa, cāturmāsya, paśubandha and soma. Soma ritual includes all the other four rituals and considered as the supreme among the five.
The five yajnas referred in smṛtis are known as pancha maha yajnas. They are Deva yajna (appeasing gods and goddesses), brahma yajna (the knower of Vedas), pitri (ancestors) yajna, bhuta (animals, etc) yajna and nara (humans) yajna. Deva yajna is the worship to one’s kula Devata (the deity worshipped through lineage). The study of Vedas is the next. Remembering our ancestors is the third. This is performed on the death days of ancestors. The idea behind this yajna is not only to remember them, but also to remember and follow the family’s culture and values. Bhuta yajna means sharing with other living beings. Feeding the hungry animals develops universal love. The last one also known as manushya yajna, traditional hospitality extended to fellow beings.
Pāncaratra āgamās prescribe five rituals for worshipping Vishnu. Abhigamana (approaching Vishnu), upadana (collecting puja materials), Ijya (the puja worship) and svadhaya (repetition of Vedas, slokas, etc). Vishnu is often praised with gadyam and gadyatrayam.
Chandogya Upanishad (V.4 to 9) talks about five types of oblations that cause the birth of man. They are offered by gods as oblations. First gods offered water as oblation from which appeared Soma (moon). They offered Soma as the second oblation from which appeared rain. They offered water as third oblation and there appeared food. They offered food as the fourth oblation and there appeared fluids of procreation. They offered fluids of procreation as the fifth oblation and there appeared foetus.
This nama says that She is fond of above yajnas.
Pañca-preta-mañcādhi-śāyinī (947)
Preta means cadaver. When prana leaves the body, the once existed physical body becomes preta or corpse and the soul immediately comes under the control of Pretādhipati, Lord Yama.
The intricacies of this nama are discussed in Soundarya Lahari verse 92. Pañca-preta means Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Mahadeva and Sadashiva. This is a correlation between the conception, where mind is involved and perception where senses are involved. She is seated on a throne whose legs are Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Mahadeva and whose seat is Sadashiva.
There are two ways of looking at this nama. The first way is look at the scene from philosophical doctrine. The omnipresence nature of the Brahman is the focal point of this nama. Macrocosmic existence of the Brahman has been repeatedly stressed in all the Upanishads. Brahma, Vishnu and other gods mentioned in this nama are only the manifestation of the Brahman. To enable us to understand the philosophy of creation, Vedas have created distinct gods and goddesses to take care of each of the phenomenon in the process of creation. Considering Lalithambigai as the kinetic force in the process of creation, sustenance, dissolution, annihilation and recreation, the nama aptly refers Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Mahadeva and Sadashiva as parts of the throne where She is seated. It is not the name that matters, but the assignment given to them by the Brahman for effective equilibration of this universe is important.
The other way of looking at this nama is to conclude on the basis that without kinetic energy, the predominant static energy does not become functional. In other words, Shiva cannot be said to be the functional head of the universe, unless ably aided by His consort Lalithambigai, the able dynamic energy, the energy created by Shiva Himself. Tantra loka (IV.6) says, “only by the union with Shakthi, subtle Shiva is known. She is the ultimate unified Shakthi, the Parameśvarī, the very Self of Brahma, Vishnu, and Isha.” This nama says that the functional heads become ineffective (dead) without the presence of divine energy infused into them by Her. The five cadavers refer to a stage where the superior functional heads turn into corpses in the absence of energy infused by Her. This nama decisively and authoritatively confirms Her Bramanic status.
Please refer nama 249 and 250 for further details.
Pañcamī (948)
Pañcamī means the fifth. Out of give gods discussed in the above nama, Sadāśiva is considered as the supreme, as He recreates the universe after great dissolutions (pralaya). He is also known as Pañcama and His wife is Pañcamī. In Sadāśiva tatva, the experience of ‘I’ is more predominant than the experience of ‘this’.
Vārāhi Devi is also known as Pañcamī. Pañcamī forms a part of one of Vārāhi mantras. Vārāhi has already been discussed in nama 67. She is one among the seven mātās known as sapta (seven) mātās and fifth in that order. Hence Pañcamī.
The fifth oblation discussed in nama 946 is also known as Pañcamī.
Kaivalya is the fifth and the last stage in liberation. The other four are salokyam, sarupam, samipyam and sayujyam. Kaivalya, the fifth stage is where the soul is completely disconnected from the mind-stuff and the liberation is attained. Kaivalya means the complete isolation of the self. Please also refer namas 625 and 926.
This nama could mean all these interpretations.
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