LALITA SAHASRANAMA - PALA SRUTI

PHALA ŚRUTI OR UTTARA BHĀG

Thus Hayagrīva completed the recitation of one thousand nāma-s to sage Agasthya.  Hayagrīva continues to address Agasthya. 

In this Sahasranāma there are exactly one thousand nāma-s.  (Shiva Sahasranāma has 1008 nāma-s and Viṣṇu Sahasranāma has 1000 nāma-s with repetition of the same nāma-s.) Lalitā  Sahasranāma is most secretive in nature and Lalitāmbikā is very fond of this Sahasranāma. Any mantra is considered as secretive in nature because of the bījākṣara-s involved.  It is said that each nama of Lalitā  Sahasranāma has hidden bīja-s and therefore, the entire Sahasranāma attains mantra status. 

The recitation gives the following benefits:

1.     Gives disease- free life, eliminates poverty by providing materialistic wealth. 

2.     Prevents unnatural and accidental deaths.

3.     Gives proficient progeny.

4.     Gives liberation, if recited without any specific benefits.

Method of recitation:

After bathing and after completing the prescribed rituals, one has to worship Śrī Cakra. After worshipping Śrī Cakra, one has to do japa-s (mantra recitation) like Pañcadaśī or ṣodaśī.  After reciting mantra japa for the prescribed number of times, one has to chant this Sahasranāma. After completing Sahasranāma one has to finally offer flowers to Lalitāmbikā.  If one is not initiated into mantra japa-s or Śrī Cakra worship one can recite this Sahasranāma alone. 

Further benefits accruing for one time recitation in one’s life:

1.     More beneficial than taking baths in holy rivers.

2.     More beneficial than installing several Liṅgas in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

3.     More beneficial than gifting gold in Kurukṣetra (the battle field where Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna, the Bhagavad Gīta) to a number of persons knowing the entire Vedas during solar eclipse. 

4.     More beneficial than performing Aśvamedha yaga-s on the banks of the holy river Gaṅgā.

5.     If anyone of the one thousand nāma-s is recited, he is absolved of his sins. 

6.     The sins accruing out of non-performance of one’s prescribed duties by the scriptures are also absolved.

7.     The one who is initiated into Śrī Vidyā worship, should recite only this Sahasranāma instead of other remedial measures (prāyacitta).  It is also said that by resorting to other remedial measures, one accrues further sin. 

8.     Lalitāmbikā is extremely pleased with the one who recites this Sahasranāma daily and fulfils all his desires.  It is also said that one cannot be termed as devotee, if he does not recite this Sahasranāma daily.  A devotee cannot be called as devotee unless he has the unqualified love of the deity whom he worships.  Lalitāmbikā develops such a love, only if this Sahasranāma is recited fully on a daily basis. 

9.     If one is not able to recite this daily, he should at least recite it on festive days.  Important days are saṁkrānti or viṣu (The sun's path north and south of the equator, the half year, the equinoctial and solstitial points).  .  The other important and auspicious days to recite this Sahasranāma are eighth lunar day, ninth lunar day, fourteenth lunar day and Fridays.

10.  The most important among all is the full moon day.  After watching the full moon, one has to recite this Sahasranāma. 

11.  The star birth days of self, spouse and children are also considered auspicious and one should recite Sahasranāma on these days. 

Other benefits:

1.     If one is having body temperature, it is said that one has to recite this Sahasranāma by keeping his hand on the head of the affected person. It is said that immediately, his temperature and other ailments will subside.  If one is affected with body ailments, recitation of this Sahasranāma will subside his ailment.

2.     If this Sahasranāma is recited by touching the sacred ashes and the sacred ashes are applied on the one who is suffering from ailments, his ailments will subside. 

3.     If one is afflicted with evil influences of planets, one has to keep water, sanctify the water and recite this Sahasranāma by touching the water pot, the evil influences of planets will ward off. 

4.     Those who do not have progeny, it is said that they should be given butter sanctified with this Sahasranāma, they are bound to beget progeny. 

5.     Lord Śarabheśvara annihilates the entire enemies of a person who recites this Sahasranāma daily.

6.     Pratyaṁgirā Devi destroys those who cause evil inflictions on the one who recites this Sahasranāma daily.  Pratyaṁgirā Devi is the consort of Śarabheśvara.

7.     The one who frowns upon a person, who recites this Sahasranāma, is blinded by Mārtāṇḍa Bhairava (nāma 785). 

8.     The one who steals or causes the theft of the wealth of the one who recites this Sahasranāma daily is killed by Kṣetrapāla (nāma 344). 

9.     If one un-necessarily engages in wordy controversies with the one who recites this Sahasranāma daily, Nakulīśvarī spoils the speech of the person who indulges in such wordy controversies. Nakulīśvarī, who is also worshipped in navāvaraṇa pūja is one of the assistants of Śyāmalā Devi (nāma-s 69, 75).

10.  Daṇḍinī Devi (Vārāhī) (nāma-s 70, 76), the chief of Lalitāmbikā army destroys kings’ army on her own (without prayer from the worshipper and without any command from Lalitāmbikā), if the king develops enmity with the one who recites this Sahasranāma daily.

11.  Lakṣmī Devi, the Goddess of wealth never leaves that person’s place who recites this Sahasranamam daily for a minimum period of six months.

12.  Sarasvatī Devi, the Goddess of speech dances through in his speech, who recites this Sahasranamam thrice daily for a period of one month.

13.  If one recites this in the night for fifteen days, the concerned person becomes an attraction to the opposite gender.

14.  Those who see the one who has at least recited this Sahasranāma once in his life time, are absolved of their sins.

15.  Gifts and offerings should be made to a person who understands the meaning of this Sahasranamam to please Lalitāmbikā.  Offering gifts (dāna) to  the worthy is considered as one of the important duties of a person.  If gifts are offered to a worthless person, it tantamount to accumulating more sins.  Choosing the right person to receive the gift is more important than the gift itself. 

16.  The one who is initiated into Śrī Vidyā, performs Śrī Cakra worship and recites this Sahasranamam are considered as the most revered one. In the original verse, the word Mantrarājaṁ is used to mean Śrī Vidyā.  Lakṣmīnarasiṃha mantra is also known as Mantrarājaṁ It is also said that a person cannot recite this Sahasranāma without proper initiation into Śrī Vidyā. 

17.  If this Sahasranāma is recited without understanding the meaning, it is equivalent to placing a wood stick in an extinguished fire.  But, it is also said that one who is not able to understand the meaning of nāma-s can recite the sahasranamam.  It should be understood that one who has the capacity of understanding, should make efforts to know the meaning.  Those who do not have the required capacity alone are exempted to understand the meaning.  He gets the required knowledge to understand the meaning in his next birth. 

18.  If one performs pūja ritual of Śrī Cakra with one thousand sweet smelling flowers at least once in his life time, the amount of propitious gains he derives cannot be described even by Shiva. This is called archana.  One should suffix namaḥ at the end of each nāma.  There are fifteen types of flowers that are referred.  But, it is also said that any fragrant flowers can be used.  One can use basil flowers also, but not the leaves.  Best amongst the flowers is saffron.

19.  Archana means prefixing each nāma with om - aiṁ - hrīṁ - śrīm and suffixing with namaḥ.  For example the first nāma should be recited as follows.

om - aiṁ - hrīṁ - śrīṁ śrī mātre namaḥ

At the commencement of this archana one should make a sankalpa (vow), followed by nyāsa, archana and again should say Om at the end of last nāma om - aiṁ - hrīṁ - śrīṁ Lalitāmbikāyai namaḥ om.  Importance is also given to the placement of flowers.  They should be placed on the Śrī Cakra in the same way as they blossom.  The petals of the followers should be facing upwards.

The one who performs worship in the method described above on all the full moon days, attains the form of Lalitāmbikā.  Those who do not consider such people as Her own form, get afflicted with sins.

20.  The one who does the above referred pūja on the day of maha navami (the ninth day of dashara, attains liberation.  Mahā navami day is the day of Śiva and Śaktī.  It is also said that eighth lunar (aṣṭami) day is for Rudra and the ninth lunar day (navami) is for Śaktī.  The conjunction of these two days is said to be auspicious time for worshipping Śiva He gets whatever is desired during this birth itself.  He lives a long life with his grandchildren.  Finally he attains the lotus feet of Lalithambigai (nama 912).

21.  The one, who performs such a ritual on all Fridays, has to once offer a feast to the one who is well versed in Śrī Vidyā.  If he does so, Lalitāmbikā is extremely pleased with him and offers him whatever is desired.  He is said to attain the powers of Lalitāmbikā.  The connected procedures are quite elaborate. 

22.  The one who recites this Sahasranāma without any desires, he is absolved of bondage of saṃsāra and ultimately merges with Her. 

23.  This Sahasranāma is capable of bestowing both material and spiritual upliftment. 

24.  It is said that one is initiated into Śrī Vidyā only during his last birth.  Such an opportunity arises because, in the earlier births, he should have worshipped many gods and goddesses. 

25.  If one is initiated into recitation of this Sahasranāma without initiating Śrī Vidyā, both the initiator and the initiated get afflicted.  In the same way, if Śrī Vidyā is initiated to those who are devoid of mental purity, again both the initiator and the initiated are affected.

Finally Hayagrīva says that he has shared this secret with sage Agastya only at the orders of Lalitāmbikā.  Hayagrīva asks Agastya to recite this Sahasranāma daily and that She would give him whatever is desired.