VERSE 1

sindūrāruṇa-vigrahāṃ tri-nayanāṃ māṇikya mauli sphurat
tārānāyaka-śekarāṃ smitamukhīṃ āpīna vakṣoruhām|
pāṇibhyāṃ alipūrṇa-ratna-caṣakam raktotpalam bibhratīṃ
saumyāṃ ratna-ghaṭastha-rakta-caraṇāṃ dhyāyetparāmambikām||

सिन्दूरारुण-विग्रहां त्रि-नयनां माणिक्य मौलि स्फुरत्
तारानायक-शेकरां स्मितमुखीं आपीन वक्षोरुहाम्।
पाणिभ्यां अलिपूर्ण-रत्न-चषकम् रक्तोत्पलम् बिभ्रतीं
सौम्यां रत्न-घटस्थ-रक्त-चरणां ध्यायेत्परामम्बिकाम्॥

Sindūrāruṇa-vigrahāṃ - sindūram means the kumkum kept on women’s forehead, which is red in colour. ārunam means the colour of sun rise, which is also red.  The complexion of Lalitā is red.  Why Her complexion is referred twice - one is the reference to the colour of the kumkum, and another reference is to the colour of sun at the time of its rise?   Vāc Devi-s could have felt the need to emphasize the deep red colour of Her complexion and could have thought that one example was not enough and hence two examples could have been cited. vigrahāṃ means Her form.  trinayanāṃ means three eyed.  Third eye mentioned here is not in its literal sense.  It is the eye of jñāna.  If one acquires jñāna, his third eye will be opened on its own.  That is why Gods are described with three eyes.  These three eyes represent the sun, the moon and the agni (fire), possibly indicating ājñā cakra.

māṇikya mauli sphurat – She is wearing a crown studded with ruby stones (ruby stones are red in colour) where the planet moon (mouli) is also placed.  tārānāyaka-śekarāṃ – tāra means stars.  Moon is said to be the chief of stars (nāyaka). She is wearing in Her crown the chief of stars, viz. moon.   The moon’s placement is emphasized by referring to the moon twice. This could mean that the rubies are shining in bright red in the moon light.  smitamukhīṃ – smita  - smile, mukhīṃ – face. She has a smiling face or She is always smiling.  Generally all the Gods have smiling faces.  Then what is special with Lalitāmbikā?  The answer is given in forty eighth nāma mahā lāvanya śevadhī.  She is the embodiment of all the beauty of the universe and there is no other beauty that can be compared to Hers.  She is referred to as the Brahman in various nāma-s.  “The Brahman” is the ultimate of blissfulness.  Lalitāmbikā is the combination of beauty and joy.  Beauty is with reference to the physical body and joy is related to the mind. Her joyful mind is reflected in Her physical body and adds lustre to Her beauty.  It is said that face is the index of mind.  One can easily ascertain the quality of a person from his face.  There will be tejas or the refulgency in his face, who performs a lot of upāsana.  (upāsana – five types of worship, (abhigamana or approach, Upādāna or preparation of offering, Ijyā or oblation, Svādhyāya or recitation, and Yoga or devotion). When one begins to radiate such tejas by worshipping Her, it clearly indicates that the he is pursuing the right spiritual path.

{Idol worship:  Worshipping an idol is individual’s choice.  It depends upon one’s mental makeup.  If one finds envisioning difficult, he can with the aid of an idol or a picture visualize that form of God.  But, when one takes up idol worship, he has to necessarily follow the rituals prescribed in śāstra-s.  When pūja and other rituals are performed with great devotion and sincerity, one can over a period of time certainly observe changes in the face of the idol or picture.  The spiritual energy generated during the rituals gets transferred to the idol and a two way communication begins to unfold between the idol and the seeker.  Spiritual transformation has to be gradual. It is better to begin with idol worship in the initial stages of spirituality. Ultimate in spirituality is to realise the Brahman within. One has to cross different stages such as japa, meditation through inner search and exploration and perpetual meditation one leading to the other.}

āpīna vakṣoruhām – fully developed bosoms [this is because She has to nourish the entire universe as the Supreme mother, Śrī Mātā (nāma 1)] pāṇibhyām - holding in Her hands. alipūrṇa –  full of honey, the spirituous liquor.  Ali also means bees. rathna caṣakam – a cup made of rubies.  In one hand She is holding a cup made out of rubies with honey filled to the brim. On smelling the honey in the cup, bees fly around. raktotpalam bibhrathīm – She holds in another hand a red coloured flower.  In this dhyān śloka (hymn of praise), She is described with two hands only.   But in the next dhyān śloka, She is described with four hands and in Her ṣodaśi form She is described with sixteen hands. soumyāṁ – beauty.  rathna ghatastha – a pot consisting of rubies.   raktha caraṇām - She is placing Her red coloured left foot on this pot. dhyāyet – meditating on Her form. parā ambikām – parā (nāma 366) means the highest, Her highest and Supreme form.

This dhyāna śloka gives Her following form.  Her complexion is red and all things associated with Her are red in colour.  She is the embodiment of beauty.  In one hand She holds a cup made of ruby, filled with honey and in another hand She holds a red coloured flower.  She is keeping Her red coloured foot on a pot containing rubies.  It is difficult to say why Her feet are red in colour.  Is it due to the radiation of rubies reflecting in Her lustrous feet. Now doubt arises as to which is shining, is it the rubies or the feet of Lalitāmbikā placed on the pot full of rubies or is it due to the henna applied on Her feet or is it because Her complexion being red, Her feet are also red in colour in match with Her complexion?  Possibly nobody can answer.  What we know is that everything associated with Her is red in colour.  This is the first of Her dhyān ślokā. 

VERSE 2

aruṇāṃkaruṇā-taraṃgitākṣīṃ dhṛta-pāśāṅkuśa-puṣpa-bāṇa-cāpām|
aṇimādibirāvṛtām mayūkhai-rahamityeva vibhāvaye bhavānīm||

अरुणां करुणा-तरंगिताक्षीं धृत-पाशांकुश-पुष्प-बाण-चापाम्।
अणिमादिबिरावृताम् मयूखै-रहमित्येव विभावये भवानीम्॥

  aruṇām – like rising sun, the colour of the sun at dawn which is red; karuṇa – compassion; tarangitākṣīm – waves from Her eyes;  Waves of compassion emanating from Her eyes (like waves continuously). dhṛta – supported by; pāśa – noose, a type of weapon (pāśam also means anything that binds a soul); aṅkuśa – another type of weapon, like an arrow; puṣpa – made out of flowers; bāṇa – arrow i.e. arrows made out of flowers or using flowers as arrows; cāpām – bow;  She has bow made out of a sugarcane and arrows made out of flowers. aṇimādibir – aśṭamā (eight) siddhi-s like animā, mahimā, garimā, laghimā, prāpti, prākāmyā, iṣṭvā and vaśtvā.āvṛtām – surrounded by.  She is surrounded by eight types of siddhis like animā, etc referred above. mayūkhaiḥ- a ray of light or beam of light; aham – I; ityeva – like this; vibhāvaye -  beatitude  (a state of supreme happiness); bhavānīm – Bhavānī, another name of Lalitāmbikā.  Bhavānī is the 112^th nāma in this Sahasranāma.

The meaning for this verse is – I meditate on Bhavānī, the supreme happiness, whose colour is like the sun at dawn i.e. red in colour and from whom rays of light are emanating.  This confirms Her red complexion discussed in the previous verse.  Her compassion for Her devotees comes out of Her eyes like waves of ocean.  In this verse She is described with four hands.  In the rear hands She has two weapons called pāśam (like a rope) and aṅkuśa (a sharp edged metal weapon normally used to control elephants).  In the front hands she holds a bow made out of sugar cane and arrows made out of flowers.  A detailed study of Her weaponries is discussed later in this Sahasranāma. They represent four of Her premier assistants.  She is surrounded byaṣṭama siddhi-s.  Each siddhi is represented by a goddess in Śrī Cakra.  I meditate on Her form called Bhavānī, a state of supreme happiness with beams of light.

VERSE 3

dhyāyet padmāsanasthāṃ vikasita-vadanāṃ padma-patrāyatākṣīṃ
hemābhāṃ pītavastrāṃ kara-kalita-lasaddhema padmām varāngīm|
sarvālaṃkāra-yuktāṃsatatamabhayadāṃbhakta-namrām bhavānīṃ
śrividyāṃ śāntamūrtiṃ sakala-sura-nutāṃ sarva saṃpat pradātrīm||

ध्यायेत् पद्मासनस्थां विकसित-वदनां पद्म-पत्रायताक्षीं
हेमाभां पीतवस्त्रां कर-कलित-लसद्धेम पद्माम् वरान्गीम्।
सर्वालंकार-युक्तां सततमभयदां भक्त-नम्राम् भवानीं
श्रिविद्यां शान्तमूर्तिं सकल-सुर-नुतां सर्व संपत् प्रदात्रीम्॥

dhyāyet – meditating;  padmāsanasthāṃ – seated on a lotus flower or seated in a posture called padmāsanā;vikasita-vadanāṃ – charming face.  vikasa: also means moon.  It can be construed that Her face looks like a full moon. padma – lotus; patrāya – petal;  tākṣīm – eyes.  Her eyes look like long petals of a lotus flower. hemābhāṃ - golden complexioned; pītavastrāṃ – wearing clothes with gold sheen; kara-kalitha – holding in Her hand; lasad- shining; hema – gold (hema also means a beautiful woman); - padmām – lotus.  She is holding a shining golden lotus in Her hand. Vara + angīm – most beautiful + body parts.  She has the most beautiful body. Sarva + ālaṃkāra + yuktām – all types of + ornaments + bejewelled.  She is adorned with all types of ornaments. satatam – continually; abhayadām – bestowing protection.  She constantly protects Her devotees. bhaktha – devotees; namrām – bowing down; She bows down to listen to Her devotees. bhavānīm –Bhavānī, the wife of Bhavan. Śiva  is also known as Bhavan.  Bhavan’s consort is Bhavānī.  śrī vidyām –mantra and tantra śāstra-s of Śrī Vidyā.  Śrī Vidyā is the worshiping ritual of Śaktī. She is in the form of mantraand tantra śāstra-s.  Śānta + mūrtim – form of tranquillity or without any agitation. Sakala + sura + nutām – worshiped by all gods and goddesses. Sarva + sampat – all types of wealth; pradātrīm – giver (giving is emphasized).

The meaning of this verse is: She is seated on a lotus.  She has a charming face.  Her eyes appear elongated and look like petals of a lotus.  She has golden complexion and Her clothes have gold sheen.  She holds a golden lotus.  She has a sculptured figure. She is wearing all types of ornaments.  She constantly protects Her devotees. She bows down to listen to the needs of Her devotees.  She is the embodiment of all mantra-s andtantra-s of Śrī Vidyā.  She is calm and composed.   She is worshiped by all gods, which emphasises Her Supremacy.   She endows wealth to Her devotees.

VERSE 4

sakuṃkuma-vilepanāṃ alika-cumbi-kastūrikāṃ
samanda-hasitekṣaṇām saśara-cāpa-pāśāṅkuśa
aśeṣa-jana-mohinīṃ aruṇa-mālya-bhūṣāṃbarāṃ
japā-kusuma-bhāsurāṃ japavidhau smaredaṃbikām

सकुंकुम-विलेपनां अलिक-चुम्बि-कस्तूरिकां
समन्द-हसितेक्षणाम् सशर-चाप-पाशांकुशाम्
अशेष-जन-मोहिनीं अरुण-माल्य-भूषांबरां
जपा-कुसुम-भासुरां जपविधौ स्मरेदंबिकाम्

sakuṃkuma – with kumkum; vilepanāṃ – anointing; alika + cumbi – attracted by bees; kastūrikāṃ –vermilion;samanda + hasita + ekṣaṇām (samanda-hasitekṣaṇām)– benignant+ smile + looks;  saśara – with arrow; cāpa– bow; pāśa – a weapon; aṅkuśa –  a weapon (these two weapons are already discussed in second śloka);  +aśeṣa + jana + mohinīm –  attracts people without exception; aruṇa – red; mālya – a type of sandal wood from Malaysian mountains; bhūṣa - ornaments; aṁbarām – without the use of magical feats or incantations  (attractions by sheer presence); japā-kusuma – red hibiscus flower; bhāsurām – decorated; japa + vidhau – as per the rules of japa or mantra chanting; smared + ambikām – think about Her.

The meaning of this verse is:  She is anointed with kumkum and vermilion, which gives a pleasant fragrance, towards which bees are attracted. She looks at Her devotees with a benignant smile.  She holds in Her hands bow and arrow, two weaponries. She attracts everybody; which means everybody is attracted to Her irrespective of being Her devotee or not.  She is wearing a red garland made out of special sandal wood.  Excellent ornaments adore Her and She has the complexion like a hibiscus flower.  One has to meditate on this form of Lalitāmbikā during japa time.