74. Latātanuḥ लतातनुः

Latā means creeper and tanu means slender. This nāma says that She is tender and beautiful like a creeper. Most of the creepers yield fragrant flowers. According to Śivānandalaharī (verse 50) Śiva is fond of jasmine flowers and hence He is also known as Mallikārjuna.The verse says that Śiva is handsome because of Śakti’s affectionate embrace (saprema bhramrābhirām and śivāliṅgitam). Because of the flowers which she wears, Śiva also becomes fragrant.

This nāma also speaks about their intimate interdependence. Śiva and Śakti are always portrayed as the Divine Couple who sets an example for others to follow. In human life, valuing and respecting interdependency will bring in happiness. Mental happiness and all-round peace form the foundation for spiritual life.

75. Lalāmarājadalikā ललामराजदलिका

Lalāma means a mark on Her forehead, which is made of musk, which has the capacity to spread its divine fragrance to distant places.

Lalitā Sahasranāma 13 also conveys the same meaning. Śrī Śakti mahimnaḥ (verse 40) also describes Her forehead. It says that there are three lines (representing icchā, jñāna and kriyā śakti-s) in Her forehead drawn with sandalwood paste. Variations of such descriptions are due to different types of contemplation. Therefore, it is important that one should first contemplate Her form and should try to bring the form alive, during meditation. Only after this stage, one has to contemplate Her true form, formless form of Brahman. During the intent states of contemplation, She can be realized through flashes of light.

76. Lambimkuktālatāñcitā लम्बिम्कुक्तालताञ्चिता

She is wearing a long pearl and beautifully bent necklace.

This nāma can be interpreted to mean that She releases perfected jīva-s (sthitaprajña) to attain liberation, the state of kaivalya (emancipation). She releases jīva-s like a pearl oyster releasing the pearl inside.

77. Lambodaraprasu लम्बोदरप्रसु

Lambodara means pot bellied and refers to Ganeśa and prasu means to cause. This nāma says that She has created (given birth to) Ganeśa, who is considered as the first son of Pārvatī and Parameśvara. Ganeśa is the remover of all obstacles and He is widely revered amongst all gods. There are many tantras and mantras for his worship.

Reciting “gaṁ gaṇapataye namaḥ गं गणपतये नमः” while going out will remove all obstacles. Bīja गं(gaṁ) is very powerful in removing obstacles.

78. Labhyā लभ्या

She is attainable through untainted devotion. She is the One, who is easily attainable, subject to certain preconditions. The preconditions are devotion cum love for Her, pure mind, regular contemplation, devoid of ego, surrendering unto Her, etc. She alone is easily attainable and Śiva can be attained only through Her and not directly.

Liberation is of four types: Sālokya, co-existence with the Lord in His world.  Sārūpya, attaining the same form as that of the Lord.  Sāmīpya, proximity as that of the Lord. Sāyujya, absorption into the Lord Himself. The first one progressively leads to the last one and finally  the state of kaivalya.  Lalitā Sahasranāma 625 says “kaivalyapada-dāyinī”.

Kaivalya state, which is the final state of a soul, is attainable only after relinquishing all types of material worship. Material worship only forms a strong foundation for spiritual life. Perfection in spiritual life can be attained only if She is contemplated and not through idolisation, where dualism is predominantly present. As long as dualism is present, liberation is not possible

79. Lajjāḍhyā लज्जाढ्या

Lajjā means modesty or embarrassed and āḍhya means abundance. Lajjā is the wife of Dharma and she is best known for her modesty.

She is highly embarrassed when She is worshipped with pomp and vanity with a lot of publicity. When She is invoked in such places, She does not even go there. Lalitā Sahasranāma 870 and 871 say that She cannot be attained by those who worship Her externally and can easily be attained by those who worship Her within, through proper contemplation (meditation).

Kena Upaniṣad extensively dwells on internal worship. A gist of its revelation is given here: “Brahman is different from all known objects. Brahman is not the sense world. Brahman is not what you know. You know only its manifestation in the individual self, the gods and the phenomenal world. When one attains Brahman at all levels of one’s consciousness, one attains true knowledge and he alone is liberated.”

Neither mantras nor ritualistic worship will ever release a person from duality. At the most they help a person to reach the higher levels of spiritual path. Many get struck at this point, from which, they are not able to proceed further. They are not able to totally eradicate dualism from their minds. This is because they have not attained the right kind of knowledge for liberation. Unless this point of transcendence is reached, further progression will only be illusionary in nature. It is not advisable to embarrass Her by worshipping Her with pomp and vanity.

80. Layavarjitā लयवर्जिता

She is beyond modifications and hence She is eternal. This is the prime quality of Brahman.

Lalitā Sahasranāma 145 Nirvikārā निर्विकारा also conveys the same meaning. Devoid of modifications here mean with regard to twenty three tattva-s.  They are mahat [It is a product of prakṛti. It the great principle, of buddhi, the Intellect, or the intellectual principle. According to the Sāṃkhya philosophy the second of the twenty three principles produced from prakṛti and so called as the great source of ahaṃkāra, (ego) self-consciousness and manas, the mind], ego and five tanmātra-s (sound, taste, smell, light and touch).  These seven are called cause.  Five organs of perception, five organs of action, five basic elements and mind make the balance sixteen.  These sixteen are called action.  Therefore prakṛti is made up of cause and action and puruṣa is devoid of this.  But for creation both puruṣa and prakṛti are required.  This points out to Śiva-Śaktī union.