Navacampaka-puṣpābha-nāsadaṇḍa-virājitā नवचम्पक-पुष्पाभ-नासदण्ड-विराजिता (19)

Her nose resembles like a newly blossomed champaka flower.

Tārākānti-tiraskāri-nāsabharaṇa-bhāsurā ताराकान्ति-तिरस्कारि-नासभरण-भासुरा (20)

She is wearing a nose stud that outshines the stars.  Her nose stud is made up of rubies and pearls.  Tārā means stars   Tārā also means two goddesses Maṅgalā and Śuklā. Śuklā has later come to be known as Śukrā. Possibly these Maṅgalā and Śukrā could mean the two planets Mars and Venus.  Each planet governs certain precious stones.  Planet Mars rules ruby that is red in colour and Venus rules diamond (Mani Mālā II.79).  It can also be said that these two planets adorn Her nose.  This also indicates that worshipping Her wards off the evil effects of planets.

Kadamba-mañjarī-klpta-karṇapūra-manoharā कदम्ब-मञ्जरी-क्ल्प्त-कर्णपूर-मनोहरा (21)

She is wearing the petals of kadamba flowers in Her ears or flowers kept in Her hair flow down to Her ears.  These flowers are grown outside Her Cintāmani graha (The palace where She lives).  These flowers have divine fragrance, which is derived from Her ear lobes.

Tāṭaṅka-yugalī-bhūta-tapanoḍupa-maṇḍalā ताटङ्क-युगली-भूत-तपनोडुप-मण्डला (22)

She is wearing sun and moon as Her ear rings.  This means She controls all the activities of the universe, as sun and moon are responsible for sustaining life.  It is also said that sun and moon represent her eyes, earrings and bosoms.  The bīja klīṁ (क्लीं) is symbolises Her two bosoms, which represent the two semi circles in the klīṁ bīja.  The klīṁ bīja is also known as kāma bīja.  Further details are to be learnt from a Guru. Most of the nāma-s of this Sahasranāma subtly convey various bīja-s and hence this Sahasranām is considered as very powerful.

Saundarya Laharī (verse 28) says, “Brahma, Indra and other celestials perish even though they have drunk nectar which confers immunity from frightful grey hairs (of old age) and death.  If the longevity of Śiva despite His swallowing the terrific poison is not limited by time, it is because of the greatness of your ear ornaments.”

Padmarāga-śilādharśa-paribhāvi-kapolabhūḥ पद्मराग-शिलाधर्श-परिभावि-कपोलभूः (23)

Her cheeks are shining, soft and reflecting.  Padmarāga is a type of ruby, red in colour. Ruby is of four types: vipra, kuruvinda, saugandhika and mansa-khanda, out of which vipra is superior. Wearing afflicted rubies cause irreparable damages in one’s life.   Her cheeks are reflecting red colour as Her complexion itself is red.  The other ornaments that have been described above are also red in colour.  The sun and the moon in Her ear lobes make Her cheeks shining red.  Everything associated with Her is red.  As discussed earlier, red indicates compassion.

Saundarya Laharī (verse 59) says, “Your face is cupid’s four wheeled chariot, having the pair of your ear ornaments reflected in the expanse of your cheeks.  Cupid, the mighty warrior sitting on it plots revengefully against the Lord Śiva, resting on the chariot of the Earth having the Sun and Moon for its wheels.”

Navavidruma-bimbaśrī-nyakkāri-radanacchadā नवविद्रुम-बिम्बश्री-न्यक्कारि-रदनच्छदा (24)

Her lips outshine fresh coral and the bimba fruit (momordica monadelpha).  Bimba fruit is normally compared to beautiful lips.  Both are red in colour. 

Śuddha-vidhyāṅkurākāra-dhvijapakṅti-dvayojvalā  शुद्ध-विध्याङ्कुराकार-ध्विजपक्ङ्ति-द्वयोज्वला (25)

Her teeth appear like Śuddha-vidyā, which means Śrī Vidyā.  Śrī Vidyā is considered as the most secret and powerful ritual worship of Lalitāmbikā.  This involves a lot of rituals and each ritual has its own meaning and interpretation. Śuddha means pure, vidyā means knowledge and Śuddha-vidyā means pure knowledge.  This is considered pure because this upāsana mārg or the cult of Śrī Vidyā worship emphasizes the non-duality, ‘I am That’ concept.

The ṣodaśī mantra is considered as the seed for Śrī Vidyā.  It has sixteen bīja-s.  When a seed grows into a sprout, it has two leaves.  Therefore 16 x 2 gives 32, the number of teeth in human beings.   Even though teeth have two rows placed in upper and lower jaws, the jaws are attached to each other internally.  In the same way soul (jīva) and (Brahman) God are considered as different out of ignorance when both remain the same.  Śrī Vidyā worship is to be done in seclusion, understanding the significance and meanings of the procedures.  Then only the worship yields results. 

In the mantra initiation procedures of Devi, there are thirty two types of dīkśa (types of initiation). Yet another interpretation is also possible.  This Sahasranāmam starts only with 32 letters out of the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. This 32 represents Her teeth.  This could also mean that the initiation into Śrī Vidyā cult is to be done verbally by Guru to his disciple.

{Further reading on Śuddha-vidyā: This is the fifth tattva, counting from Śiva.  In this tattva, the consciousness of both “I” and “This” is equally predominant. Though the germinal universe is seen differently, yet identity runs through it as a thread.  There is identity in diversity at this stage.  Kriya is predominant tattva here.  The consciousness of this state is ‘I am, I and also this’.  Vidyā tattva consists of Śuddha-vidyā, sahaja vidyā and kañcuka (limited knowledge). Vidyātattva consists of śuddhavidyā, sahajavidyā and vidyākañcuka. Śuddhavidyā here is the same as sadvidyā (fifth tattva), while sahajavidyā is natural knowledge (not a tattva). Natural knowledge implies the emergence of His Freedom. As sahajavidyā (natural knowledge) is also known as śuddhavidyā (pure knowledge).}