Candra-vidyā चन्द्र-विद्या (239)

After Manu, the worship by Candra is referred in this nāma.

{There are fifteen main worshippers of Lalitāmbigai and each one of them worshipped Her with their own Pañcadaśī mantra-s without making any changes in the bīja-s. Hence, there are fifteen types of Pañcadaśī mantra-s. (However, different texts provide different versions.

Corresponding Sanskrit alphabets for reference:

Ka   e   ī   la hrīṁ ha sa ka ha la hrīṁ sa ka la hrīṁ

क  ए  ई ल  ह्रीं   ह  स क ह ल ह्रीं   स क ल ह्रीं

1.  Viṣṇu:  ha sa ka la hrīṃ, ha sa, ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka la hrīṃ, sa ha ka  la hrīṃ, sa ha ka ha la  hrīṃ, sa ha sa ka la hrīṃ |

2. Śiva:  ha sa ka la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka la hrīṃ, ha sa ka la ha sa ka ha la sa ka la  hrīṃ | 

3. Brahma: ka e ī la hrīṃ, ha ka ha la hrīṃ, ha sa ka la hrīṃ |

4. Manu: ka ha e ī la hrīṃ, ha ka e ī la hrīṃ, sa ka e ī la hrīṃ |

5. Chandra: sa ha ka e ī la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha e ī la hrīṃ, ha sa ka e ī la hrīṃ |            

6. Kubera: ha sa ka e  ī la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha e ī la hrīṃ, sa ha ka e ī la hrīṃ |

7. Lopāmudrā: ha sa ka la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka la hrīṃ |

8. Agastya: ka e ī la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ha sa ka la hrīṃ |

9. Nandikeśvara: sa e ī la hrīṃ, sa ha ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka la hrīṃ |

10. Sūrya: ha sa ka la hrīṃ, sa ha ka la hrīṃ, sa ka ha la hrīṃ |

11. Skanda: ha sa ka la hrīṃ, ha sa ka sa ka la hrīṃ, sa ha ka ha la hrīṃ |

12. Manmatha: ka e ī la hrīṃ, ha sa ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka la hrīṃ |

13. Sakara: ka e ī la hrīṃ, ha ka ha la hrīṃ, sa ka ha la hrīṃ |

14. Durvāsa: ha sa ka la ha sa ka ha la sa ka la hrīṃ |

15. Yama: ka ha e ī la hrīṃ, ha la e ī la hrīṃ, sa ka e ī la hrīṃ |

Candra-maṇḍala-madhyagā चन्द्र-मण्डल-मध्यगा (240)

Candra-maṇḍala refers to the sahasrāra.  She is in the middle of the sahasrāra.  In the middle of the crown cakra there is an orifice called bindu.  She is in the form of this bindu.  In fact, in ritual worship of Śrī Cakra, this bindu is the focal point where She is worshipped.  The Candra-maṇḍala itself is Śrī Cakra.  The moon has sixteen kalā-s and on the full moon day, She is said to be in the form of moon with all the sixteen kalā-s.   Reciting this Sahasranāma on full moon days will bring in all auspiciousness.  

Śiva is said to reside in the head of agni (fire) and Śaktī is said to reside in the head of the moon and together they sustain this universe (it means that the universe is being sustained by fire and moon referring to Śiva and Śaktī.) This leads to the conclusion that Candra-maṇḍala is Śrī Cakra Itself. 

Cāru-rūpā चारु-रूपा (241)

She is the beauty incarnate. Cāru means pretty. 

Cāru-hāsā चारु-हासा (242)

Her smile is in line with Her appearance.    Her smile (hāsa) is compared to the moon.  Her smile is the cause of bliss experienced by Her devotees. 

Cāru-candra-kalādharā चारु-चन्द्र-कलाधरा (243)

She is wearing the crescent moon in Her crown.  Cāru means moon light.  All the above nāma-s deal with the moon.  The full moon represents supreme consciousness.  If She is meditated upon on the full moon night, one will attain mantra siddhi at the earliest.  On full moon days, sattvic guṇa becomes predominant.

Cāracara-jagannāthā चारचर-जगन्नाथा (244)

She controls both sentient and insentient things of the world. She is the cause for both static and kinetic energies.  Pure static energy is Śiva and Śaktī is predominantly kinetic energy, though static energy of Śiva is also present and their union is the cause for creation.  Sentient and insentient means these two energies.  She administers this universe as Śiva-Śaktī.

Cakra-rāja-niketanā चक्र-राज-निकेतना (245)

Śrī Cakra is known as Cakra rājam, the supreme of all cakra-s.  She resides in this Śrī Cakra along with all Her ministers, warriors, etc.

The sahasrāra is often referred as Śrī Cakra.  By activating the sahasrārā, one will be able to control his physical and mental activities. This is called siddhi and often bound to be misused causing the spiritual down fall.    The ministers and assistants, who are referred as yogini-s, mean different level of human consciousness. The point driven home in these nāma-s is that one has to bring the mind under his control to make significant progress in spirituality.  This mind control automatically happens when kuṇḍalinī reaches sahasrāra.  Practicing meditation on full moon days will enable the kuṇḍalinī to ascend to sahasrāra with ease.  Not even a single nāma in this Sahasranāma is without secretive interpretation.  Such meanings are not discussed openly due to various reasons and continue to remain as hidden treasures.   

Pārvatī पार्वती (246)

She is the daughter of Himavān, the king of mountains and wife of Śiva. Nāma 634 also conveys the same meaning.

Padma-nayanā पद्म-नयना (247)

Her eyes are compared to lotus flower.  Lotus blossoms at the time of moon rise.  This nāma further confirms the effect of meditating on full moon day.  When Her eyes are compared to lotus flower, it also implies that Her eyes are wide open at the time of full moon.  Please read this along with the notes at the end of nāma 245.  Vishnu’s eyes are also compared to lotus flower. 

Padmarāga-sama-prabhā पद्मराग-सम-प्रभा (248)

She is compared to a special type of ruby called padmarāga which is deep red in colour.  Or this could also mean that She is like a red lotus. Padma means lotus, rāga means red and prabhā means light, splendour, radiance, beautiful appearance; lights variously personified.  The deeper meaning of this nāma is the description of Her subtlest kuṇḍalinī form.  Kuṇḍalinī is deep red in colour at the base of the spine.  When She ascends, the brightness of the red gradually decreases and at sahasrāra when She conjoins with Śiva, She almost becomes colourless.  In sahasrāra, the practitioner will be in absolute bliss. 

With nāma 248 the discussion on Her saguṇa Brahman (with forms and attributes) form is concluded and the discussion on Her five great acts begin from nāma 249.  The Brahman has five acts to do.  One is the creation of the universe, second is its sustenance, the third is dissolution or death of  individual lives, the fourth is  called tirodhāna known as annihilation or total disappearance of the universe  and the fifth is called anugraha the act of re-creation facilitated by incantations..  The nāma-s from 249 to 340 discuss on the ‘Pañca -Brahma svarūpa’ known as the five acts of the Brahman.