Anāhatābja-nilayā अनाहताब्ज-निलया (485)

Anāhata cakra is known as heart cakra, which is below the throat carka or viśuddhi cakra in the heart area (nāma 475) in the spinal cord.  There is an imaginary lotus with twelve petals that is dull red in colour.  This is the cakra where sound is produced without any friction.  This sound is called Śabda Brahman.  Veda-s says that the soul which is also known as puruṣa resides here.  “The thumb sized puruṣa is seen as a smokeless flame in their hearts” says Kaṭha Upaniṣad (II.1.13).  Below this anāhata cakra, there is a small eight petal lotus where one’s Iṣṭa Devata is meditated.  The difference between soul and Iṣṭa Devata is clearly distinguished here and should not be confused with the Brahman.  The first twelve consonants with bindu-s are conceived in each of the petals.  The pericarp of the lotus is a hexagonal structure.  This cakra represents air element and yaṁ (यं) is the bīja for this cakra. Yaṁ bīja is the bīja meant for protection and is capable of fulfilling desires.  Ātma bīja for an individual is elicited by taking into account various such factors. Yogini who presides over this cakra is Rākiṇī (nāma 494). It is to be noted that the names of the yogini-s who preside over all these cakra-s differ from the texts that deal exclusively with kuṇḍalinī.  For example, in this Sahasranāma the yogini of this cakra is referred as Rākiṇī, whereas in other texts her name is mentioned as Kākiṇī.  Kākiṇī is the presiding yogini of svādhiṣṭhāna cakra in this Sahasranāma. 

This nāma says that Rākiṇī, who is depicted in the next nine nāma-s resides in the heart cakra is ever alert to pave way for Lalitāmbikā to reach the sahasrāra.  Every time when She passes through this cakra, the soul which is embedded here gets blessed by Her. When this happens, the intensity of the karmic manifestation gets reduced, thereby making a person devout. 

Śyāmābhā श्यामाभा (486)

The description of Rākiṇī now begins.  She has greenish dark complexion and of sixteen years of age. 

Vadanadvayā वदनद्वया (487)

Rākiṇī has two faces. Yogini Dākinīśvarī of viśuddhi cakra has one face (nāma 479) and as per the ascending order of faces on which the cakra-s are denoted in this Sahasranāma, Rākiṇī has two faces.

Daṁṣṭrojvalā दंष्ट्रोज्वला (488)

Rākiṇī has terrifying teeth (also referred as tusk) like that of a wild boar.

Akṣamālādi-dharā अक्षमालादि-धरा (489)

Rākiṇī is wearing a garland made of fifty one beads, representing all the fifty one alphabets of Sanskrit.  Since sound is heard in this cakra without arising from any cause of friction (normally sound can be produced with the aid of any two objects, for example clapping, wherein we need to use both the palms).  Since this cakra is capable of producing sound on its own (during deep meditation, the sound of ॐ is heard from this cakra) and sound is carried by air, the Vāc Devi-s have fittingly chosen Rākiṇī for wearing this garland of letters. 

There is an Upaniṣad called Akṣamālika Upaniṣad that discusses about fifty one alphabets of Sanskrit.  It says that one should make a garland (mālā) of fifty one beads made up of different gems and metals strung with gold or silver string.  This should be consecrated by the procedures laid down therein.  Any japa done with this mālā would make any mantra fructify early.  In general, all japa mālā-s should be consecrated before using it for counting.  Such mālā-s should be treated as sacred as mantra-s.

Rudhira-saṁsthitā रुधिर-संस्थिता (490)

Rākiṇī presides over blood, the element next to the skin. This is another reason for Vāc Devi-s to formulate anāhata cakra next to viśuddhi.

Kālarātryādi-śaktyaughavṛtā कालरात्र्यादि-शक्त्यौघवृता (491)

Rākiṇī is surrounded by twelve of her assistants like Kālarātrī devi, each presiding over a petal.  It is said that Kālarātrī devi was born out of tamo guṇa of Rudra who is described like this. “She is three eyed, whose lustre is like that of rising sun, whose plaits are loose and dishevelled, who is in black garments, who holds in her four hands Liṅga, Bhuvana, truncheon and boon, who is brilliant with the lustre of different kinds of ornaments, who is cheerful and is served by the group of deva-s and whose body is torn and bruised by the arrows of the mind-born lord of love.”  Recitation of her mantra causes destruction of one’s enemies.  She is also said to be a form of Durgā.

It is also said that on the eve of one’s death, this devi appears in dream bespeaking the death.

Kālarātrī also refers to a particular night in the life of a man on the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventy-seventh year, after which period a man is exempt from attending to ordinances prescribed by dharma śāstra-s.

Snigdhaudana-priyā स्निग्धौदन-प्रिया (492)

Rākiṇī is fond of rice mixed with ghee.  This food item is capable of producing quality blood. 

Mahāvīrendra-varadā महावीरेन्द्र-वरदा (493)

She (Rākiṇī) grants boons to warriors.  Here warriors mean eloquent orators and such eloquence is the boon given by Rākiṇī.  This epithet augurs well with mālā made of fifty one alphabets, the element of air and the manifestation of anāhata sound.

Śiva Sūtra (I.11) says “Being an enjoyer of the rapture of ‘I’ consciousness in waking, dreaming and deep sleep stages becomes the warrior of his senses.”  Vīra mean the senses and one who wins over these Vīra -s is called vīrendra.  In this context, vīrendra means all those who are able to reach the fourth state of turya where bliss is enjoyed.  The next higher stage of turya is known as turyātīta where Self-realisation takes place.  These are the stages of one’s own consciousness. 

It is also said that one who has transcended the concepts of “I” and “this” is called Vīra and she derives pleasure in granting them boons (she holds boon in her hand – nāma 491).

Rākiṇyambā-svarūpiṇī राकिण्यम्बा-स्वरूपिणी (494)

She assumes the form of Rākiṇī, who has been described from nāma 485 to 494 (ten nāma-s).