Bali-priyā बलि-प्रिया (677)

Bali means offering daily, a portion of a meal to all creatures.  This is also known as bhūta yajñā.  She is fond of those who make such offerings to creatures daily (refer nāma 946. pañca yajñā priyā).  Bhūta yajñā is one of the five yajñā-s. 

Bali also means mighty warriors who are able to win over internal and external enemies.  Internal enemies are senses and mind. For enlightenment, one needs strong physical body and mind.  Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (III.ii.4) says “Ātman is not attained by those who do not have strength”.  Taittirīya Upaniṣad (II.viii) also uses words such as dṛḍhiṣṭhaḥ meaning well built and baliṣṭhaḥ meaning very strong, the two among many requirements to have an idea of happiness that the Brahman represents.  She is fond of such people who have physical as well as mental strength to realise Her.

Bali also means offerings made to other gods and goddesses. She is fond of such offerings made to Her assistants as all gods and goddesses are ruled by Her.

Bhāṣā-rūpā भाषा-रूपा (678)

She is in the form of languages.  Languages are the source of learning and understanding through sound. This nāma implies that She is the cause for learning and understanding. She is the Śabda Brahman.  It is said that Śaktī represents sound and Śiva represents meaning. Śiva and Śaktī are united like word and its meaning.  When word and its meaning are separated, the word or the sound becomes meaningless. They are interdependent. So are Śiva and Śaktī. 

Bṛhat-senā बृहत्-सेना (679)

She has a mighty army.  She administers the universe with the help of this army.  This nāma is to be read along with nāma 677.

Bhāvābhāva-vivarjitā भावाभाव-विवर्जिता (680)

She is free from existence as well as non-existence. Bhāva and abhāva are the terms of Vedanta. Bhāva means existence and abhāva means non-existence.  Experimentation and observation, rather than theory of existence is bhāva.  Māyā or illusion is the material cause for abhāva or non-existence.  Abhāva is of four types.  1. Prāgabhāva: Non-existence of a thing prior to its production.  Cloth is made out of yarn.  When yarn existed, cloth did not exist.  Yarn was transformed into cloth.   2. Dhvaṁsābhāva:  Non-existence after destruction.  Yarn in its original form did not exist after cloth was produced.  3. Atyantābhāva: Absolute non-existence. According to advaita philosophy, only the Brahman is the absolute non-existence.  4. Anyonyābhāva: Mutual non-existence.  For example a pot is not cloth, nor is a piece of cloth a pot.  This is known as ‘this is not that’. Upaniṣad-s elucidate Brahman by saying ‘not this, not this’ (neti, neti).  An ignorant man considers soul as different from the Brahman.  But according to advaita, soul and the Brahman are the same.  They are considered as different because of ignorance or avidyā. 

Abhāva or non-existence of an object or an attribute is cognized neither by sense perception nor by inference, but is known directly by its non-apprehension or non-perception. Brahma Sūtra (II.ii.28) says “nābhāva upalabdheḥ नाभाव उपलब्धेः” which means that external objects are non-existent, for they are perceived. This talks about internal awareness through which alone the Existent can be realized. 

This nāma says that She is both existent, eternal and non-perishable (the Brahman) and non-existent limited and perishable (māyā). 

Sukhārādhyā सुखाराध्या (681)

She can be worshipped without undergoing any difficulties. For example, fasting, walking on fire, etc.  When someone is harming his body during worship, he harms Her (in literal sense) within. Body should not be made to suffer while seeking Her within. A healthy body is pre-requisite for Self-realisation. Only ignorant people choose to afflict their bodies in the name of asceticism. Body is like a temple, heart chakra is sanctum-sanctorum and the Brahman within is the idol.    

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gīta (XVII.6) “Those men who perform stern austerities, not enjoined by the scripture, due to hypocrisy and egoism, impelled by desire and attachment, who torment the elements (pañcabhūta-s or five elements), in the body, know these ignorant people, to be demoniacal resolves.”

While worshipping Her, none should cause harm to his body, as this amounts causing injury to Her within (though She is incapable of being injured.  If one develops such feelings of oneness with the Divine, realisation automatically happens). Nothing is achieved by fasting or other austerities.  But this does not mean that one can overindulge.  Ultimately, it is only the meditation coupled with moderation lead to Self-realization. 

Subhakarī सुभकरी (682)

One may nurse doubts that by not following austerities, She may cause harm. In order to avert this confusion, Vāc Devi-s have placed this nāma here. She always does good things for Her devotees. This nāma says that even if She is imperfectly worshipped, She does only auspicious things for Her worshippers. After all She is Śrī Mātā. What is required in Her worship is True Love for Her.  Mere thought about Her brings auspiciousness. 

Śiva means auspiciousness. She is Śiva’s consort and hence She provides auspiciousness.   

Śobhanā-sulabhā-gatiḥ शोभना-सुलभा-गतिः (683)

This nāma is an extension of the previous nāma. What type auspiciousness does She give?  This nāma answers this question.  Śobhana means anything propitious or auspicious (the underlying meaning is liberation), sulabh means easily accessible or attainable and gati means path. The path of worshipping Her easily provides salvation or liberation.  Technically mokṣa is different from salvation.  In the case of mokṣa the soul is reborn after remaining dormant for some time in the Heavens.  This period of its sojourn depends upon its positive karmic account.  If this is exhausted, the soul is born again to undergo the negative karmic account.  But in the case of liberation, the soul is eternally freed from births and deaths by merging with the Brahman.

Nāma 462 Śobhanā meaning the beauty embodied and endowed with auspiciousness. Nāma 972 is aśobhanā also meaning beautiful. Śobhan in Sanskrit means shining, splendid, beautiful, lovely, good, auspiciousness, fortunate, lustre, brilliant, etc. Vāc Devi-s have used śobhanā three times in this Sahasranāma and each of them conveys different meanings.

Some divide this nāma into two nāma-s: Śobhanā and sulabhā-gatiḥ. Some others divide this into three nāms: Śobhana, sulabha and agatiḥ.  In whatever manner this nāma is divided, there is no significant change in the meaning. 

It is also said that one who got initiated into Pañcadaśī and ṣodaśī mantra-s by the right Guru is not reborn.