Parātparā परात्परा (809)

Para means supreme.  Parātpara means the highest level of Supremacy.  There is nothing superior to parātpara.  During navāvaraṇa pūjā, in ninth āvaraṇa, there is a special ninth āvaraṇa pūjā that can be performed only by those who got initiated into ṣodaśī mantra.  They worship Her by addressing Her as “parayā (nāma 366), aparayā, parāparayā (nāma 790)” by using trikhaṇḍa mudra.  These three stages have been discussed in nāma 790.  This nāma is ‘parātparā’, the higher stage than parā.  This stage is beyond the reach of verbal description as this is beyond human comprehension. This is subtler than the subtlest.  Her subtlest form is kuṇḍalinī and parātparā is subtler than kuṇḍalinī.  Lalitā Triśatī nāma 236 is sāmānādhika varjitā which means ‘She is beyond comparison’. Bhagavad Gīta (XI.43) says “Lord of incomparable might, in all the three worlds there is none else even equal to you.  How then, any better?”  Nāma 198 of this Sahasranāma also conveys the same meaning.

There is also an interpretation that She is superior to Brahma, Viṣṇu and Śiva.

Pāśa hastā पाश हस्ता (810)

She has a noose in Her hand.  This has been already discussed in nāma 6.

Pāśa also means anything that binds a soul. This nāma could also mean that She helps in unbinding a soul from karmic afflictions for realisation.  As long as karma-s remain, realisation is not possible. 

Pāśa hantrī पाश हन्त्री (811)

She is the destroyer of pāśa.  Pāśa here means bondage, attachment, etc.  These are the negative factors in realizing Śiva.  She destroys bondage and attachments for those who deserve to know Śiva.  Please recall nāma 727 Śiva jñāna pradāyinī.

Paramantra-vibhedinī परमन्त्र-विभेदिनी (812)

Para means alien or hostile.  Para is different from parā.  Para mantra means mantra-s that cause enmity.  These types of mantra-s are known as ari mantra-s.  These mantra-s are used in witchcraft and black magic. Vibhedini means breaks apart.  By destroying such evil mantra-s, She protects Her devotees. 

This nāma is also split as para + mantra + avi + bhedini.  Para also means chief matter or paramount object, mantra means those who chant mantra-s, avi means sins (this meaning is as per Liṅga Purāṇa – Chapter 92 – verse 143.  Dictionaries do not convey this meaning.  Liṅga Purāṇa refers to a place called Avimukta, an extinct place equivalent to Vārāṇasī, (so called after the names of two rivers, varaṇā and asī.  It is also known as Benares) a holy Indian city said to be free of all sins and bhedini means destroyer.  This means that She destroys sins of those who recite supreme mantra-s like Pañcadaśī and ṣodaśī. 

Mūrtā मूर्ता (813)

She is with forms.  Bṛhadāraṇayaka Upaniṣad (II.iii.1) says “Brahman has two forms – gross and subtle”.  Formless Brahman is made as mūrtā due to ignorance or māyā.  

A-mūrtā अ-मूर्ता (814)

She is without forms.  Subtle is not the right word to interpret this nāma.  She is beyond Her subtlest form kuṇḍalinī.  Bṛhadāraṇayaka Upaniṣad (II.iii.3) describes this formless as “it is immortal, unlimited and undefined.” 

Brahman has two distinct characters – without form and with form.  Without form is realised as Self-illuminating light (nāma 806) and with form is seen in places of worship such as idols, Śrī Cakra, etc.  A devotee is said to be advancing spiritually only if he is able to migrate from the latter stage to the former stage. 

These two nāma-s can also be interpreted as follows.  Out of the five elements, ākaś and air are invisible (amūrta). Earth, fire and water are visible (mūrta).  She is in the form of these elements. 

Viṣṇu Sahasranāma nāma 720 is a-mūrtimān.  Kṛṣṇa says In Bhagavad Gita (IV.6) “Though birth less and deathless, and the Lord of all beings, I manifest myself through my own yogamāyā (divine potency known as māyā), keeping my Nature (prakṛti) under control.”  This explains Divine incarnations.  Forms are the result of karma-s.  Since Brahman is devoid of karma-s, He is formless. 

Anitya-tṛptā अनित्य-तृप्ता (815)

Nāma 556 is nitya-tṛptā. A-nitya means things that are perishable. She is happy with the offerings of perishables. In fact, She does not need either perishable or imperishable as everything originates from Her. What She needs is only the unstinted and untainted devotion. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gīta (IX.26) “Whoever offers to me with love, a leaf, a flower, a fruit and water I appear in person to them”.

(Further reading: This nāma should be interpreted as ‘EVEN by perishable offerings’. She is too fond of blemishless or pure devotion in terms of nāma 118 than perishable offerings. One has to spend more time in realising Her than worshipping Her. In other words, one has to spend more time on meditating upon Her, rather than associating with rituals. However, rituals form the strong foundation to higher level of spirituality. But the transition from rituals to meditation should be at the earliest, as otherwise, one could be wasting his precious time.)

Muni-mānasa-haṃsikā मुनि-मानस-हंसिका (816)

She appears as swans in the minds of sages. Muni means sages, mānasa means expressed in mind and haṃsikā means swans. Please refer nāma 372.  bhakta-mānasa-haṃsikā that conveys the same meaning. The difference is between muni and bhakta. Muni-s (sages) are referred here specifically as they are realised souls. Bhakta means everyone who is devoted to Her. All devotees are not realized souls. A bhakta transforms in the arena of his mind into a muni.  This is true transformation. 

Satya-vratā सत्य-व्रता (817)

She can be attained by the vow of speaking truth always. She Herself is the embodiment of Truth (nāma 693). Satyam means the Brahman (satyam jñānam anantaṁ Brahma).

Śiva sūtra (III.26) says śarīravṛttir vratam which means ‘remaining in the body is a vow of pious act.’ According to Śiva sūtra, result of such vows is Śiva realisation. Vow is mental determination. The one who is spiritually bankrupt (mind) by exhibiting religious piety (body) never attains Her.  The importance of speaking truth is emphasized in this nāma. 

In Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa (VI.xviii.33) Śrī Rāma says “I vouchsafe security against all living beings to him who comes to me only once and seeks protection (from me), saying ‘I am yours’: such is my vow.”

Satya rūpā सत्य रूपा (818)

She is the embodiment of truth.  Truth prevails during past, present and future. Rig-Veda (VII.104.12) says “A prudent person easily discriminates between truth and falsehood, since the two words are mutually at variance. Of these two, the love-divine, cherishes truth and virtue.  He, verily, destroys the falsehood.” The next verse says “All such persons lie entangled in the chair of Lord of resplendence.”

Truth is considered as one of the important aspects of spirituality. That is why She likes those who speak truth.  Brahman has two aspects sat and a-sat. Śiva along with Śaktī sustains this universe by nurturing sat (truth) by destroying a-sat (lie).