Lalitha Sahasranama Vishaya Soochika.--Part 1

Dear Parayana Priyas, Om Shree Ganeshaya Namaha! Someone was asking me last week about Lalitha Sahasranama and how to chant it etal. I was held up with certain personal work to give full justice to the person's question then but I do have some time now. Lalita sahasranama is a hymnal litany that extols the 1000 names of Devi in the form Lalitha Parameshwari. When I was in contact with Ammachi when She arrived in Chennai to bless Her devotees, many years ago, even before my full initiation into Srividya, I was adviced by Her to do Lalitha Sahasranama. Though I started doing it unawares of the initiatory path,

I later on met my Gurunatha who initiated me into the intricasies of the great Litany and also Srividya Tantra. A sahasranama is a litany of one thousand names of God or Goddess. Sahasra is 'one thousand' and nama is 'name'. There is at least one such sahasranama for each deity in Hinduism.Now why thousand or thousand eight? It denotes symbolically the Sahasraara Kamala which is the final energizational point. With these names if done in the right manner concentrating on each chakra for each set of names, the final Sahasraara Kamala is energised. Every

petal comes out alive.However, this stage is final and requires many repetitions of the litany and persistent meditation on each Nama as one says the chant. Lalita Sahasranama is a hymn described in the Brahmanda Purana and is one of the most sacred as far as Srividya Tantra-Parayana Kramam is concerned.. It was recited as a result of a conversation between the Horse headed incarnation of Vishnu, Hayagreeva and the great sage Agastya also called Khumbha Muni.Infact Lalitha Sahasranama is called "Hayamukha Geetham"("The song that emnated from the Horse-mouthed

God) Lalita sahasranama is famous for the internal organization of its text and the rhythmic sound vibrations it can produce. Usually, in a sahasranama, if the same name repeats, the commentators use their scholarship and inspiration to give different meanings to different occurrences of the same name. Lalita sahasranma has the unique distinction, among all the sahasranamas, of not repeating even a single name. Further, in order to maintain the metre, sahasranamas use the artifice of

adding words like tu, api, ca, hi, - which are only conjunctions not necessarily needed for the meaning except in rare cases of interpretation. Lalita sahasranama has again the unique distinction of not having even a single such innocuous word in its text. This Sahasranama works best when energised by a Guru Deeksha. Many these days do it without any initiation because they have read about its efficacy and greatness in some book or online site. Energisation from a proper Srividya adept always paves way to clear and connect the chakras and make Chakra Bheda easy. Lalitha Parameshwari is the ultimate Chakrabhedini(piercer of Chakras for the purpose of connection) Lalita Sahasranama chanting as a daily practice gives relief from the perils in life .The unparalleled greatness of this hymn, which is full of the power of mantras, is capable of fulfilling all desires. Among the many hymns, mantras and devotional songs available, this Sahasranama is specially suitable for worship in the morning and produces quick results. Lalita Sahasranama is especially suitable for householders. The aim of the Vedas and other scriptural texts is to inspire the love of God and dispassion in human beings and to raise them step by step to the realisation of the Self. The object of the phalashruti -- the

description of the benefits accruing from a certain form of worship -- is to strengthen the sense of devotion in people and to make them qualified for higher forms of sadhana, by pointing out the way to remove the hardships of life and to gain prosperity. The main items in the phalashruti on Lalita Sahasranama given in the Brahmanda Purana are summarised below. 1. This Sahasranama, which is most secret, is most pleasing to Lalitha Parameshvari(Supreme Goddess). There is nothing to equal this in the Vedas or Tantras. 2. The daily chanting of this hymn gives the same merit as that obtained from bathing in holy rivers and giving gifts of wealth, food, land and cows. 3. Barren women get the gift of children by taking Navaneetha that has been made potent by chanting Lalita Sahasranama. 4. By daily chanting of the Sahasranama, the effects of evil spells are removed. 5. All the faults arising from not completing puja rituals or from not observing various rites on time are removed by the chanting of this hymn. This hymn may be chanted instead of various expiatory rituals. 6. If this hymn is chanted while picturing Lalita Devi as residing in the ocean of nectar, one obtains relief from the

effects of toxins and poison affecting body and mind. 7. Relief from afflictions due to the influence of malefic planets or evil spirits can be removed by chanting the Sahasranama while holding some water and then pouring that water over the head. 8. Chanting this prevents untimely death and grants long life and good health. Relief from fever is obtained if this hymn is chanted with a hand held on the head of the one who is suffering. The person who is suffering can do this himself. Depending on the severity of the disease, it may be necessary to chant the hymn several times. The holy ash used for Sahasranama archana brings immediate relief from all diseases. 9. Devi protects those who chant this hymn daily from dangers and from attacks by enemies. Victory in battle is gained through the chanting. 10. Daily chanting of the Sahasranama augments prosperity, eloquence and fame. Chanting on Fridays is especially good for prosperity.Ofcourse Pournami is very shreshta-time for the chanting of Lalitha Sahasranama. There are other days too which are very good, which I will mention in my other parts to this posting. 11. The Sahasranama may be chanted by those who are in any of the four stages of life (brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa). Chanting it while wishing fame brings fame and wishing wealth brings wealth. Chanting this hymn with love and without any desire brings the knowledge of Brahman. 12. One name of Shiva is equal to a thousand names of Vishnu. One name of Devi is equal to a thousand names of Shiva. Of a thousand Sahasranamas dedicated to Devi, Lalita Sahasranama is the most exalted. 13. By holding yagnas of Lalitha Sahasranama (worship in large groups), the consolidation of dharma becomes possible in the Kali Yuga. Chanting this hymn is most beneficial for individuals also, for eliminating the ill effects of Kali Yuga. There is no barrier of country, caste or religion in this regard. 14. It is difficult to please Devi without the chanting of Lalita Sahasranama. Through this hymn, the sins accrued in many births are removed. 15. There are many Sahasranamas dedicated to Devi. The following 10 are the chief among these: Ganga, Bhavani, Gayatri, Kali, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Rajarajeshvari, Bala, Syamala and Lalita. Of these,

the most exalted is the last one, Lalita Sahasranama. Today being Haripada-Dinam(the day on which Vishnu descends to the earthly plane to bless His devotees), I commence this series of postings on Lalitha Sahasranama with an auspicious frame of mind befitting this litany. I request all of you to bless me in this small endeavour. At His Holy feet, Jayosthu Paraamba! Yours yogically, Shreeram Balijepalli

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