Lalitha - a symbolism

[Guest guest]

"in her four hands, she carries a noose , a goad, a sugarcane bow

and

the five arrows!!!"

 

The goad ( ankusa ) : is krodha ( anger, aversion ) which hurts. The

power that animates our attachments and aversion is also hers. If we

forget her, she can bind us with ragapasa, and pierce us with the

krodhankusa. If we take refuge in her, she can withdraw them into her

hands and thereby free us from this torment.

 

To simplify this : Anger hurts. Ragapasa is the tendency to get angry

now and then, krodhankusa is the anger that pierce us when we cannot

control our emotions. Taking refuge in lalitha literally means that

doing away with emotions that causes us pain and sorrow, thus gives

us happiness and joy. Lalitha too means happiness. So taking refuge

in Lalitha means taking refuge in happiness. Sodasi = means "she

who

is sixteen" who is always happy. So one should be like a girl of

sixteen,

 

Sugercane : represents the mind. It is through the mind that we all

experience joy. The bow is the instrument of discharging the arrows.

The mind is the instrument by which the sense organs are

`shot'

towards the sense-objects. Hence it is described as a bow. The arrows

are the panca-tanmatras, the five subtle elements of akasa : ether (

akasa ), Air ( vayu) fire ( agni ), Water ( apas ) , earth (

prthivi ). The sense organs like the eye and the ear, are products of

these subtle elements and are discharged like arrows, through the

mind, towards the sense objects. Hence the subtle elements are

described as the arrows in her hand. She is the power that energises

and controls our minds and sense organs.

 

To simplify this one : If our mind is good and sweet like a

sugarcane, then it is good, and all the other including us enjoy it

if it is not thrown away. When a cane is not sweet it is used as a

stick or sometimes also as a bow and a bow as we know discharges

arrow. Since it is said that the cane is the mind and here in this

case it is not a sweet one so it is being used to discharge arrows.

So a mind which is not sweet will be like a cane converted into bow

which will give out arrows of hatred.

 

All our senses are rule by the panca-tanmatras. When we discharge

arrows of hatred violence and all other things that will result in an

imbalance of the elements and the very nature of our existence. Hence

the subtle elements are described as the arrows in her hand. She is

the power that energies and control our minds and sense organs. Her

hand symbolizes our conscience which should be in turn in control of

our mind, which should be in control of our soul. Our thinking is the

power. She is the power that energises and controls our minds and

sense organs.

 

 

 

Many thanks to a special friend : lad in vogue. Without his insight I

would never come to this understanding.

 

 

OM ParaShaktiye Namaha