LalithA SahasranAma: Devarsi gana sanghAta stUyamAnAtma vaibhavA

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Devarsi gana sanghAta stUyamAnAtma vaibhavA: Her power is praised by

the assemblied of multiudes of Devas and Rsis

 

Vaibhava [ power] : this may mean the all pervading quality of Devi.

SamghAta [ assemblies] separate assemblies in different ways; or

SamghAta [ lit much destruction] is one of the names of hell – to

be saved from this hell. Or, sam, entirely ghAta, slaying ie

BhandAsura.

 

In the BrahmAnda Pr. It is said by the Devas who were troubled by

BhandAsura, "O Devi, Mother of the Universe, victory to

thee." After praising Devi in a hymn, and being asked by her to

choose a boon, the Devas say, "If O beneficial one, thou art

pleased, let us,who are troubled by the great Daityas, and whose

life is [therefore] difficult [ to live] take refuge in thee." In

another place, "Once the divine sage Narada approached the supreme

Sakti and bowing down with deep reverence said .. This BhandAsure, O

Devi afflicts the three worlds; by you alone, and by no other deity,

can he be conquered."

 

The real meaning of the text is as follows : Devas, BrahmA etc..

rsis, Vasistha etc; and devarsis, Narada etc. ganas, Adityas etc.

The Agni Pr. Sayd, "The gana-devatAs are : the Adityas,

ViSvAvasus, Tusitas, BhAsvaras, Anilas, MahArAjikasAdhyas, and

Rudras." According to the RudrayAmala, her greatness is praised

"by

millions of dikpAlas, suns, moons, vasus etc"

 

Again if we take to explaining the deeper meaning [ para-rUpa] of

this name, the result is described in Saiva Scriptures that Atman

alone is praised by Devas, etc [ rsis and devarsis ]. The caitanya

– who enters into everything [ akhilAnugata ] , who is, all

experience [ akhilaparicita ],and who is that feeling which is the

seat of all love [ corresponding to sat, cit, Ananda]. The Agni Pr.

Says, "The first sUtra [ Siva-Sutra, I, I ] says " Atma is

his

consciousness[ caitanya ]"; the second sUtra [ I.2] says "the

[wordly ]knowledge is bondage." Hence what is praised or

experienced

by the Devas and others is the Atman; for the TantrarAja says, "

The

universal form of LalitA is declared to be the very Self"; as she

is

inseparable from the Self, her vaibhava is all-pervading, possessed

with infinite powers, etc.

 

 

BhAskararAya's Commentary

Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry