LalithA SahasranAma: JvAlA mAlinikAksipta vahni prAkAra madhyagA

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JvAlA mAlinikAksipta vahni prAkAra madhyagA : She resides in the

centre of the fortress of fire conducted by JvAlAmAlini.

 

JvAlAmAlini is the NityA deity of the fourteenth day of the lunar

month. In the BrahmAnda Pr. Devi addresses JvAlAmAlini thus:"O

child! Fire is the form, fire is thy body. Do thou protect the great

army. Do thou construct a fortress of fire which shall cover the

earth and extend over a hundred yojanas in circumference, and thirty

yojanas in height."

 

JvAlA, fire; Mala, garland; Aksipta, destroying; vahniprAkAra,

sparks of fire; madhyagA, she who is seated in the midst.

 

It was said that though the jNanin or wise man, is subject to the

cyclic law of creation, preservation and destruction, yet there is

no break, in his experiencing of unity with self. This seeming

inconsistency, is explained by this name.

 

As a seer, he is in the midst of a blaze of fire which destroys the

darkness of ignorance. And as a creator, he is in the midst of

sparks [vahniprAkAra] which are thrown forth. He is like one who,

standing between two combatants, is himself unaffected. Though by

the actions of creation, etc modifications arise, yet he remains

unchanged. The SpandasAstra [KarikA 14] says:"There are two

states

or conditions [avasthAs], action and energy. The one [ie action]

perishes, while the other is imperishable. Effort directed towards

action may be stopped; when the effort ceases, the ignorant man

thinks, the he is himself asleep. But his inner self which is the

seat of omniscience never sleeps, though others may, for want of

perception in themselves, believe it to be asleep." This means

that

though action manifested as the universe in the form of sparks,

flame etc perishes, the wise man who is in the fire of

consciousness, who is the brightness of the fire and who is

brightness itself, never perishes.

 

But supposing the energy of Siva, does not cease to exist, although

his actions perish, what becomes of the aspiring Yogin? This Siva-

sUtra [iII. 26] says, "He becomes one with Siva" Hence there

is no

room for the above question. Another sUtra [iII.31] says, "The

Universe is an aggregate of his energies". The commentator

explaining this sUtra writes:" His energies constitute the

universe.

He who possesses these energies is called Mahesvara. Agamas state,

everything is [due to] the aggregation of his energies". This

applies to Siva, to him who is the same as Siva and to him who is

aspiring to become Siva.

 

Or JvAlAmAlinikA, the five angles of Sakti; Ksipta, equally

partaking of the essence; vahniprAkAra, the four angles of Siva;

madhyagA, residing at the center in the form of bindu. Yoginihrdaya

[i.8] says:"When [Devi] had created the five energies, and [siva]

the four fires, the cakra [sricakra] came into existence by their

union. "

 

 

BhAskararAya's commentary

Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry