Sri Lalita Trishati (22. ekAkSharI)

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|| AUM mahAgaNapataye namaH ||

|| AUM shrI sha.karAchAryavaryAya namaH ||

|| AUM shrImAtre namaH ||

 

22. ekAkSharI

She is represented by AUM (praNavam)

 

eka means important, akShara means mAyA; since mAyA is indestructible

till there is realization by AtmajnAna, mAyA is akShara. Since mAyA is

the limitation of IShvara, it is important. It means mAyA which is

expressed by the word kUtasthA. IShvara who is HER reflection in mAyA,

is endowed with attributes such as omniscience etc., only through HER.

Hence SHE is ekAkSharI.

 

Or ekAkShara means praNava, since praNava is the basis of all things

and is the symbol of para, and apara brahman. para brahman - the

ultimate beyond the sense experience, apara brahman - i.e., saguNa

brahman that senses can comprehend, one can attain both, by the

worship of praNava; praNava is both HER sign and its significance, as

SHE is shabdha brahman; Hence SHE is ekAkSharI. Or eka means the

infinite consciousness; akShara means the immortal parameshvara - it

means HE occupies half HER body and becomes ardhanArIshvara; or

ekAkShara means single letters like the mAyAbIja hrIM. They are HER

images in upAsana. SHE in those letters, according to atha parA yayA

tadakShara madhigamyate - paravidyA is that by which nirguNa brahman

is known. apara vidyA or r^ig veda etc., by which saguNa brahman is

known (muNDakopaniShad 1-6).

 

Or when the Awareness is reflected in the unbroken mental state called

samAdhi, SHE is involved in the process as an object - that awareness

is called akShara. Hence SHE is called ekAkSharI.

 

In trishatI stotra, whenever and wherever cha is used vide fourth

shloka - although brahman is nirguNa i.e., attributeless, it must be

taken that HE is saguNa, i.e., with - attribute -also.

 

sachchinmayaH - shivaH - sAkShAt - tasyAnandamayI shivA - shiva is

sachchinmaya; i.e., the first two components of sachchidAnanda and

shivA is HIS ananda (shruti).

 

"strI - rUpAm - chintaye devIm pum rUpAm mAdhaveshvarIm adhava

nishkalAm dhyAyet sachchidAnanda vigraham - one can meditate on HER

whose form is sachchidAnanda as a male or female or as without parts.

 

"tvam strI - tavm pumAn" you are woman - you are man

(svetAshvatAropaniShad 4-3). According nIlakaNTha, the commentator of

devI bhAgavata, this is a sentence from yamala tantras and pum rUpA

means virAT purusha or cosmic person.

 

According to the above, HER forms are many depending on HER

limitations. It is because of this fact that in that part of

chAndogyopaniShad beginning with seyam devataikShata and ending with

tat satyam sa Atma, the same Atma is meant by words of feminine

gender, such as devatA, and word tat satyam which is neuter gender and

the word sa AtmA which is masculine gender. They all mean only one

thing, i.e. the essential significance of the words tat and tvam, and

so no distinction is made by the commentators about HER various

limitations.

 

Hence every attribute can be described to express the significant

meaning of tatvam. There appears to be no other reason why shrI

hayagrIva has used so many chakAras in this trishatI, in the context

of the diversity of HER attributes.

 

AUM ekAkSharyai namaH