shrIlalitA trishatI: uttara piiThikaa - Some verses to consider

[Guest guest]

namaste.

 

shri ravishankar posted in the past few days a few verses

from shrilalitAsahasranAma re whether LS can or cannot be

chanted without proper initiation. I give below relevant

verses from shrIlalitAtrishatI dealing with the same topic

and give at the end what is the meaning of the word gopyam

as told to me by my guruji in India.

 

relevant verses from shrIlalitAtrishatI uttarapIThikA

 

iti te kathitam stotram lalitA prItidAyakaM (1)

nAvidyAvedino brUyAt na(a)bhaktAya kadAcanA (2)

na shaThAya na duShTAya na (a)vishwAsAya karhicet (3)

yo brUyAt trishatIM nAmnAm tasyAnartho mahAn bhavet (4)

ityAjnA shankarI proktvA tasmAt gopyamidam tvayA (5)

lalitA preritenaiva mayoktaM stotramuttamam (6)

 

rough translation (my attempt and there may be mistakes)

 

[This is what Lord hayagrIva is saying to sage agastya

after teaching shrIlalitAtrishatI to agastya]

 

1. this is the stotra (300 names of shrIlalitA) which is

very pleasing to shrIlalitA.

2. please do not give this (shrIlalitAtrishatI stotram) to

one who is not knowledgeable or one who is not a bhakta.

3. People who are not eligible to receive this are

shaThA-s, duShTA-s, and avishwAsA-s.

As I understand, shaTha is one who learns from a guru and

does not acknowledge proper credit to the guru.

duShTa is one who thinks ill of others all the time.

avishwAsa is one who does not have faith in shrIlalitA.

Such people are not eligible to receive shrIlaltAtrishatI.

4. If you teach this trishatI to such ineligible people,

great anartha (sorrow, ill) will prevail.

5. This is what shrIlalitA commanded. So, be careful and

keep it secretive.

6. It is only at shrIlalitA's prompting that I have taught

this trishatI (to you).

 

Now, about the word gopyam in trishatI, LS, saundaryalaharI

 

gopyam: shrIlalitAtrishatI, saundaryalaharI etc are stotrA-s

which are considered gopyam. This is variously interpreted as

a secret and requiring intiation by a guru. I asked my guruji

a few years ago what is the meaning of this word. He says it

refers to a sacred bond between the ambaal and the bhakta. The

meaning of that bond is understood only by that bhakta. No one

else is privy to that relation. The literal meaning may be that

it is a secret, and hence is to be kept a secret from all. But

the implied meaning is, it is not understandable by anyone else

except that individual bhakta.

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

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