LS Stotram

[Guest guest]

, Lalitha Ramani <varamala> wrote:

> The question is...

> What is the difference

> between "Mantram", "Stotram", "Stuti", "Dandakam" and "Slokam" ?

> Why do we say Lalitha Sahasranama stotram and not something

> different?

 

 

mantra=an incantation (seen by a R^iShi) with the deities power

manifesting in it.

strotra= praise of a god/dess coming from stuti= to praise

daNDakaM= a long meter in Sanskrit when when one metrical foot has

more than 26 syllables (many claim that the shyAmalA d was composed

by kaalidas for example).

shloka= technically it is a composition in the anuShtup meter= 32

total syllables. This is the easiest meter that most high-school

sanskrit students learn to compose something or the other in.

 

LS is a shloka as it is in the anuShtup meter.

LS is a stotra as it praises the deity tripurA.

LS is a mantra as it was "seen" by vashinyA and other vAk deities

LS is specifically called a mAlamantra; as compared to things like

the pa~nchadashi or ShoDaShi that are hidden within the LS, which are

the classical mantras of tripurA.

LS is definitely not a daNDakam.

RR

[Guest guest]

, "rajita_rajvasishth"

<rajita_rajvasishth> wrote:

> LS is a mantra as it was "seen" by vashinyA and other vAk deities

Should have read: vashini and other vAk deities

sorry for the typing.

RR

[Guest guest]

Namaste Rajita_Ji:

 

Nirukta explains the word mantraa as "mantraaH mananaat" (nirukta 7.12)

 

Meaning- One that is recited (manana) with understanding is known as

mantra.

 

I have also come across another explanation of mantra as follows:

 

makaaro manan.n praha trakaarastraNmuccate |

mananatraaNasa.myukto ma.ntra ityabhidhiiyate ||

 

Meaning - the ma-kaara from the word mantra means "manana". trakaara

memeans traaNa (designating ot indicating) protection. Thus

protection through the process of manana can be called mantra.

 

The phrase manana is probably the most important in my view because

that forces the saadhaka to think. That is why pata~njala muni

emphasised the it's importance in the samaadhipaada as follows:

 

tajjapastadarthabhaavanam || sa. paa. 1.28 ||

 

Liberal Meaning - the word japa is not just the mechanical recitation

of a phrase but the recitation of the meaning (bhaavanaa expressed) in

it.

 

It is also said that

 

mantraartha matracaitanya yo na jaanaati saadhakaH |

shatalaxa prajatopi tasya mantro na sidhyati ||

 

Meaning - If one does not understand the meaning and the significance

(the matracaitanya) then even after millions of repetitions of that

mantra it never becomes the "siddha mantra".

 

I think these statements from our sages are profound and so analogous

to science, where the emphasis is always placed on the understanding

of the concepts.

 

Just my two cents.

 

Thank you and regards,

 

Dr. Yadu

 

, "rajita_rajvasishth"

<rajita_rajvasishth> wrote:

>

>

> , "rajita_rajvasishth"

> <rajita_rajvasishth> wrote:

>

> > LS is a mantra as it was "seen" by vashinyA and other vAk deities

> Should have read: vashini and other vAk deities

> sorry for the typing.

> RR

[Guest guest]

Dr. Yadu,

thank you for your Tippani. There was some discussion on secrecy and

discussion of LS in open forum. While I respect the fact that every

one is entitled to their opinions, i wanted to make a few comments on

this matter.

1) It is the opinion of many learned people that correct recitation

of a Mala Mantra like LS or several other Sahasranamas to other

devi/a-s is permitted. These should be done with appropriate fervor

and will definitely yield positive results. But they may be done

purely to immerse oneself in the glories of the deities. This said it

does appear inappropriate to set the sahasranamas to music and dish

them out as though they were Tauriya Gana compositions.

 

2) Many of these Mala Mantras have appropriate prayoga which is

generally kept secret and it is advisable not to give it out to the

undeserving.

 

3)Shri Vidya itself is a secret matter. Its secret mantras like bAlA

onwards and upasanas are not given out to everyone. But I feel a

purely academic discussion of these matters or even a discussion

amongst people who have some knowledge of these matters is not wrong.

Some others are of the opinion that even if the mantras were given,

just anybody cannot avail of them.

 

4) There are the Guhya Sahasranamas- these are generally kept secret.

 

Most tantras advise utmost secrecy and there are reasons for this.

There is a section of the Tantraraja Tantra given a code- this is

because only sadhakas with appropriate maturity can handle these

matters without doing themselves harm.

R