ललिता सहस्रनाम — Word-by-Word Meaning
ललिता सहस्रनाम
Every Sanskrit word explained in English
Word-by-Word Breakdown
श्रीमाता
Śrīmātā
The Auspicious (Sri) Mother — the Divine Mother who is the source and sustenance of all
श्रीमहाराज्ञी
Śrīmahārājñī
The Great Empress — supreme sovereign of the entire universe
श्रीमत् सिंहासनेश्वरी
Śrīmat Siṃhāsaneśvarī
She who is enthroned upon the majestic lion-throne (the seat of the five Brahmas)
चिदग्नि कुण्डसंभूता
Cidagni Kuṇḍasaṃbhūtā
Born from the sacrificial altar of the fire of pure Consciousness (Chit-agni)
देवकार्य समुद्यता
Devakārya Samudyatā
Risen to accomplish the mission of the gods — the slaying of Bhandasura
उद्यद्भानु सहस्राभा
Udyadbhānu Sahasrābhā
Radiant with the splendour of a thousand rising suns
चतुर्बाहु समन्विता
Caturbāhu Samanvitā
Endowed with four arms
रागस्वरूप पाशाढ्या
Rāgasvarūpa Pāśāḍhyā
Holding the noose (pasha) that is the very form of desire and attachment
क्रोधाकाराङ्कुशोज्ज्वला
Krodhākārāṅkuśojjvalā
Resplendent with the goad (ankusha) in the form of anger
मनोरूपेक्षु कोदण्डा
Manorūpekṣu Kodaṇḍā
Whose sugarcane bow is the mind itself
पञ्च तन्मात्र सायका
Pañca Tanmātra Sāyakā
Whose five arrows are the five subtle elements (tanmatras)
निजारुण प्रभापूर मज्जद् ब्रह्माण्डमण्डला
Nijāruṇa Prabhāpūra Majjad Brahmāṇḍamaṇḍalā
The flood of whose rosy radiance immerses the whole sphere of the cosmos
सर्वारुणा
Sarvāruṇā
She who is entirely crimson — rosy-red in hue
अनवद्याङ्गी
Anavadyāṅgī
Of faultless, flawless and perfect limbs
सर्वाभरण भूषिता
Sarvābharaṇa Bhūṣitā
Adorned with every kind of ornament
शिवकामेश्वराङ्कस्था
Śivakāmeśvarāṅkasthā
Seated upon the lap of Shiva-Kameshvara
महापद्माटवी संस्था
Mahāpadmāṭavī Saṃsthā
Dwelling in the great forest of lotuses
श्रीमन् नगर नायिका
Śrīman Nagara Nāyikā
The presiding Lady of Sripura, the resplendent City (Sri Chakra)
चिन्तामणि गृहान्तस्था
Cintāmaṇi Gṛhāntasthā
Dwelling within the Chintamani mansion built of wish-fulfilling gems
पञ्च ब्रह्मासन स्थिता
Pañca Brahmāsana Sthitā
Seated upon the throne supported by the five Brahmas
कुण्डलिनी
Kuṇḍalinī
The coiled serpent-power (Kundalini) resting at the base of the spine
बिसतन्तु तनीयसी
Bisatantu Tanīyasī
Subtler than the slender fibre of a lotus-stalk
भवानी
Bhavānī
Bhavani — the consort of Bhava (Shiva), giver of life to all
भावनागम्या
Bhāvanāgamyā
Attainable only through loving contemplation and meditation
सहस्रारां बुजारूढा
Sahasrārāṃ Bujārūḍhā
Ascended to the thousand-petalled lotus (the Sahasrara chakra) at the crown
सुधासाराभि वर्षिणी
Sudhāsārābhi Varṣiṇī
Showering down the streaming nectar of immortality
महाशक्तिः
Mahāśaktiḥ
The Great Power (Maha-Shakti), the supreme energy of the universe
महात्रिपुर सुन्दरी
Mahātripura Sundarī
The Great Beauty of the Three Cities (Tripura) — beauty beyond the three worlds and three states
राजराजेश्वरी
Rājarājeśvarī
The Sovereign Empress over all kings and emperors
शिवप्रिया
Śivapriyā
The beloved of Shiva
सर्वमङ्गला
Sarvamaṅgalā
The source and embodiment of all auspiciousness
शाम्भवी
Śāmbhavī
Shambhavi — the Shakti of Shambhu (Shiva)
सर्वव्याधि प्रशमनी
Sarvavyādhi Praśamanī
The remover and pacifier of every disease and affliction
सर्वमृत्यु निवारिणी
Sarvamṛtyu Nivāriṇī
She who wards off all death and mortal danger
ललिताम्बिका
Lalitāmbikā
The gracious Mother Lalita — She who is playful, tender and beyond all
श्री शिवा शिवशक्त्यैक्य रूपिणी
Śrī Śivā Śivaśaktyaikya Rūpiṇī
The auspicious Shiva-Shakti — the very form of the perfect union of Shiva and Shakti
Complete Translation
मैं परम अम्बिका का ध्यान करती हूँ — सिन्दूर-सी अरुण देहवाली, त्रिनयना, माणिक्य व चन्द्रकला से मुकुटित, स्मितमुखी, हाथों में रत्न-चषक व रक्तकमल धारण किए, रत्नमय घट पर रक्तचरण रखे हुए। मैं उन भवानी का ध्यान करती हूँ जो अरुणवर्णा हैं, जिनके नेत्र करुणा से पूर्ण हैं, जो पाश, अंकुश, पुष्पबाण व इक्षु-धनुष धारण करती हैं, और अणिमा आदि सिद्धियों की किरणों से चारों ओर घिरी हैं। वे श्रीविद्या हैं, शान्ति की मूर्ति, समस्त देवों से वन्दित, सर्व सम्पत्ति की दात्री।
आगे आने वाले सहस्र नाम — ब्रह्माण्ड पुराण के उत्तरखण्ड में, अगस्त्य को हयग्रीव द्वारा कथित — उन्हें श्रीमाता, श्रीमहाराज्ञी, सिंहासनेश्वरी, चिदग्नि से प्रकट, देवकार्य हेतु उद्यत, सहस्र सूर्यों-सी प्रभावाली, चतुर्भुजा कहकर गाते हैं। वे श्रीचक्र के मध्य चिन्तामणि गृह में विराजमान श्रीनगरनायिका हैं, चक्रों से ऊपर उठकर सहस्रार में अमृत बरसाती कुण्डलिनी हैं, महात्रिपुरसुन्दरी, राजराजेश्वरी, तथा शिव-शक्ति की एकता का स्वरूप हैं — सर्व रोग व मृत्यु की निवारिणी और मोक्ष की दात्री। श्रद्धा से इन सहस्र नामों का पाठ उन साधकों के लिए माता की सर्वोत्तम उपासना कहा गया है जो श्रीचक्र की पूजा नहीं कर सकते।
Origin & History
Source: Brahmanda Purana (Uttara-khanda, Lalitopakhyana) — Hayagriva–Agastya samvada
Author: The eight Vagdevatas (Vasini and the rest), at the command of Goddess Lalita
Period: Puranic
In the Lalitopakhyana of the Brahmanda Purana, after Goddess Lalita Tripura Sundari slays the demon Bhandasura, the eight Vagdevatas (Vak-devis) — Vasini, Kameshwari and the rest — compose the thousand names at Her own command to reveal Her glory. The sage Hayagriva (an incarnation of Vishnu) imparts this most secret hymn to the sage Agastya, who had longed to know the means of grace in the age of Kali. It became the foremost stotra of the Sri Vidya tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Lalita Sahasranamam?▼
It is the sacred hymn of the thousand names of Goddess Lalita Tripura Sundari, the central deity of the Sri Vidya tradition. It appears in the Uttara-khanda of the Brahmanda Purana, where the eight Vagdevatas compose it at the Goddess's own command, and the sage Hayagriva teaches it to Agastya. Its 1000 names describe the Divine Mother in full — Her form, weapons, ornaments, Her seat in the Sri Chakra and Her cosmic identity.
What are the benefits of reciting Lalita Sahasranama?▼
It is held to grant the Mother's complete grace — health and longevity (the names call Her the remover of all disease and untimely death), prosperity, auspiciousness, progeny, peace of mind, and ultimately liberation (moksha). Tradition says its recitation confers the same merit as the worship of the Sri Chakra.
When should the Lalita Sahasranama be chanted?▼
It is recited especially on Fridays (the day of the Goddess), during the nine nights of Navaratri, on Pournami (full moon), and during Lalita Jayanti and Sri Chakra (Lalita) puja. It may be chanted daily, morning or evening, after bathing.
How many names and verses does it contain?▼
It contains exactly 1000 names of the Goddess, arranged in flowing anushtubh shlokas (about 182 verses for the names), preceded by dhyana (meditation) verses and followed by the phalashruti that proclaims its fruits.
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