Lalitha Sahasranama – Part I

Lalitha Sahasranama means thousand names of Lalitha, the Divine Mother.It occurs in the uthara kanda of Brahmanda Purana, the last among the eighteen Puranas of Hindus. It is in Lalithopakyanam which means the detailed story of Lalitha, the Divine Mother. This is a dialogue between the sage Agastya and Hayagriva.

In this sacred text thousand names of Holy Mother has been systematically arranged in a secret manner. The letters are so arranged that each name is protected with twenty four sutras called salakshara sutras. No letter can be inserted nor altered in this sacred text. One who recites these thousand names gets wealth, health and ultimately the salvation. This belongs to all, to the entire humanity. Everybody has a right over these mantras. Anybody can recite this.

Sage Agastya during one of his wanderings came to Kanchipuram in the south from northern Himalayas. He commenced a rigorous Tapas meaning penance to find out an easy way for salvation for each and everybody. Pleased with his rigorous penance Lord Hayagriva with a horse's head meaning wisdom appeared before him and granted a boon. Agastya asked the Lord whether there is a way for poor deluded human being to realize Mukthi meaning salvation through Bhoga (enjoying worldly pleasures) itself without recourse to austerities and penance Hayagriva told Agastya that the easiest, safest and the most direct path to the attainment of both bhukthi and mukthi which means all desirable enjoyments and powers in this life as well as ultimate freedom is the contemplation of Lalitha as the united atma swarupini of all the apparently of multiple consciousnesses prevalent in the threefold universe.

In the dialogue, then comes the thousand names of the Holy Mother. This is the best sahasranama which will bestow all the benefits to one who recites it. Each and every name of the Mother has a deep secret in it.