Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam

Lalitha is the joyful, dynamic, and scintillating expression of the Self. A free consciousness, without craving and aversions, well-founded in the Self, is naturally joyful and vibrant. This is the space of Lalitha.

What is Lalitha Sahasranamam?

In the Lalitha Sahasranamam, we chant a thousand names of the Divine Mother. Names have a special significance. If we think of a sandalwood tree, we carry the memory of its perfume. Similarly, each name of the Divine in the Sahasranama refers to a different quality or attribute of the Divine.

How does chanting of the names help?

Our needs and desires change at every stage of our life – from infancy to adolescence to youth and so on. Along with it, the quality of our consciousness undergoes a sea change. When we chant each name, it enlivens those qualities in our consciousness and they manifest in us according to the need of the hour.

Along with enlivening the qualities within us, chanting a thousand names of the Divine gives us the ability to cognize and appreciate them in the world around us. This leads to a fuller and more prosperous existence.

We are grateful to our ancient seers for showing us the way to lead a full life by worshipping divinity in all its diverse qualities.

Chanting the Sahasranama is a ritual by itself. It purifies the mind and uplifts the consciousness. These chants capture our wandering mind. Even if it is only for half an hour, the mind is one-pointed and focused on one divinity and its attributes; it stops wandering. This is a natural form of relaxation.

What is remarkable about the language of the Lalitha Sahasranamam?

The Saharasnama has bhasa saundarya. The language is beautiful and has, both, a deeper meaning and laukika (transliteration). For example, lotus-eyed signifies a beautiful and pure vision. A lotus grows in the mud. Yet, it is beautiful and pure. The lotus-eyed one can live in this world and see beauty and purity in spite of all its challenges.

Lalitha aims to share with the reader an insight into the different qualities described in the Sahasranama with a glimpse into both layers of meaning. The various references to a particular quality have been threaded together. This will help to present multiple dimensions of each quality in continuity.

Let us know that we have come to this planet for a beautiful and higher purpose. When reading with awareness and shraddha (devotion), Lalitha will bring refinement in the consciousness and make us a storehouse of positivity, dynamism, and joy. So, let us enjoy and become a joy to the world.

~ Bhanumathi Narasimhan, sister of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, meditation teacher; Director of The Art of Living's women welfare and child care programs; Author

This article is an excerpt from a book written on Lalitha Sahasranama.