Ma Lalita Tripura Sundari—Who is She?

In this blog post, you will learn about Ma Lalita Tripura Sundari, the central deity of the Sri Vidya tradition.

There are many forms of the divine. The one easiest to connect with and worship is that of a mother. 

Pathway to Sri Vidya

Ma Lalita Tripura Sundari is one of the highest aspects of the Primordial Mother Divine (Ma Aadya Shakti). She is ‘Sri mata’, the Universal mother. In the Sri Vidya tradition (Shakti worship), she is the chief deity, revered as the Supreme consciousness.

Among the 10 Mahavidyas, she is Shodashi; her other names are Rajarajeshwari (The Empress of the world) and Mahadevi (the Great Goddess).

In Sri Vidya, Ma Lalita is worshipped in three main forms: the gross aspect (Sthula) or as a radiant goddess, the subtle aspect (as Srividya Mantra), and the supreme aspect in the Sri Chakra. The Lalita Sahasranaam Stotram refers to all these forms.

The Secret Behind Her Name and Form

As her name suggests, Lalita is ‘the one who plays.’ Creation, preservation, and dissolution are nothing but her divine play. Devotees easily connect with her beautiful, compassionate, and auspicious (Sri) form.

In her four arms, Ma Lalita carries a noose, a goad, a sugarcane bow, and five flower arrows. The arrows are our five senses, while the bow that releases them is our mind. On the spiritual path, one can easily get distracted by pleasures and pains, but Ma Lalita gently prods us with her goad and brings us back on the path. Similarly, she carries a noose of love and compassion in her left hand to catch her wavering children.

In her supreme form, Ma Lalita resides in the Sri Chakra; her position is depicted as a Bindu or the central point. ‘Tripura’ refers to the three worlds she rules over. Tripura Upnishad describes her as the ultimate Primordial Shakti above the trinity. (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva).

The Source of All Creativity 

Ma Lalita is the creative force of the Universe. She is the latent energy, ‘the Kundalini,’  in all of us. 

By awakening her, we can naturally tap into our hidden pools of creativity. She has been described as ‘cidagnikundasambhuta devakaryasamudyata.’ (Sri Lalita Sahasranaam, Verse 1.2)

O mother, you only manifest to fulfill noble intentions arising out of the fire of purity in one’s mind. (Om Swami, Kundalini: An Untold Story, Jaico Books 2016, p.16)

Himalayan Master and Siddha yogi of Sri Vidya, Om Swami explains the Divine Mother, the source of all creation, is also the source of all creativity. She ignites the fire to work through and fulfill all noble tasks. 

Lalita Sahasranaam Sadhana—A Rare Opportunity!

The fifth day of the Sharad Navratri is celebrated as Lalita Panchami. Scriptures mention it as the day when Ma Lalita appeared to defeat the demon Bhandasura, born from the ashes of Kamdev (the God of love and desire).

The upcoming Lalita Panchami (26th September 2025) is an auspicious occasion to invoke Ma Lalita Tripurasundari with her 1000 powerful names from the Lalita Sahasranaam. She blesses her devotees with abundance, inner peace, and joy.

This Sharad Navratri, you can do the Lalita Sahasranaam Sadhana (26 Sept’ 25-15 Nov’ 25) made available for the very first time on our App. 

Join this sadhana, and receive the divine grace of Ma Lalitambika. If completing the full sadhana is not possible, no problem. You can listen to and do the Jap of Lalita Sahasranaam Stotram on Lalita Panchami. Sign up for Sadhana App today!

Sri Matre Namah!