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 Sahasranama 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. The 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 Sahasranama, 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 that 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 Sahasranama Yagna—A rare Opportunity!

A new year marks new beginnings. Begin this year by invoking Mother Divine with her 1000 powerful names from Sri Lalita Sahasranama.

Perform the one-of-its-kind Sri Lalita Sahasranama Yagna with Om Swami! Invite Mother Divine into your life to gain strength and creativity in all endeavours.