What is Sri Lalita Sahasranama?

In this blog post, you will learn about the most potent hymn of Mother Divine.

Timeless Tradition of Sahasranamas 

For thousands of years, Indian homes have woken up to the melodious chants of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, the 1000 sacred names of Maha Vishnu. The Sanskrit word ‘Sahasra’ means thousand, while ‘nama’ means name. A Sahasranama is a hymn praising a deity with his/her thousand names or divine attributes. 

The numeral of 1000 is not a mere measurement. It indicates the infinite nature of the divine and the devotional sentiment of worship. A devotee wants to adore her deity using a million different descriptions. 

A Powerful Devi Hymn

Just like Vishnu Sahasranama, there are many Devi Sahasranamas dedicated to Ma Ganga, Gayatri, Shyamala, Lakshmi, Kali, and Saraswati. However, Sri Lalita Sahasranama is considered the greatest and most powerful. 

A core Sri Vidya text, Sri Lalita Sahasranama, is found in Lalitopakhyana of the Brahmanda Purana, written by Maharishi Veda Vyasa. Lalita Sahasranama is a sacred text for worshipping Mother Divine, Ma Lalita, and is also known as Rahasya Nama Sahasra (the secret thousand names).

The Stotram's oral tradition goes back thousands of years. Sage Agastya was the first person to be initiated in Sri Lalita Sahasranama chanting by Lord Hayagriva, an incarnation of Sri Vishnu.

Many reasons make Sri Lalita Sahasranama a unique Devi text. It was not written by a human but composed by eight Vaga Devis or companion energies of Ma Lalita. They are Vasinee, Kameshvari, Moodhini, Vimala, Aruna, Jayinee, Sarveshvari and Kaulini. Ma Lalita instructed them to compose a hymn with her names that the devotees could recite to seek her blessings.

It is important to note that each name in Sri Lalita Sahasranama is a powerful mantra in itself. Several names consist of secret Beeja Aksharas (seed syllables), so chanting this hymn is a superior form of worship. 

The Lesser Known Facts

Sri Lalita Sahasranama is pure essence. The verses are perfectly arranged in a meter containing no filler words (cha, vai, tu, eva, etc.) sometimes found in other hymns and sahasranamas.

The Sahasranama is structured into three parts: The introduction (purva bhag) with 51 verses, the middle part (madhya bhag) containing 183 verses from where 1000 names are derived and the concluding part or (phalashruti) with 86 verses that cite the benefits of reciting the Sahasranama. 

Another interesting fact is that the names of Ma Lalita are composed using 32 letters (out of 51) of the Sanskrit alphabet. In Sanskrit, a Vaga Devi (Goddess of Speech) presides over each letter. When we speak that letter, unknowingly we worship the Devi presiding over that letter. Ma Lalita is the Supreme Authority controlling all Vaga Devis. Therefore, when any name of Lalita Sahasranama is recited, the devotee not only worships and gets blessings of Ma Lalita but of all the other Devis associated with the letters that make up the names or mantras.

Revelation About Kundalini

The Lalita Sahasranama verses contain the secret knowledge of awakening our latent energy—the Kundalini, the Goddess Herself. While explaining the greatness of the Stotram and its connection with Kundalini, Himalayan mystic and Sri Vidya Siddha, Sri Om Swami mentions,

‘These verses are not there by accident but by careful design. In their literal meaning, these lines merely list the names of the Goddess. It means that the Goddess is the one who takes ablutions to the ancestors. She is the foremost thought, intelligence, worth listening to, memory. She brings merit, fame, and gain to the devotees, who sing her glories.’ 

Swami ji explains that a deeper level Sri Lalita Sahasranama conveys the spiritual progress of a seeker. 

‘At the awakening of Kundalini, you realise the extraordinary talents, the extreme potential that you always had in you.’ (Om Swami, Kundalini: An Untold Story, Jaico 2016, p.167)

Enter the new year by listening to the transformational names of Ma Lalita and make offerings to her. Experience the joy of Devi Yagna under the guidance of Sri Om Swami himself!