Lalitha
Lalitha (the Playful One) is also known by her other
names – Tripura Sundari, Shodasi, Kameshwari, and Sri Vidya. The story of Lalitha
is narrated in the Lalitha Mahatmya
section of the Brahmanda Purana.
Kama Deva, the God of Love, had been destroyed by
Lord Shiva. From the ashes of Kama rose Bhandasura who wrought havoc upon all
creation. Indra, the Ruler of the Devas appealed to the Goddess, and in
response to his call, Goddess Lalitha unleashed upon the forces of Bhanda Her
divine Shakthis. The battle ultimately culminates with the defeat of Bhanda by
Lalitha.
Lalitha is personified as an enchantingly beautiful
woman. In her four hands she holds a bow made out of sugar cane, five flowers as arrows, the goad and the noose. Goddesses Lakshmi and
Saraswati are at her service and she is seated on a throne made of the Pancha
Brahmas (Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Maheshwara, and Sadashiva).
Coming to the symbolism of the Name and Form of the
Divine Mother as Lalitha – Kama Deva, in the Hindu pantheon of devas, is the
form of sexual desire. His reduction to ashes is the absolute elimination of
carnal thought by an ascetic. But sex plays a vital role in the Mother’s cosmic
game – it’s her playful instrument of attraction, distraction, and
regeneration. The ascetic-minded might shun it to sidestep the bonds of
attachment. But to the Mother, it’s just another facet of her Shakti, and a
vital one at that.
If Kama Deva represents desire and love, the demon
who rose from his ashes represents egocentric lust. Indra represents the sadhak who realizes that he cannot
defeat Bhandasura (the Maya afflicted mind) on his own and appeals to the
Goddess for succor and guidance. Lalitha, also known as Kameshwari, (Empress of
Desire) vanquishes ignorance (Bhandasura) through wisdom.
That Desire may not be eliminated that easily, but
can be sublimated; is symbolized by the sugar cane bow (mind) and the five
flower arrows (five senses). The mind and sensory pleasures when offered to the
Mother and savored as her gifts become not obstacles to the Seeker’s spiritual
progress, but Her blessings. However, when her devotees for any reason stray
from the path, Lalitha will provide the necessary course correction by reeling
them back in (symbolized by the pasha –
noose) and urging them onward and upward (symbolized by the ankusa – goad).
Many names and forms of Devi represent only aspects
of Adi Parasakti’s infinite power. But Lalitha is the Supreme Divine
conceptualized as the All-Mother. Hence she is depicted as being served by
Auspicious Good Fortune (Lakshmi); and, Knowledge and Wisdom (Sarawati). Her being
seated on a throne of the Pancha Brahmas signifies her supremacy to the
quintets that are the substratum of our world – the Five Elements (pancha bhootha), the Five Vital Breaths (pancha prana), the Five
Senses (panchendriya), and the Five Organs of Action (pancha karmendriya). These serve Her Purpose, but She is unaffected
by them.
One of the important
temples of Goddess Lalitha is at Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu – the Kanchi
Kamakshi temple.
Kanchi Kamakshi Temple at Kanchipuram
No comments:
Post a Comment