पितृ is a key class of beings within the सनातन धर्म tradition. While देवता may be seen as “enablers or facilitators of अनुभव”, पितृ may be seen as “caretakers” of all beings. The मार्कण्डेय पुराण contains स्तोत्र referred to as the पितृ स्तोत्र – the same स्तोत्र also comes within the गरुड महापुराण too and … Continue reading Pitru Stotra – Markandeya Purana

कार्यकारण-निर्मुक्ता कामकेलि-तरङ्गिता । कनत्कनकता-टङ्का लीला-विग्रह-धारिणी ॥ १६१॥ 862. कार्यकारण-निर्मुक्ता: कार्य is प्रपञ्च while कारण is प्रकृति. From an individual lens, while शरीर (and प्राण) are the कार्य, our own कर्म is the कारण. Therefore, कार्य is the effect while कारण is the cause. She is however neither cause nor effect and She is thus beyond cause … Continue reading 10 Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam – Translation & Commentary using Sanskrit non-translatables (161 – 183)

चित्कलाऽऽनन्द-कलिका प्रेमरूपा प्रियङ्करी । नामपारायण-प्रीता नन्दिविद्या नटेश्वरी ॥ १४१॥ चित्कला: All living beings have a जीव कला (the प्रकाश that emanates from all living beings). श्री माता however possess चित्कला (meaning प्रकाश that emanates from ईश्वर चैतन्य). In fact, it is the चैतन्य present within living beings that eventually gets displayed outside via the उपाधि of … Continue reading 09 Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam – Translation & Commentary using Sanskrit non-translatables (141 – 160)

दरान्दोलित-दीर्घाक्षी दर-हासोज्ज्वलन्-मुखी । गुरुमूर्तिर् गुणनिधिर् गोमाता गुहजन्मभूः ॥ १२१॥ दरान्दोलित-दीर्घाक्षी: दर means slowly आन्दोलित means moving and दीर्घाक्षी means long eyes. She is therefore one who has long eyes which are moving Her eyes slowly on either side. By moving slowly, She is taking cognizance of how all beings in the विश्व are living their lives. Equally, दीर्घाक्षी also means … Continue reading 08 Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam – Translation & Commentary using Sanskrit non-translatables (121 – 140)

अनाहताब्ज-निलया श्यामाभा वदनद्वया । दंष्ट्रोज्ज्वलाऽक्ष-मालादि-धरा रुधिरसंस्थिता ॥ १००॥ अनाहताब्ज-निलया: श्लोक 100 and 101 need to be seen as one collective group. This collective is useful to address the problems relating to one’s blood and one’s दृष्टि in one’s हृदय. This नाम is referring to the देवी (who goes by the नाम of राकिणी देवी) who resides in अनाहत पद्म … Continue reading 07 Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam – Translation & Commentary using Sanskrit non-translatables (100 – 120)

परा प्रत्यक्चितीरूपा पश्यन्ती परदेवता । मध्यमा वैखरीरूपा भक्त-मानस-हंसिका ॥ ८१॥ परा: To take up this शब्द, some background will be useful. Let us take up a seed – there are multiple stages a seed takes to eventually turn into a tree. The first stage that a seed takes up is that it swells once it makes … Continue reading 06 Sri Lalitha Sahasranamam – Translation & Commentary using Sanskrit non-translatables (81 – 99)

पञ्च-प्रेतासनासीना पञ्चब्रह्म-स्वरूपिणी । चिन्मयी परमानन्दा विज्ञान-घनरूपिणी ॥ ६१॥ पञ्च-प्रेतासनासीना: What does प्रेत mean? That which is अचल. She is sitting in those who cannot move. There are five things that are अचल – ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, रुद्र, माहेश्वर and सदाशिव. The चैतन्य within all of them is ईश्वरी and without Her, all these five cannot do anything. … Continue reading 05 Sri Lalitha Sahasranama – Translation and Commentary using Sanskrit non-translatables (61 – 80)

भवानी भावनागम्या भवारण्य-कुठारिका । भद्रप्रिया भद्रमूर्तिर् भक्त-सौभाग्यदायिनी ॥ ४१॥ Next twenty names are referred to as शाम्भवी विद्या.  भवानी: She is the primary देवी in शाम्भवी विद्या. These नाम are also referred to as उपासना नाम. भवानी is the शक्ति of भव (शिव is भव) which means one who exists as well as that which enable existence. In the वेद, the word used for … Continue reading 04 Sri Lalitha Sahasranama – Translation and Commentary using Sanskrit non-translatables (41 – 60)

सर्वारुणाऽनवद्याङ्गी सर्वाभरण-भूषिता । शिव-कामेश्वराङ्कस्था शिवा स्वाधीन-वल्लभा ॥ २१॥ सर्वारुणाऽनवद्याङ्गी: everything in red.  Everything associated with Her is red. From Her red feet, all ब्रह्माण्ड get प्रकाश. श्रीरुद्र which says that अरुणा (the colour of the सूर्य at the time of dawn) is copper red in colour which is auspicious. ‘The colour of red is auspicious’ says श्रुति (वेद).  Her original red colour then gives energy in … Continue reading 03 Sri Lalitha Sahasranama – Translation and Commentary using Sanskrit non-translatables (21 – 40)

ॐ श्रीमाता श्रीमहाराज्ञी श्रीमत्-सिंहासनेश्वरी । श्रीमाता  - Mother who gives immeasurable wealth who removes all sorrows and gives only happiness; indicates also her role of creation.  श्रीमहाराज्ञी - She who is the empress who takes care of the universe- indicates her role of protection श्रीमत्-सिंहासनेश्वरी - She who sits on the throne of lions-indicates her role of destruction … Continue reading 02 Sri Lalitha Sahasranama – Translation and commentary using Sanskrit non-translatables (1 – 20)

ॐ श्री गुरुभ्यो नम:  ॐ श्री मात्रे नम: Who exactly is देवी or शक्ति in the धर्म ज्ञान परम्परा? Who exactly is देवी or शक्ति in the धर्म ज्ञान परम्परा? Simple meaning of देवी is one who is a स्वयं-प्रकाश favourable शक्ति. It exists to help us and its presence enables us to live well. श्री ललिता देवी is however not a mere beneficial देवी but … Continue reading 01 Sri Lalita Sahasranama Stotra – Translation & Commentary using Sanskrit non-translatables

The blog provides a translation of the Tattwabodha that is ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya. What is provided below is a basic translation of each and every line in the text followed by a basic commentary to enable readers to appreciate the intent behind every line of the book. I have used the translation provided by … Continue reading तत्वबोध (Tattvabodha) by Adi Shankaracharya