Lalitha - the Goddess of Srividya tradition (Navarathri Special 1)

Discussion in 'Chitvish on Hindu Culture & Vedanta' started by Chitvish, Oct 10, 2007.

  1. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Lalitha Thripurasundari is the most widely worshipped aspect of Devi in South India. Her emblem is Srichakra. Worship of the same and chanting the Lalitha Sahasranama are very popular. The Panchadasakshari is Her very powerful mantra and many desire to get initiated into the same.

    The Sri Vidya is a branch of Saktha Tantrism which considers Lalitha as the supreme form of the Mahadevi. It is prominent in South India in many variants, but none claim to be different than the others.

    Just like Durga and Kali represent the power of Devi, Lalitha represents the aspect of beauty. So she is depicted very beautiful and her worship is also very refined.

    Lalithopakhyana is a part of Brahmanda Purana. It is said there that Lalitha Devi manifested herself in the midst of a disc of extreme brilliance, that arose from the “havan” when Indra was performing a sacrifice in honour of her.

    The architect of the gods, Viswakarma, built a grand city called Sripuram on the Meru mountain, specially for her sake. She resides there with her spouse Siva Kameswara.

    Lalitha is usually depicted slightly red in colour (like dawn) and extraordinarily beautiful. In her four hands, she holds a bow of sugarcane, arrows, the ankusa and the pasa (noose). One of her feet, usually the left, is shown resting on a pedestal, made of diamond.
    The sugarcane bow represents the mind. This shows we experience all joy through our mind. The bow is an instrument which discharges the arrows. The same way, the mind is the instrument which shoots the sense organs towards the sense-objects.
    The arrows are the pancha tanmatras, the five subtle elements of akasa(ether), vayu (air), agni (fire), apas (water) and prithvi (earth).
    She is the power that enegises and controls our mind and sense organs. This is the idea.
    The pasa (noose) is the binding attachment (raga).
    The ankusa is the anger (krodha) or aversion which hurts.
    It is her power which animates our attachments and aversions.
    If we forget her, she can bind us with (raga)pasa and pierce us with (krodha) ankusa.
    If we take refuge in her, she can withdraw them into her hands and free us from their torment.

    The form and pattern of the deity Lalita is called Srichakra – this is a yantra, a two-dimensional pattern which can be drawn. This is a complicated geometrical figure of fortythree triangles. They are formed by the intersection of nine triangles,five with apexes downward and four with apexes upward. This is surrounded by concentric circles with eight and sixteen lotus petals. The entire figure is skirted by a square of three lines with openings in the middle of ech side. There is a dot, called Bindu, in the center of the diagram.
    The bindu represents the combination of Shiva and Shati, as also the first throb, which gradually gathers momentum and gets concentrated into a polarization of Shiva and Shakti, but continuing to keep the original Shiva-Shakti combination also. The process repeats continuously resulting in various levels of creation, which are depicted by the different triangles and the lotus petals.

    The three dimensional form of Srichakra is called Meru.
    Regular worship of srichakra is considered very auspicious and is said to yield any result the devotee (rightfully) desires.

    For the picture of Lalitha Thripurasundari, please go to
    http://www.indusladies.com/forums/153727-post126.html
    Love,
    Chithra.
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2009
    nakshatra1, sindmani, easy and 2 others like this.
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  2. Shanvy

    Shanvy IL Hall of Fame

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    hi chitramam,

    I was wondering. We have a srichakra at home. pooja's had been done for the past 40 years by my mil and then she gave it to me and i have been doing . but i have kept it in a case for the past 4 years as i could not continue properly. now since i am back in chennai wanted to start doing the pooja from navarathri but was also having a doubt yes/no...

    But this post of your looks like a answer to my dilemma. i am going to start again..
    Thanks for a wonderful explanation of sri lalitha.:thumbsup
     
  3. sunkan

    sunkan Gold IL'ite

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    dear chitra madam,
    wonderful old picture, i have an old one too, nice of you to share it here..sunkan
     
  4. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Shanvy,
    Thanks for such a quick F B.
    Since I am a Srividya student, Lalitha Thripurasundari is my favourite deity !:tongue
    Next I want to post on Durga, Lakshmi & Sarasvathi, during Navarathri.
    Love,
    Chithra.



     
  5. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sunkan,
    Thankyou. Yes, it is a picture of olden days, but a great favourite of mine. Since I have already posted Lalithambikai of Thirumayeechur, I posted this for navarathri now.
    Love,
    Chithra.



     
  6. vidhi

    vidhi Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Chith

    The picture looks so divine. I liked it very much. I will take the print. Again you have given a very good narration of Lalithambika. Able to understand the significance of Srichakra also.

    Love
    vidhi
     
  7. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Vidhi,
    Thankyou very much for your F B.
    Lalithambika worship is more prevalent in South India & hence I decided to write about her !
    Love,
    Chith.

     
  8. Anandchitra

    Anandchitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Chithra
    I am blessed that your writing these wonderful articles and sharing such an unique photo of our goddess Lalitha Thirupurasundari. The photo is so beautiful I am enjoying looking at the Goddess. At her feet I think its Sri Chakra and Lord Ganesha and Lord Muruga and 2 more goddess. Her face looks so peaceful nd quiet. The letters look to be in telugu or kannada.
    It is indeed our good fortune that we can read these articles. Thank You.
     
  9. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear AC,
    Thankyou.
    I think the letters are telugu - well, I am not sure ! Likely to be kannada also !
    I wil also post the photo of Sri Balathripurasundari shortly.
    Love,
    Chithra.



     
  10. birraj

    birraj Senior IL'ite

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    Dear Mom,
    As I mentioned I finished reading this article. Wonderful description with easy words which I also can understand. I read about Srichakram couple of months back from srividya.org and other websites. They have drawn picture for each lotus pedals and descriptions with the kadkamala stothram. I could not concentrate on that very much. Now I think with your description I can recall somethings from what I read. They drew the picture for each pedals. But they have not finished yet. Once they finish it I will start practicing the kadkamala very well. After continuous reading of LS I got more stamina and will power than before. Somedays I read LS for 3 times. Somehow I am more aditicted now. I also think I should start Srividya soon. But I do not know weather I can follow if I take Upasaga. I think I will leave that for some year till Ashwin grows.


    Love your efforts. Think of you everyday more and more each time when I look my swami photos. The photo of Lalitha is very devine and wonderfully drwan. I feel like looking at her whole day...

    Love
    Birundha
     

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