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 India is a spiritual land of many cults and among them, the cult of Lalita has figured
prominently. This paper attempts to study the cult of Lalita from a philosophical
stand point. From the age of pre - historic India, the system of religious worship of
Sakti began to grow.Sakti or Devi is the divinity of one Universal Goddess
representing 'Prakriti' or Earth. We have a great range of literature dealing with the
immanence of Saktism. Devi Mahatmyam, Devi Bhagavatam, Brahma Vivarta Purana
and Skanda Maha Purana are some of the important Devi literatures. Out of the
multifarious forms of Devi worship, two major forms have gained fame, still
persisting in Modern India are Devi as Kali and Devi as Lalita. Among them Lalita
form has attained recognition as 'Vaidic' or the higher philosophical order.

 The legendary origin of Lalita cult is found in the Brahmanda Purana. This book
consists of forty four chapters out of which chapter 5 to 44 narrate the story of
Lalita namely Lalitaupakyana. The purana of Lalita explains about the manifestation
of Goddess for the destruction of demon called Bandasura. It details about the
construction of Sripura the abode of Lalita in the form of Sri Chakra. Lalita
Sahasranama consists of one thousand names and Trisati is of three hundred
names, praising her divine attributes. Sri Adi  Sankaracharya and Sri Bhaskararaya
had contributed commentaries for Trisati and Sahasranama. These texts have
shown new dimensions towards understanding and practice of Sri Lalita Cult.

 There was once in very ancient times a powerful demon by name Taraka. He was
lording over the Universe with his unequalled power and strength. An assemblage
of devas resolved that only Skanda can destroy Taraka. But the birth of Skanda had
been delayed due to the penance of Lord Siva. Manmata the God of love was
assigned to wake up Siva from his deep meditation. He sent out the flower - shafts
of lust on the three eyed lord. Siva roused with uncontrollable anger and burnt
Manmata by opening the flames of his third eye. Another flame of Siva gave birth to
Lord Skanda who then destroyed Tarakasura. Due to the absence of Manmata the
creation was stopped. Lord Siva blessed Manmata for his rebirth and while he
sprinkled the holy water over the ashes of Manmata, another demon by name
Bandasura came out of the smoke. Immediately the iron hands of the demon
spoiled the righteousness of the three worlds. Indra, the king of Devas performed
a fire ritual according to the advice of Lord Siva, Sri Lalita appeared embodying the
powers of creation, protection and destruction. The Devas praised her in eloquent
terms as Universal Mother. Lord Siva married her in the form of Kameshwar and
the Kingdom of Sri Lalita originated from the Sripura, a beautiful city at the crest of
the mountain Meru, built in the form of Sri Chakra. In a fierce battle,  Sri Lalita
destroyed Bhandasura.

 The philosophical base of this unprecedented success of Devi is that, the 'ajnana'
(ignorance) is removed by 'jnana' (realization).There are some Eastern and Western
savants who glibly assert that Saktism is an invasion of Aryanism by non - Aryanism,
and there are others who say that the Mother cult is pre -Aryan and originally
belonged to the Sumerian or other culture and latter on entered Aryanism 1. The
worship of the primordial power as Mother is an ancient Indian tradition. The
upanishads declare that God is the first cause of Universe. The entire universe has
arisen from God. Thus God is verily the mother of Universe 2. Sri Lalita
Sahasranama begins with its first hymn as, " Sri Matre Namaha " 3, means, Praise
the God as Mother. By worshipping the God as Mother one approaches Her like a
child. This way of worship removes the ego and the sense of 'I' from the devotee
and he is free from the travails of Samsara.

 The term Lalita means lovely, elegant or charming. The philosophical basis of
Lalita cult is Sri Vidya, which is the ultimate knowledge. It is the realization of the
soul through synthesis and reconciliation. Devi is the immanent soul of all souls.
She is the infinite and eternal supreme Bliss. She induces the intuitive knowledge
of God, which is herself. Sri Vidya shows the practical method to experience the
truths of Vedanta as Brahma Vidya. The worship of Sakti, who is denoted by the
syllable 'Sri' is called as Sri Vidya. The prayers are conducted by invoking Sri Lalita
over the Sri Chakra which is the diagrammatic representation of the Universe,
Mantra, Yantra and Tantra are the three aspects of Sri Vidya. Yantra is the form of
symbolic representation of Mantra. Tantra consists of mind concentration; rituals
and kundalini yoga.


 Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa considered his body as the great Yantra. He
praised Sakti as 'I am the device and you are the operator'. Bavanopanisad also
defines the human body as the Yantra 4. Sri Vidya treats equally all the paths to
attain salvation. Brahmavidya and SriVidya are unique. Sri Lalita can be worshipped
by both saguna and nirguna paths. Sri Lalita Cult accepts Bakti yoga, Karma yoga,
Raja yoga and Jnana yoga. It considers both family life and hermitage as the ways to
reach God. Sri Lalita is the form of all and accepts and all forms of worship. The
Kundalini Sakthi is the supreme power in the human body. It could be invoked to
realize God in this very life, with in the physical body. Sri Lalita Sahasranama
mentions the names of Chakras present in the human body. According to it there
are six chakras namely Muladara, Svadhistana, Manipura, Anahata, Visudhi and
Ajna. The supreme locus of the Paramatma is in the Sahasrara. When the Kundalini
Sakti is roused by appropriate means, it travels along the suksumana nadi in the
vertebral column and reaches the Sahasrara. Thus Sri Lalita cult emphasizes the
excellence of Yoga. It harmonizes Hata yoga, Raja yoga, Mantra yoga, Laya yoga,
and Bhakti yoga. Negative notions on the reality of the world find a suitable answer
in Sri Lalitha Cult. Seeing the mother pervading everything, it sees the world not as
a battle field but as a play ground. The Lalita doctrine explains Goddess Lalita as
Cidswarupini and Anandarupini (pure and blissful consciousness). The material
universe is nothing but her play (lila). Human beings can remain cheerful in the
world, like her children playing by the side of their mother. Living exemplary lives,
they finally find eternal rest on the lap of the Divine Mother 5. The desire less
devoted state of mind enables the devotee to experience her 'lila' in a calm and
happy spirit.

Sri Lalita Sahasranama explains the Divine mother as “Siva Sakti Iykya
Rupini”6, the unification of Siva and Sakti. This union can be interpreted as the
consciousness and its power or the blissful union of the soul with the over soul.
Sri Lalita cult is the harmonious blend of all paths of spirituality which is called as
“Samarasamarga” and leads to the ultimate realization. It inculcates the healthy
physical and moral life with truth and love. Sri Vidya shows the path for
transcendence with in this world. There is no discrimination of caste, creed or
gender in Lalita cult. It proclaims that one who has not refrained from evil acts and
who has no peace of mind and self control can not realize God by any means. Lalita
cult consists of a great potential philosophical core and this is only a maiden
attempt to point out the importance of the cult.
Foot Notes:
1 Ramachandra Dikshitiar. V.R, The Lalita Cult, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers,
Delhi, 1999,p.79
2  Krishnan Namboodiri K.N, Message of The Vedas, Vivekananda Kendra Vedic
Vision
Foundation , Kodungallur, 2002 p.138
3  Anna, Sri Lalita Sahasranama Bashyam, Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai, 2000,
p.116
Anna, Sri Vidya, Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai, 1998, p.XII
4 Krishnan Namboodiri K.N, Message of The Vedas, op.cit. p.138
5,6  Anna, Sri Sri Lalita Sahasranama Bashyam, op.cit. p.231

References:

Anna., Sri Lalita Sahasranama Bashyam Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai, 2000.
Anna., Sri Vidya, Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, Chennai, 1998.
Krishnan Namboodiri K.N., Message of The Vedas, Vivekananda Kendra Vedic
Vision Foundation , Kodungallur, 2002.
Ramachandra Dikshitiar V.R., The Lalita Cult, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi,
1999.
Subramanyan N.V., Sri Lalitha Upakyana, Vaidhika Dharma Vardhini, Madras, 1943.
Subramanyan N.V., Sri Lalitha Sri Rudra Trisati, Vaidhika Dharma Vardhini, Madras,
1943.

A paper presented by Dr. Sri Jagannatha  Swami at the 77th Session of Indian
Philosophical Congress, held at Udaipur, Rajastan, India on 26th October 2002.

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