நான் யார்?: Lalitha Sahasranamam: the inner meaning

The Lalitha Sahasranamam (ललिता सहस्रनाम) means 1000 Samskritam names of the pleasant & playful divine mother.

Mysterious Sculpture

Have any of you gone to a Devi temple? Have you seen a sculpture of two intertwined serpents forming three ovals with three dots in the middle of the oval? Did you simply circumambulate them without bothering about what they were?

Outside vs inside

Let us examine a verse.

अन्तर्मुखसमाराध्या बहिर्मुखसुदुर्लभा
Antharmukha Samaaraadhya Bahirmukha Sudurlabhaa.

What does this mean?

Anthar means inner in Sanskrit. This is the word in Hindi as well. In Tamil, it is used in words such as Anthapuram (inner chamber).
Aaradhya means worship.
Bahir means outer. In Hindi, the related word is Baahar.
Mukha means face. This is true in Hindi & Tamil as well.
Sam is good. Dur is the antonym meaning bad.
Samaaradhya is good worship.
Labhaa is profit. (Laabh in Hindi, Laabham in Tamil). Durlabhaa is loss.

This verse means:
Facing within is a good worship.
Facing outside is a loss.

To elaborate, if you look (meditate) within, we gain true happiness. Looking outside for happiness will not be fruitful.

The knots

Now, what happens when you meditate deeply?

मूलाधारैकनिलया ब्रह्मग्रन्थिविभेदिनी
मणिपूरान्तरुदिता विष्णुग्रन्थिविभेदिनी
आज्ञाचक्रान्तरालस्था रुद्रग्रन्थिविभेदिनी
सहस्राराम्बुजारूढा सुधासाराभिवर्षिणी
...
षट्चक्रोपरिसंस्थिता महासक्तिः कुण्डलिनी

Mooladhaaraikanilaiya Brahmagranthivibhedhini
Manipuraantharudhita Vishnugranthivibhedhini
Ajnachakraantaalasthaa Rudragranthivibhedini
Sahasraaraambujaaudhaa Sudhaasaaraabhivarshini

Remember the snake & dot sculpture that I originally mentioned? Per Kundalini Yoga, in deep meditation, it is possible to awaken the Kundalini Shakthi, which is the divine mother in the form of a serpentine coil of energy at the base of the spine.

The Kundalini Shakthi has three Naadis (Channels). Ida (the left part), Pingala (the right part) & Sushumna (the subtle central part). They intertwine & intersect at three Chakras. This is what the snakes on the sculpture indicate.

Granthi is a knot that is hard to unravel or a doubt that is hard to understand. There are three Granthis that have to be unraveled for us to know the ultimate truth. These represent the dots between the serpent intersections. In the Indic traditions (such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism), scriptures are referred to as Granth, since they reveal spiritual truths that are also hard to understand.

The first Chakra at the base of the spine represents Ganesha & is the Mooladhaara Chakra. Brahma Granthi is the knot of creation, dealing with earthly desires such as food & sex and our insecurities about the unknown. She is one who resides in the Mooladhaara Chakra & unravels the Brahma Granthi.

She then emerges in the Manipura Chakra & unravels the Vishnu Granthi. This represents Ahamkaaram & Mamakaaram (our desires for material possessions & power).

Next, she resides in the Ajna Chakra & unravels the Rudra Granthi. The Ajna Chakra represents the fiery third eye (representing the fire of true knowledge) & Karthikeya (Jnana Panditha), again associated with learning. Unraveling this final Rudra Granthi will reveal the secret of existence.

Finally, she ascends to the Sahasraara Ambuja (thousand petaled lotus) also called Sahasraara Chakra, representing Shiva. This represents the union of Shiva & Shakthi, ending the material existence. As Sudhaa Saarabhi Varshini, she rains the nectar of immortality & happiness. This is the final state of eternal bliss.

After these verses, she is called Shat chakro pari samsthitaa Mahashakthi Kundalini. After the final state, she establishes herself as the great Shakthi (power) of Kundalini residing above the six chakras.

Desire, Knowledge, Action

She is also called इच्छाशक्तिज्ञानशक्तिक्रियाशक्तिस्वरूपिणी (Icchaa Shakthi Jnana Shakthi Kriya Shakthi swaroopini).

How do you become a visionary CEO like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. Can you do it right away? No? What needs to happen first?

The first is desire. To perform any action, you first need the desire to perform that action. Icchaa is desire.
Now that you have the desire to become a CEO, is that sufficient? No.

Next, you need the knowledge to perform the action. Jnana is knowledge.
Ok, now you have the desire & knowledge on how to become the CEO. But you sit on this & do nothing. Will your desire succeed? No. What's missing?

You need to perform the action to fulfill this desire. Kriya is action.
You have performed your action. Will your desire succeed? Maybe. Maybe not.
It is external circumstances & Deiva Sankalpam (divine will) that determines if your action will succeed or not.

Quoting from the बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् 4.4.5 (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad) in an expression of similar thoughts: काममय एवायं पुरुष इति; स यथाकामो भवति तत्क्रतुर्भवति, यत्क्रतुर्भवति तत्कर्म कुरुते, यत्कर्म कुरुते तदभिसंपद्यते. Loosely translated:
You are your desire. Resolving your desire results in knowledge, action & your destiny.

She is the underlying power (Shakthi) & form (swaroopini) behind desire, knowledge & action.

May she awaken within us & grace us with the right desire, right knowledge & guide us on performing the right actions.