The Secret Doctrine of Goddess Lalita
(Sri LalitaAṣṭottara Rahasyārthamu)
1.śrī mātā 2. śri mahārājñī 3. śrīmat-siṃhāsanēśvarī
She who is the Auspicious mother.
She who is the Empress of the Universe.
She who is Ruler of the most glorious throne.
We find these nāma-s or mantras in the original Lalita sahasranāma (1000 names of the Goddess) as well as in Lalita aṣṭottara nāma (108 names of the Goddess). They symbolize the creation (mātā), sustenance (mahārājñī), and dissolution (siṃhāsanēśvarī ) of the world. While the first two names may not raise any questions, the last one is most likely to. The name siṃhāsanēśvarī literally translates into “She who rules the world sitting on a glorious lion-shaped throne.” The literal translation does not explicitly say anything about “dissolution,” so we must go beyond the literal meaning of the nāma to discover its deeper significance. siṃhā means lion, that which destroys. āsan means “to steal.” Like a ferocious lion that can destroy anything, the Goddess is capable of destroying the entire world. Hence, siṃhāsanēśvarī implies dissolution.
By describing the Goddess as performing the three functions of creation, sustenance, and dissolution, sages have established that Devi is the material cause of this entire universe. Just like the clay that pervades the entire pot, śakti pervades the entire universe. Therefore, śakti is the material cause of the universe. Like the pot that is not different from the clay, the universe is not different from śakti. However, śakti (power or energy) cannot exist independently on its own. śakti depends on śiva for Her existence. Energy depends on Consciousness for its existence. She is cītrūpini, the power of Consciousness. Hence, She is not only the material cause of the universe, She is also the efficient cause because She is “Conscious Power.” Therefore, this entire creation is an expression of the union of śakti and śiva, and must be perceived from that viewpoint only. Note that the three mantras share the common prefix śri, although the rest of the words in the mantras are different. The word śri means āśraya or “depend.” śakti (power) depends on Consciousness. It cannot exist on its own. That is why the prefix “śri” is permanently assigned to Devī . The differences (in the rest of the words) in the mantras symbolize the transitory nature of the world. The world is only an appearance, an illusion that appears on an Immutable substratum called Consciousness. Hence, Consciousness alone is Real. Everything else is only an appearance, therefore, unreal.
Since the world has no real existence of its own, we cannot look upon it as saṃsāra or bondage either. Instead, we must look upon it as an appearance of śakti, the intrinsic power of Consciousness. The more we contemplate on śakti in this manner, the closer She will take us to śiva, which is our real nature. śakti is brahmavidyā, the Supreme Knowledge of brahman or Pure Consciousness. Only through vidyā (Knowledge) can one realize śiva (Self). The goal of human life is to realize the true nature of the Self. śakti can help us attain that goal. Hence, unlike the tāntrik (ritualists), Advaitins believe that Sri Vidyā (knowledge of the Goddess) is brahmavidyā itself. There is no difference between the two.
Another interesting detail to note is the m syllable next to the syllable śri. When the two syllables (śri + m) are pronounced together in the three mantras as “śrim,” we repeatedly hear the “m” sound. This is not a coincidence. It is by design and intention of Sage Hayagriva who compiled the 1000 names of the Goddess. śrim is a mantra of the Goddess ṣoḍaśī, who personifies brahmavidyā, the Knowledge of the Supreme Self. The syllable m points directly to the eternal brahman. Repeated and meaningful chanting of śrim śrim śrim produces brahmākāra vṛtti, a thought modification in the form of brahman. The thought of brahman purifies the mind. The goal is to attain brahmavidyā through a purified mind, word, and deed. Only then the mantra produces a three-fold result. That is why Sage Hayagriva chanted this mantra (śri) not only in the beginning but also at the end of the Sri Lalitha chant – śrī chakrarājanilayā, śrīmat tripura sundarī, śri śivā. Through repetition, the Sage is emphasizing the significance of śrividyā, making it clear that there is no difference between śrividyā and brahmavidyā, and that śrividyā leads one to śivasāyujya, the ultimate union of the individual self with the Supreme Self.
4. chidagni kuṇḍasambhūtā
She who is born in the fire-pit of Pure Consciousness.
How can we say śakti, which is brahmavidyā itself, is the only means for attaining śiva sāyujya? This fourth mantra answers this question. śakti rises from the fire pit of Pure Consciousness (śiva). She is in complete union with śiva at all times. That is why She is called śivam. She is Existence (sat). He is Consciousness (cīt). It is impossible, even for a moment, śakti (Existence) to forsake śiva (Consciousness). If śakti distances Herself from śiva, She will become inert. When an object loses contact with Consciousness, the object will cease to exist. For an object to exist, it must be known to Consciousness. Everything, from the earth to the vast space, exists only because it is cognized by Consciousness. If a thing does not appear to our Consciousness, it ceases to exist. Consciousness is the witness to the existence of everything. Therefore, śakti can be known only through śiva (Consciousness). We must live in this phenomenal world deeply aware of our real nature as Consciousness. The word sambhūtā in the mantra indicates this. Sometimes this word is interpreted in its secondary meaning as “being born.” The primary meaning of the word, however, is “union,” the union of śakti and śiva. The primary meaning is most appropriate in this context.
5. chidēka rasarūpiṇī
She who is of the nature of pure Knowledge.
Some think caitanya śakti implies two separate entities, power and Consciousness. We should not make such a mistake in the context of parāvidyā, the Supreme Knowledge that transcends all duality because It is the One and only substance that IS. It is both caitanya and śakti, Consciousness and Existence, Intelligence and Energy. This mantra conveys this meaning beautifully. The word rasa in this mantra means nature. The word eka means identical nature. Consciousness is the very nature of everything. Therefore, Consciousness is not different from its Power. Even if we hear the two words spoken separately, we must remember that the two are referring to the one substance. It is like saying “a flame of fire.” Both flame and fire refer to the same thing. Similarly, caitanya and śakti refer to the same thing. The flame belongs to the fire. Similarly, power belongs to Consciousness. Power and the One who wields the power are not two separate entities. Hence, in every reference to śakti is an implied reference to śiva. Instead of perceiving forms as sakti, the seeker must contemplate on śakti as the formless Consciousness.
6. apramēyā
She who cannot be measured by the sense organs.
Since śakti is formless Consciousness, She is apramēyā. She cannot be grasped by any instrument of knowledge, such as the five senses. For an object to exist, it must be cognized by a cognizing instrument. If it cannot be cognized, the object has no existence. When we say something exists, it is only because we are aware of its existence through the medium of our sense organs. When we say the pot exists, the cloth exists, etc., we say so because we are aware of their existence. How do we become aware? We see with our eyes, we hear with our ears, we touch with our skin, and taste with our tongue. Hence, it is the sense organs that are the instruments with which we perceive objects. This is called pratyakṣa pramāṇa, direct perception of objects. One the other hand, when we see smoke rising on a distant hill, we know that there is fire on the hill, even though we do not see the fire directly. Based on what is visible to our eyes, we infer the existence of what is not visible. We see smoke, and from the smoke, we deduce the existence of fire. This indirect or inferential knowledge is called anumāna pramāṇa.
Therefore, direct and indirect perception are the only two natural means of knowledge that humans have. We are born with five external facing sense organs and one internal organ called the mind. The former are direct means of knowledge and the latter is an indirect means of knowledge. With our eyes, we perceive smoke on the mountain, and with our mind, we infer the existence of fire. We acquire the knowledge of every object in the world only through these two means.
However, these means fail in the context of Consciousness. Consciousness cannot be known either through direct or indirect perception because It is not an object. Therefore, it cannot be perceived by the senses or the mind. Hence it is apramēyā. If it cannot be known through any of these means, how can we prove its existence? Even if the mind and sense organs cannot perceive Consciousness, Its existence cannot be denied because Consciousness is Awareness Itself. Every means of perception, direct or indirect, in reality is Consciousness only. It is only to Consciousness or Awareness that everything is known. Consciousness flows out through our sense organs to the external world of objects, through our mind to our internal feelings of pleasure and pain, and knows everything. Without Consciousness, our eyes would not see and ears would not hear. If our sense organs are working, it means Consciousness is operating through them. Hence, Consciousness is the ultimate means of knowledge. No instrument is necessary to know Consciousness. It is just like a lamp that does not require another lamp to illumine it. Consciousness is the knower of everything. If we insist on finding a means to prove the existence of Consciousness, we will be attributing both doer-ship and action to the one and same entity. An entity cannot be both a doer of an action as well as the action itself. Fire cannot burn itself! Similarly, Consciousness is aware of the external world and internal feelings, but It cannot be aware of Itself, since it is Awareness itself! Hence, Devī, is referred to as apramēyā, the one who cannot be cognized through sense organs.
7. svaprakāśā
She who is self-luminous. An object exists only if it is known to a cognizing intelligence. This is true in the phenomenalrealm, but not true in the realm ofśakti, since śakti is not an object. śakti is Consciousness, the subject that knows all objects. When the subject is Consciousness itself, there is no need for another entity to vouch for its existence. Consciousness is Self-evident. While the whole world is known to Consciousness, Consciousness knows Itselfthrough the ever-present “I Am”awareness. Because It is aware of Its own Beingness, śakti is svaprakāśā, self-luminous.Nodoer-ship or activity can be attributed to It. Unlike fire which is inert and unaware of its own nature (its ability to burn other things), śakti is the Supreme Power of the Supreme Consciousness, so It is Self-Evident and Self-Luminous. Hence, śaktiis both the subject and the object. She is apramēyābecauseShe is the subject andcannot be known through any means of knowledge. Since She issvaprakāśā, She knows Herself through Herself.
8. sarvagā
She who pervades all the worlds and all living and non-living things. She who is omnipresent.
Only Consciousness can shine both as the subject and the object. Because It is aware of Itself, It is both pramāṇa (means of knowledge) and pramēyā (object of knowledge). Inert objects, such as space are not self-aware. They depend on a source of knowledge or a knower for their existence. It is only Consciousness that reveals the five elements to us. If it were not for Consciousness, this entire universe would appear as nothing but darkness. If inert objects cannot cognize their own existence and there is no Conscious entity to cognize their existence, what else could be there except darkness?
Therefore the entire world of objects depends on Consciousness for its existence, but Consciousness exists on its own. It shines and makes everything shine in its effulgence. Hence, the Goddess is called sarvagā - that which is expansive and permeates everything, living and non-living. Expansion does not mean external expansion only. It means inside, outside, and in the middle. Everything appears in Consciousness. There can be nothing outside Consciousness. If a thing loses touch with Consciousness, objects cease to exist. For a thing to be known in its entirety, it must be pervaded in its entirety by Consciousness. śakti is the source of this entire universe. Because She is Consciousness Itself, the universe appears to us. Because of Her infinite and expansive nature, we revere Her as sarvagā.
9. sarvōpādhi vinirmuktā
She who is free from all limitations.
When we say śakti pervades everything (names and forms), we should not assume that they are really existing separately, and śakti pervades them. This mantra removes this misconception. Names and forms are upādhi-s, adjuncts through which śakti expresses itself. But śakti is not limited or restrained in any way by these upādhi-s. Consciousness is the subject and these are objects known to It. Although we refer to them as this and that (subject and object), in reality, there are no two separate entities. There is only Consciousness, and It is cognizing Itself! When Consciousness is cognizing something, It becomes the “subject.” When It is cognizing Itself, it becomes an object. Hence, Consciousness is both the subject that knows as well as the object that is known. Only Consciousness is capable of playing the two roles as the subject and the object. Hence, it is a mistake to consider the world as separate from Consciousness. Whatever we perceive as “existing” is Consciousness only. The divine name of the Goddess, vijñāna ghana rūpini, reveals this truth. When we think of gold, the image of a solid mass of gold comes to our mind. Similarly, vijñāna ghana rūpini means Devī is nothing but Pure Knowledge or Pure Consciousness. The word “nothing” refers to the illusory and transitory names and forms that appear to us. These are only the upādhi-s, the instruments through which Consciousness appears as objects to us, but neither the objects nor the upādhi-s have any real existence of their own.
A thing that is superimposed on another thing is an upādhi. According to Advaita, a superimposition can occur in two ways. A book placed on top of a table is one type of superimposition. A wooden log that appears as a plank is another type of superimposition. In the former case, the book and the table are two separate objects, one superimposed on the other. In the latter case, the wooden log and the plank are not two separate objects. The log is the plank and the plank is the log. Aside from the log, there is no separate plank to be seen. If a plank is seen in the place of a log, it is not because a plank really exists. It is only because of an optical illusion. All there is, is a log of wood, but the log can appear either as a log of wood or a plank. This is true of Consciousness as well.
Consciousness is the only substance that IS. Names and forms (upādhi-s) are only Its appearance. They do not have an independent existence of their own. Names and forms are like the plank that is superimposed on the log, and not like the book that is superimposed on a table. The book is different from the table. The plank is not different from the log. It only appears as though it is. The log itself appears both as a log and the plank. Similarly, the upādhi-s, names and forms, we see everywhere, do not really exist as separate entities. They are superimposed on Consciousness. Just like the plank that is not different from the log, names and forms are not different from Consciousness. Pure Consciousness Itself appears as the names and forms. As the seer, Consciousness is the subject. As an appearance (world), it is an object.
In reality, the names and forms we perceive do not exist, not even as a superimposition. Since we are used to seeing duality, we think the world is an upādhi superimposed on Consciousness. In reality, however, the world neither exists nor is it superimposed on Consciousness. When a thing is known only to Consciousness and ceases to exist if it loses touch with Consciousness, how can it be real? It cannot be real! Yet we perceive objects as though they are real!
Why do we perceive objects when they are unreal? The truth is that we do not really see objects. We only see Consciousness appearing as objects (names and forms), just like the ocean appearing as waves and froth. Since śakti or Consciousness itself appears as the upādhi-s (names and forms), She is sarvōpādhi vinirmuktā - She who is free of all limitations. That means there are no upādhi-s whatsoever separate from Consciousness. All that IS, is Pure Consciousness.
10. mahāmāyā
She who is the Great Illusion
If these upādhi-s are non-existing, why do we continue to see them? If a thing is non-existing, like the horn of a rabbit or the son of a barren women, it should not be appearing to us. The nāma mahāmāyā answers this question. Devī is the great illusion. She is the mahāmāyā. She is both the power and the wielder of the power. As śakti, She is the great illusory power called māyā. As śiva, She is the Consciousness that wields the power. māyā measures the Infinite and makes it appear as though finite. Time, space, and objects are the manifestations of māyā.
If Consciousness alone is Real and everything else is false, what are time and space? How do they measure or limit the Infinite? Are they like the water in a mirage, mere appearances? According to Shiva Advaita, śiva molded Himself into time, space, and the world we perceive. He is like the magician who performs his magic all by himself. Sometimes the magician appears to sit with us, sometimes he appears to run away from us, sometimes he appears to crawl up a rope, sometimes he appears to fall flat and die, and sometimes he suddenly he gets up and smiles at us. He appears to be performing to a script, playing multiple roles and manifesting multiple objects simultaneously. Mesmerized by his performance, we watch in wonder without blinking our eyes.
The example of a magician may be hard for us to relate to if we have never witnessed such a performance. The example of a dream may better illustrate the point. Dream experience is common to all of us. In a dream, we find ourselves in different situations and transacting with different objects. Where did all these dream objects and situations appear from? They all appeared from our Consciousness. Consciousness, as it were, differentiated Itself and appeared in all these forms. On waking up, when we realize it was all a dream, we are amazed at how real the dream objects appeared in the dream. This is the māyā we experience in our daily lives – perceiving an illusion and thinking it is real.
When we cannot fathom the māyā that we experience in our individual lives, how can we fathom mahāmāyā, the great illusion, that is operating at the cosmic level? mahāmāyā transcends worldly māyā-s. A magician in the world, with his limited power, can perform a few magic tricks with a sleight of hand or through hypnosis. He may also use some tools to perform his tricks, even though the tools may not be visible to us. However, Devī , the Supreme Power, does not need any tools. Since She is formless, there is no scope for any ‘sleight of hand.’ Since the performance and the spectators watching the performance are not different from Her, there is no need for hypnotism. Without any tools and without any deception, śakti molds Herself into all these forms, sees Herself in all the forms, and transacts with Herself. The great illusion is that we perceive transient names and forms as though they are real, and overlook the only real substance that IS. We don’t doubt our experience. It is like saying we see a black sky or that the sky is black. From the perspective of the individual, who sees the unreal as though it is real (ex: seeing black in the formless empty space we call sky) is ignorance. From the perspective of māyā śakti, the unreal appearing as though it is real is a projection or an appearance.