Goddess Tripurasundari from the pen of Jayapalashri Anil…
Goddess Tripurasundari from the pen of Jayapalashri Anil….
I was first introduced to this beautiful
goddess when I was going through some tough times in my life. My mother told me
to take the Fast and do a 48 days puja for the goddess. I had no clue though I
had vaguely heard about this name. I just plunged in without a blink of an eye
to do this puja. By the end of it there were many things happening which were
good for me and bringing happiness and abundance into my life. This made me
strongly believe in this beautiful goddess and ever since I have prayed to her
regularly.
About two years back she came back to me and I
meditated on her for 48 days again and did a puja at home with haven. After
which the goddess has made her place in my heart and I pray to her every day
without fail. This made me want to read more and understand more about this beautiful
goddess since I worship and I strongly believe in her. I’m giving you all a
small write up of what I have read, learned and understood about this beautiful
goddess.
Tripurasundari is also known as Sodashi and
Lalita. She is a Hindu goddess and is mainly venerated in Shaktism. The goddess
oriented sect of Hinduism is called shaktism. She’s also prominent in the
Mahavidya. She’s also glorified in many shakti texts with Lalita Sahasranama
being the most popular one. The Lalita Sahasranama lists the thousand
names of the goddess.
According to the srikula tradition in shaktism
Tripura Sundari is the foremost of Mahavidyas and the highest aspect of goddess
Adi ParaShakti. The Tripura Upanishad places her as the ultimate shakti (
energy, power) of the universe. She is described as the supreme Consciousness
ruling from above Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. She’s also believed to be
sitting on Sadasiva’s lap in his Kameshwar form the lord of desire. She’s also
believed to be the primary God who is associated with Shakta traditions known
as Srividya.
To understand a little more about this
beautiful goddess let us break down the meaning of her name. In Sanskrit the
word Tripura is a combination of two Sanskrit words. Tri meaning three or
trayas and Pura meaning a city or a citadel but also understood to be the three
cities built of gold, silver and iron in the sky air and earth by Maya for the
Ausras and burnt down by Lord Shiva. However Tripura can also mean Shivshakti
while Sundari means a beautiful woman.
Another interesting meaning of Tripura is the
three states of consciousness. Therefore Tripura Sundari literally means “she
who is beautiful in the three states of consciousness”. She is also called
Tripura because she is identical with a triangle( trikona) that symbolizes the
yoni and that forms for chakra. She’s also called Tripura because Mantra has
three clusters of syllables in it. Here Tripura is identified with the alphabet
from which all sounds and words proceed and which is often understood to occupy
a primordial place in Tantric cosmology. She is threefold, furthermore because
she expresses herself in Brahma Vishnu and Shiva. She also plays a role in
creation, maintaining and destroying the universe.
She is seen as threefold also because she represents
the subject(maul), instrument(Mina)and object(meya)of all things. She is also
identified with reality expressed in terms of speech which involves a speaker
which is said and objects to which the words refer.
Tripura Sundari is also known by the name as
Sodasi( she who is the sixteenth) Lalitā, Kāmesśvarī, Śrīvidyā and
RajaRajeshwari. The Sodashi Tantra refers to Shodashi as the “beauty of the
three cities” or Tripura Sundari.
She is Tripura because she is beyond the three
gunas. She dwells in the three worlds of manas, buddhi and chitta . She is
Trayi, The unified combination of the three gods Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
She is also known as the graceful one ( Lalita) and Kameshwari( the desired
principle of the supreme).
The Goddess is worshiped in her many forms and
under various names. Elaborate ritualistic worships are also offered to her
during Navratri festivities. Lalitha Sahasranama is an extremely sacred
religious text which gives out the thousand names of the Goddess. Praying to the
goddess and also chanting the slokas in praise of her is believed to bless the
Devotees with various benefits like wealth, health and a life of
fulfillment.
All one needs is to believe and surrender at
her lotus feet. Though it's not easy to pray to her as many tests are put out
for you to just check on your level of commitment and intentions. When you
clear these obstacles ( it could be in any form ) which is placed, receiving
her blessings is truly meant to be. There is no good day for a start, the day
you decide is a good day for you. Although during Navaratri it would be more
beneficial and powerful to pray to her.
(to be continued importance of Lalitha
Sashranamam)
The Spiritual Princess-JayaPalashri
Anil
Founder- Samskara Healing
