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Lalita trishati - Introduction
I have transliterated the Lalitaa trishati using the ITRANS transliteration
scheme. I'd like to thank Giri (gmadras@engr.ucdavis.edu) for correcting typos
and suggesting improvements to the introduction I have given below. He also
wrote most of the background material for the trishati in the ITRANS document.
Thanks to Nandakumar who will be itx'ing the document and the trishati will be
made available on the jaguar site sometime in the future.
The introduction below is very brief and gives some important details to know
before chanting the trishati. The story behind this stotra can be found in the
ITRANS document. There is ofcourse much more to the trishati than what I have
given below. It is closely tied with the PaMchadashaaksharii, of which I have
only theoretical knowledge. Exposition about mantras can be done properly only
by those who perform japa of it, so I have not expounded on it any detail.
Thanks.
Ramakrishnan.
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INTRODUCTION
The paMchadashaakshari is an important mantra for Sri Vidya upaasakas
(practitioners). It basically consists of 15 Bija mantras in a particular order.
The mantra is:
'ka e i la hriiM.h,
ha sa ka ha la hriiM.h,
sa ka la hriiM.h'.
This is a very powerful mantra and each line given above is said to have the
same efficacy as the gaayatri mantra said once. Thus the whole mantra has the
same effect as saying the gaayatri thrice. However, this is a very powerful
mantra and requires extra niyamas (rules) to be observed. The saadhaka should be
extremely pure in mind and the mantra has to be obtained from a guru who has
attained siddhi of the mantra. This is in contrast with the gaayatri mantra
which can be imparted by a father to his sons even if he has not attained
siddhi of the gaayatri mantra.
The exact nature of this mantra is elaborated in various tantrik texts and the
Tripura taapinii Upanisshad.h. It is a fact that very few people can actually
undertake the strenuous discipline required for performing this japa. Thus for
common people like us, the Lalitaa trishatii has been given by Kaameshvarii
herself. The BrahmaanNDa puraaNa tells us that the Devi herself gave this
stotra to Hayagriiva, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and one of the foremost Sri
Vidya upaasakas. Hayagriiva in turn gave it to Agastya, another famous Sri
Vidya upaasaka.
It would be extremely naive to consider this a mere stotra. Hayagriiva
emphasizes that though this is in the form of a stotra it is actually a mantra.
The stotra consists of 300 names of the devi. There are 20 names starting with
each of bija mantras in the paMchadashaakshari. Thus there are 15 X 20 = 300
names. Finally, it is important to note that the names were composed jointly
by Kaameshvara and Kaameshvarii. The names beginning with the Shivaaksharas
were given by the Devi, the names beginning with the Shakti aksharas were
given by the Lord, and the names beginning with the ubhayaaksharas (both)
were given by both the Lord and the Devi. The bijas 'ha' and 'ka' are the
Shivaaksharaas, 'hriiM.h' is the ubhayaakshara and the rest are Shakti
aksharas. Hayagriiva says in the phalashruti that this fact has to be known to
get the full benefits of chanting the trishati.
--
Everything is a concoction of time, space and energy only and all else is the
trite talk of people who dislike the effort of sadhana which takes them to the
Self. This talk is based on their dense ignorance of the Self. Only by persis-
tent practice and experience of sadhana can one arrive at the truth that all
concepts of souls, world and the cause thereof are just evanescent shadows in
the screen of Siva-Self-Brahman.
Ribhu Gita 24.31, Translated by N.R.K. Aiyer.
