LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM
@ S. Subramaniam
[LSN # 44. Nirlepa Nirmala Nitya Nirakara Nirakula ]
नित्या (136)
Nitya (136)
Meaning:
Devi is the eternal Shakti. She is omnipresent, Everlasting.
Interpretation
Nitya means the eternal one and that which does not change with time. It never grows or get destroyed. It never increases or diminishes. It remains the same all the time.
The term Nitya also refers to the fifteen lunar deities. These fifteen deities are worshiped along with the Sri Chakra by the Devi Upasakas. Each of these deities has Mula mantra and is capable of giving different siddhi-s.
Adi Shankara & Soundarya Lahari.
In a wonderful expanse of imagination, Adi Shankara uses the term Nitya in the context to express the closeness between Devi and Lord Shiva in Soundarya Lahari. Says the sage, Lord Shiva always puts his arms around Devi's neck to express his affection towards her.
भुजाश्लेषान्नित्यं पुरदमयितुः कण्टकवती
तव ग्रीवा धत्ते मुखकमलनालश्रियमियम्।
Bhua Sleṣha Nityam Puradamayituḥ Kaṇṭa Kavati
Tava Greeva Dhatte Mukha Kamala Nala Sriyamiyam |
Note: Kantakavata means Goosebumps. Shankara adds further that Devi gets goosebumps for Shiva's action. Visualise Devi getting goosebums. That's really mischievous, Oh my boy!
Shankara also begins his composition, the Anna Purna Stotra, with the word Nitya - नित्यानन्दकरी वराभयकरी सौन्दर्यरत्नाकरी (Nityananda kari vara bhaya kari Soundarys Ratna kari.)
Sai Bhajan
Satya Sai Baba devotees must be familiar with the Sai Bhajan Satya Sanathana Nitya Niranjana, a regular item at Prashanti Nilayam, Puttaparthi.
Author's Notes.
According to the Indian Shastras such as Lalitopakhyanam etc., the Moon has 16 kalas, or phases.
Out of these 15 are visible to us and the 16th is beyond our visibility. These 16 kalas are ruled by the 16 Nitya Devis. They are called Shodasa Nityas.
Out of these, the first one, Maha Tripura Sundari is the Devi Para Shakti herself, and hence the kala ruled by her is not visible to the normal mortals. Hence we see only the other 15 Nitya-s.
Disclaimer: All matters contained in this article are the property of www.templesofasia.com. The opinions expressed in this article are purely that of the author. The author alone is responsible for the accuracy, authenticity, completeness and validity of all the information in the article.
Commentaires