The Divine Mother

According to the Sir- Lalita- Sahasranama the Divine Mother is adored as Sarvopanisad Udghusta, as the one who is celebrated by all the Upanishads (name 852). Upanisad is that which bring the self near (Upa) to Brahman, which is opposed to duality and destroys ignorance (nisad). The Mundaka Upanisad expounds in verse III.ii.9 how this Brahman, the absolute, can be reached: brahma veda brahmaiva bhavati- anyone who knows the supreme Brahman becomes Brahman indeed. According to the Sir-Lalita-Sahasranama, Sri-Lalita-Maha-Tripurasundari is herself the supreme Brahman, who is the be known, and at the same time is also the giver of this highest knowledge, which liberates. She is adored as Brahman j(name 822).

She is pratyak-citi-rupa, she is of the nature of the inner consciousness, of the unmanifested Brahman (name 367). She is prajnana-ghana-rupini, pure, concentrated knowledge, pra-superior, jnana- eternal wisdom or knowledge, Ghana-concentrate (name 574). In the Upanishad it is stated: prajnanam brahma, consciousness is Brahman. She is jnana-jneya-svarupini, She is both the knowledge and the known (name 981), and she is worshipped as jnana-gamya, as the Supreme Mother, who can be attained by the Yoga of Knowledge (name 980).

The Divine mother is also jnana- vigraha, an embodiment of knowledge itself (name 644), and jnanada, who gives the highest knowledge, the knowledge of the self, which destroys the sorrow of Samsara, the cycle of transmigration (name 643).

The Supreme Divine Mother Maha-Tripurasundari is of the nature of truth itself, satya-rupa (name 818). She is also adored as satya-jnanananda-rupa, as truth, knowledge and bliss (name 791), as satcit-ananda-rupini, who is of the nature of existence, consciousness and bliss (name 700), and as paramananda as supreme bliss (name 252),

In the tradition of Sri Vidya this highest knowledge of the Upanishads is referred to as vidya. In the Sri Lalita Sahasranama sri-Lalita Maha Tripurasundari is also adred as vidya, as being of the form of knowledge (name 549), as maha vidya as the seat of exalted knowledge the knowledge of the self (name 584), as Sri Vidya, as the sacred knowledge, which is also referred to as the pancadasi-Mantra (name 585). She is Sri sodasaksari Vidya, of the form of the sixteen-syllabled Mantra (name 587).

In the tradition of Sri Vidya the deeper meaning of Vidya cannot be dissociated from the worship of the Divine Mother. Therefore we shall in the context of this book also give a small outline on the definition of vidya, as given by Paramahamsa Swami Omkarananda.

The Deeper Meaning of the Name Tripurasundari

Paramahamsa Swami Omkaranda explained the meaning of the name of the Supreme Divine Mother Tripurasundari as follows.

Tripura Stands for all the universes, visible and invisible, all the inner and outer worlds, the subjective and objective worlds. Beyonds all the these worlds there is the transcendental divine reality, which is boundless beauty. Tripurasundari is the beauty of the infinite truth, which includes, maintains and transcends all universes. The Divine Mother is the boundless ocean of divine consciousness, beauty and love. All and everything is contained in the ocean of Her Presence and Love.