Glorious Alchemy: Living the Lalitā Sahasranāma

Invocation Gaṇeśa-graha-nakṣatra-yoginī-rāśi-rūpiṇīm | Devīm mantra-mayīm naumi mātṛkāṁ pīṭha-rūpiṇīm || I humbly bow to that supreme Devī who is the embodiment of the gaṇeśas, planets, stellar configurations, yoginīs, constellations, mantras, the matrix of language, and sacred sites. –Nityā Śodaṣikārṇava 1:1

While Śrīvidyā is the name of a particular path, it also refers to the central mantra of the tradition as well as its ultimate goal—svatantra or absolute freedom through the realization of auspicious wisdom.

When we look at the Tattva map, we see that Śiva-Śakti is characterized by three powers: icchā (will), jñāna (knowledge) and kriyā (action), which are the primordial creative forces. The first three kañcukas are the limitations of these three powers. Icchā becomes limited as rāga, jñāna as vidyā, and kriyā as kalā.

Unlike the fierce (Raudra) forms of Devī such as Kāli, Lalitā is playful and sweet. Like a concerned mother, she indulges our petty desires at times, and scolds us at other times for our follies, but at all times she leads us to the highest truths of the path.

Devī explicitly requests the Vāgdevatās to end the Sahasranāma with the word Lalitā, to denote her absolute independence.

the very act of creation is the Divine limiting itself. Everything that exists is therefore a manifestation of this limitation. Accordingly, the very question of why suffering exists lies in the realm of limitation. When we transcend limitations in our own sādhanā, such questions stop making sense and stop arising. Imagine a movie that you pay good

The two aspects of the one Reality as Śiva and Śakti are the first two tattvas (see previous chapter). Śiva-Śakti’s creative energy has three modes of operation, which are intention (icchā), knowledge (jñāna) and action (kriyā), which are the next three tattvas. Up until this point, prakāśa-vimarśa are non-separate, where objects of creation are no

The non-dual Śakta-Śaiva Tāntrik traditions describe the descent of Reality into creation by way of the thirty-six principles known as tattvas

Awakening Self-discovery or enlightenment. Process of reclaiming our true identity as this eternal, unborn Self (note the capital S). Occurs with the shedding of the ego or the small self (note the small s).