Lalitāmbikā is the embodiment of compassion as She is fondly addressed as Śrī Mātā, which means the mother of the universe. She is fondly worshipped through many means such as worshipping Śrī Cakra, meditating on Her through japa mantra-s such as Pañcadaśī and ṣodaśī, singing Her praise through various verses, etc. The important among the last one is Her most celebrated Sahasranāma, which was authored by Her very close attendants in Her presence and in Her place. Every name used in this Sahasranāma has got gross and subtle meaning. Sahasra means one thousand and nāma means name. Nāma not merely refers to names, but also Her forms and attributes. She engulfs the universe through Her delusionary influence called māyā. Śiva has given Her full authority for effectively administering the universe.
This edition of Sahasranāma contains detailed interpretation for each name with appropriate quotations from Veda-s, Saundarya Laharī, Bhagavad Gīta, Upaniṣads, etc in order to make the understanding better. The citations from other Veda-s and scriptures go to prove the magnificence of Lalitā Sahasranāma. Every attempt has been made to make the interpretations as easy as possible and no effort was spared to go into the depth of each nāma. Each nāma is not only transliterated (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration - IAST), but also the original Sanskrit version of the nāma is also used, so that the original beauty of the nāma is not lost. A guide to read transliterations is also provided with examples. A lot of additional informations have been provided captioned as ‘further reading’. Such informations are not only needed for better understanding of nāma-s, but they, in general, provide additional knowledge for those who pursue the path of spirituality. This book clearly differentiates between religion and spirituality with more emphasis on spiritual pursuits. While maintaining the intended meaning of nāma-s, the concept conveyed has been substantiated with quotations from other sacred scriptures. This book will be of immense help for all those who pursue spiritual path.
This edition additionally contains Uttara bhāg, Index of nāma-s and Bibliography.