thousand names of lalitA: pancatanmAtrasAyakA

11. pancatanmAtrasAyakA (1)

पंञ्चतन्मात्रसायका

பஞ்சதந்மாத்ரஸாயகா

holds the five subtle elements  as arrows in her hands

a. In her manifest form the mother has in her right upper hand five flowers as arrows. These flowers are : kamlam, kairavam, raktaM, kahlAra, indIvara (2). These arrows when they find their target produce harSaNam – joy, rocanam – excitement, mohanam – temptation (or seduction), soSaNam (drain, parch or wither), mAraNam (kill). The devatA for these arrows is daNdanAthA (vArAhi)

b. the subtle form of these five arrows are the five subtle elements – tanmAtrAs – these represent the character of the five basic elements (panCa bUta). These are sound (AkaSa ), touch (wind), Form  (Fire), Taste (Water) Smell (Earth)

c. She dorns the bows and arrows of kAmA – since she is kAmeSwari

d. the devatA of the bow is mantriNi – she is the devatA of intelligence; the devatA of the arrows is daNdanathA – she is the devatA of strength. Intelligence and strength must reside together (as they do in the devi)

Condensed from

1. bAskararAya. sowbAgya bAskaraM and lalitA sahasranAmam. Nirnaya Sagar Bombay press 1935
2. Lalitha Saharsnamam tamizh vilakka urai Gnana Baskara Sangam 1999 Chennai 18

Footnotes:

1. panca + tan-mAtra + sAyakA
2. These are the names for the flowers given by bhAskararAyA. These include the lotus, white, red and blue, the (white) water lilly and the safflower. Others have used some variations including the mango blossom
3. nAmAs 8 – 11 contain a mantras for different weapons – may be obtained from a guru

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