Sanskrit: ललिता, Lalitā
Free Simple Lalita Puja PDF
Lalita is another name for Divine Mother, meaning Beautiful, Playful, and Beloved.
She is Beautiful, because there is no other vision to compare with the Divinity of Existence. She is Playful, because all that we perceive is part of God’s drama. She is Beloved, because the Love of God is pure.
Lalita also means: She who orders and organizes Creation. She orders all of the karma of creation. All actions are authorized by Her, and everything we do is for Her, whether we know it or not.
When She approves actions, She gives the fruit of righteous conduct. When we stray from the path of dharma, She immediately sends us conflict and confusion. Our compassionate Divine Mother grants us the fruit of our actions, and thus, we learn which actions will bring us closer to Her.
All existence, in reality, is the Divine Play (the Lila) of the Mother of the Universe. Everything we perceive is part of this Lila of God, which plays out on the stage of consciousness. Essentially, we are all, actually, parts of Divine Mother. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are constantly seeking to show our love for Divine Mother, Lalita, through all of our actions.
Benefits of Worship
By chanting the names of Lalita, we are granted spiritual clarity, and intense love for Divine Mother.
The chanting of the Lalita Sahashranama, the Thousand Names of Lalita Devi, brings us great fruit. The Chanter becomes a shining light in the darkness of night.
But worship with the Three Hundred Names, Lalita Trishati, brings even greater fruit. The fruits of this chanting are explained in the verse that follows:
“Whatever fruit may be derived from the offerings and songs, and the continuous recitations of other mantras, that fruit will be multiplied by ten million qualities for those who worship with these Three Hundred Names.”
Every word in the Lalita Trishati has a particular energy, a special bhavana, and an intensity of vibration. When chanted with the special mode of pronunciation, the three hundred names come alive, and make the Mother manifest.
Worship and Celebrations at the Devi Mandir
At the Devi Mandir, Lalita Devi spontaneously reveals Herself through Shree Maa.
On one occasion, several years ago, Lalita showed Her playful nature by acting through Shree Maa.
On tour of the United States, one night the devotees packed their instruments in preparation for an early start the next day. At evening, during the Arati, everyone was singing and dancing, when Shree Maa asked about the instruments. Hearing that they were packed, Shree Maa got up and went to the kitchen. Soon the rhythmic sound of a plate being struck by a spoon emerged in perfect beat to the “Jai Maa, Jai Maa,” which was being sung.
References
Swamiji teaches us about the intrinsic nature of Divine Mother Lalita in His translation of the Lalita Trishati which is in the book Shree Maa: The Guru and the Goddess. This book is also available as an iPad App.
Lalita Trishati Video Class Series by Shree Maa and Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Tune into the podcast series of the Lalita Trishati in Sanskrit and English available on the podcast section of our website.