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Shri Mata Lalita Tripurasundari

Known popularly as Lalitaamba, Maha Tripura Sunduri, Kameshwari and Shodashi. She is majestically seated on a throne with Sadashiva being the seat and the four posts being help up by Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Ishwar. Adiguru Sankracharya in his great works called Soundarya Lahiri contains 105 shoklas in the praise of Sri Maha Tripurasundari. The Brahmand Puran portrays her as being attended by Laskshmi and Saraswati on either side.

She is called Tripurasundari because:

She rules the three saktis - ichca (will), gyan (knowledge) and kriya (action).
She is ruler of the three worlds - earth, heaven and the nether world.
She is of three bodies - Sthula (Gross), Sukshaman (Subtle) and Karan (Causal).
She exists in the three states - Jagrat (Waking), Swapna (Dream) and Sushupt (Deep Sleep).
She is above the three hunas - Rajas, Tamas and Sattvika.
She is a presiding deity of Sri Vidya, pervading as Prabrahm.

Dhayanshloka for Shri Devi

'Sinduraruna Vigraham Trinayanam Manikya Mauli Sphurat

Tara Nayaka Shekharam Smita Mukhim Apina Vakshoruham

Panibhyam Alipurna Ratna Chashhakam Raktotpalam Vibhratim

Saumyam Ratna Ghatastha Rakta Charanam Dhyayet Paramambikam'

May we meditate on the DIVINE, whose body has the red hue of vermillion, who has three eyes, who wears a beautiful crown studded with rubies, who is adorned with the crescent moon. Whose face supports a beautiful smile indicating compassion, who has beautiful limbs, whose hands hold a jewel studded golden vessel filled with nectar, and in the other a red lotus flower.

'Arunam Karuna Tarangitakshim

Dhrita Pasham Kusha Pushhpa Bana Chapam

Animadi Bhiravritam Mayukhaih

Ahamityeva Vibhavaye Bhavanim'

I meditate on the great empress. She is red in colour and her eyes are full of compassion. She holds the noose, the goad, the bow and the flowery arrow in her hands. She is surrounded on all sides by powers such as Anima for rays and she is the self within me. The four symbols she holds mean Ankusa (goad) - a weapon to restrain the forces of evil, Pasa (noose) - representing the power of LOVE, Kama (sugarcane bow) - for the MIND, five floral arrows (subtle) - representing the five tanmatras.

She is red like the light of a thousand rising suns, even her garments are red. Red is the colour of desire, passion, love at heart which dispels all ignorance. She is bliss, beauty, par excellence. She is nameless but has a thousand names (Sri Lalita Sahasranam).