The 59th and 60th mantras of the Lalitha Sahasranama are
mahā-padmāṭavīsaṃsthā-kadamba-vanavāsinī
[She who resides in the great lotus forest and dwells in the Kadamba forest.]
(Sri Lalitha Sahasranama – 59,60)
The 61th mantra of Sri Lalitha Sahasranama is,
sudhā-sāgara-madhyasthā
[She who resides in the center of the ocean of nectar]
These three mantras describe Devi’s various abodes. Surrounding the Chintamani palace, there are prakarams (walls or enclosures) constructed from twenty-four different types of metals, each adorned with precious gems like diamonds and hessonites. Within each enclosure, beautiful gardens flourish. In one garden, a forest of Kadamba trees provides shade, while a great lake hosts a lotus forest. A sea of nectar, called Sudhasagara, is also part of her expansive gardens. Devi’s abode is located within the Chintamani palace, enclosed by these prakarams.
These mantras carry deep, subtle meanings. The primal energy, Kundalini Shakti, is the life force within every being. The seven chakras, or energy centers in our body, are Muladhara, Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddhi, Ajna, and finally, the Sahasrara Chakra at the crown of the head. According to Yoga Shastra (the science of yoga), Kundalini Shakti, represented as a coiled female serpent, resides at the base of the spine. Through deep devotion and intense spiritual practices, this Kundalini energy awakens and ascends through the chakras along the Sushumna nadi (a subtle nerve in the spine).
As Kundalini rises, it breaks through the knots (granthi) of Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra, and enters the mandalas of Surya, Soma, and Agni, eventually reaching the Sahasrara (thousand-petaled lotus) at the crown of the head, where it unites with Shiva. This union represents Shivashakti samarasyam, the inseparable connection of Shiva and Shakti, like the radiance of the full moon. At this stage, a shower of ambrosial nectar flows through the body, flooding all 72,000 nerves. This nectar transforms the ordinary human self into a Self-realized being, leading to liberation.
The ultimate goal of life is to achieve liberation, attained through the awakening of Kundalini. After this divine union, the Kundalini returns to the Muladhara and resides there. While some may have differing interpretations, this process, known as abhyasa or sadhana (intense spiritual discipline), is the true path to liberation. Only through such dedicated spiritual practice can one achieve life’s ultimate purpose.
abhyāsātiśayajñātā
[She who is known only through the exceedingly streneous practice
of spiritual discipline]
(Sri Lalitha Sahasranama – 990)
This mantra elucidates the principles of liberation.
mahā-padmāṭavī-saṃsthā
[She who resides in the great lotus forest]
(Sri Lalitha Sahasranama – 59)
In the tantric tradition, the mahā-padmam refers to the thousand-petaled lotus of the Sahasrara Chakra, where Devi resides. Between the golden and silver walls, studded with precious gems, lies a Kadamba forest, a grove of celestial trees. Devi is also said to dwell in the center of the ocean of nectar, symbolizing her divine abode amidst boundless bliss and spiritual energy.
sudhā-sindhormadhye-suraviṭapivāṭīparivṛte
maṇidvīpe-nīpopavanavati-cintāmaṇigṛhe
śivākāre-mañce-paramaśiva-paryaṅkanilayāṃ
bhajanti-tvāṃ-dhanyāḥ-katicana-cidānandalaharīm
[The blessed ones meditate on You, full of Consciousness and Bliss and seated on the couch that appears like Śiva and Paramaśiva forming the bed in Your palace Cintāmaṇi surrounded by small sized bushes and celestial tress in the island of Maṇidvīpa situated in the middle of the nectarine ocean.]
(Saundaryalahari – 8)
In the Saundarya Lahari, Sri Shankaracharya Swami beautifully describes Devi’s abode: “In the middle of the ocean of nectar, surrounded by a grove of celestial trees, on the island of Manidweepam, within a dense garden of towering trees, stands a palace made of Chintamani gems. In this palace, on a bed whose planks are Shiva and whose four legs are Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara, Ishana & Sadashiva, a few meritorious souls are able to visualize thee and sing hymns in thy praise.”
This vivid portrayal of Devi’s city and gardens mirrors her divine majesty. Similarly, in the hymn Shyamala Dhandakam, Mahakavi Kalidasa offers a comparable description of Devi’s celestial abode.
jaya-janani-sudhā-samudrāntar-udyanmaṇidvīpa
saṃrūḍha-bilvāṭavīmadhya
kalpadrumākalpa-kādambakāntāra
vāsapriye, kṛttivāsapriye, sarvalokapriye !
[Victory to the Divine Mother! who is the darling of Siva and the whole world and who likes to live in the forest of kalpavriksha-like kadamba trees surrounding which is a forest of bilwa trees on the island of Manidweep in the midst of the ocean of nectar.]
(Shyamala Dhandakam)
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