41. Īkārarūpā ईकाररूपा

ई (Ī) is the third akṣara of the pañcadaśī mantra. The next twenty nāma-s begin with ई (Ī). In the pañcadaśī mantra, ई (Ī) is not repeated elsewhere like the previous akṣara ए (e). These are the only two akṣara-s that are not repeated in pañcadaśī mantra.  ई (Ī) refers to Manmatha and indirectly signifies kāmakalā, described in Lalitā Sahasranāma 322, kāmakalā rūpā and is also explained in Saundaryalaharī verse 19. Kāmakalā  is the prime source of entire creation. There are only twenty nāma-s which begin with ई (Ī) in the entire Lalitā Triśatī.

Lalitā Sahasranāma 712 is also ई (Ī), where it is explained that this akṣara represents Viṣṇu and His sister Parāśakti.

42. Īśitrī ईशित्री

Śiva is Īśitā and She is Īśitrī. Īśitā means supremacy. Īśāna is one of the eight cosmic forms of Śiva, where He, in the form of wind (not air, presided by Vāyu, a cardinal deity. Wind here means prāṇa, the vital breath) creates the universe. His Consort is Īśitrī (Liṅaga Purāṇa II.13.9).

Kena Upaniṣad poses a question in the first verse, “By whose will is the mind drawn towards its objects? Who makes the vital breath, the first sign of life function? Ordained by whom, do people utter words? Which god directs sense organs?” This verse talks about the Power of Śiva, which is known as Parāśakti

43. Īpsitārthapradāyinī ईप्सितार्थप्रदायिनी

Īpsita – desire or wish; artha – material wealth; pradāyinī – bestower.

She grants whatever is prayed for, including material wealth. Dāyini also means inheritance, which refers to the Power of Śiva inherited by Her. Since Śiva’s Power is unsurmountable, it obviously means His own Absolute Power of Authority known as Svātantrya Śakti. She uses His Power and fulfils the wishes of Their devotees. But a fully developed devotee will not seek material wealth. He will seek only liberation, as She alone has the capacity to take a person to Śiva for final liberation. Lalitā Sahasranāma 727 says that She is Śivajñāna pradāyinī

44. Īdṛgityavinirdeśyā ईदृगित्यविनिर्देश्या

She is endowed with such a quality that She cannot be described as She is. Vinirdeśya means to describe. This nāma says that She is inexplicable through perception or vision, as She is too subtle and without a form.

Kena Upaniṣad (I.6 and 7) explains this quality of Brahman. “Know that alone to be Brahman, which the mind cannot comprehend and eyes cannot see.”

(It can also be argued that She is in the form of the causal body, which is the cause of both subtle and gross bodies. Śiva is the Self within. Without Śiva, the causal body cannot function and without the causal body, Śiva cannot manifest. Further, when the Soul leaves the body at the time of death, causal body also travels with the Soul. Thus inseparableness of Śiva and Śakti can also be established.)

45. Īśvaratvavidhāyinī ईश्वरत्वविधायिनी

Īśvaratva means supremacy, which refers to Śiva. Vidhāyini means giver. This nāma says that She alone is capable of conferring Śivahood (merging with Śiva – Kaivalya state).

Lalitā Sahasranāma 625 Kaivalyapada-dāyinī says, “Kaivalya is the final stage of life of a living being. Nobody is there with that being during that time.  He is all alone without any help around and he has to achieve on his own.  This is the final stage of one’s evolution.  The soul is about to leave its present body and getting ready to merge with the Brahman. Kaivalya is liberation or salvation and hence it is called the final stage.  This final stage can be reached in two ways.  One is the mundane stage associated with desires and attachments where soul gets ready for rebirth.  The other stage is the stage of samādi, where the soul gets ready for its union with the Brahman not to be born again.  This is kaivalya.  Lalitāmbikā is the giver of this stage.”

Chāndogya Upaniṣad (VIII.xii.3) makes an interesting reading about a realized person. It says that one experiences bliss after realizing the Self-illuminating Brahman within. Upaniṣad uses ‘uttama puruṣaḥ’ which refers to Paramātma (Brahman). He (the realized person) freely moves about eating, playing, enjoying with women and relatives and while doing so, he does not even remember the presence of his body. Since he is a realized person, he never identifies himself with his body; for him, his body merely houses Brahman.

46. Īśānādibrahmamayī ईशानादि ब्रह्ममयी

There are five stages between creation and re-creation and they are creation, sustenance, destruction (death), annihilation (of the universe, which is also known as concealment) and recreation due to compassion. In Sanskrit these five acts are known as sṛṣṭi, sthiti, saṁhāra, tirodāna and anugraha (सृष्टि, स्थिति, संहार, तिरोदान, and अनुग्रह). Each of these acts is presided over by Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Mahādeva and Sadāśiva. Lalitā Sahasranāma (250) addressed these five Gods as pañca Brahman-s. When these five Gods are accompanied by their consorts, they are known as Pañca Brahman-s and when they are not accompanied by their consorts, they are known as pañca preta-s, says Lalitā Sahasranāma 947. Consorts here mean their powers, which are portrayed as their consorts. This is like interdependence of Śiva and Śakti. If Śiva and Śakti are independent, they also become like preta-s. This nāma says that She in the form of the powers of these five Brahman-s.

Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Mahādeva and Sadāśiva come only after Śakti in the divine hierarchy. Śiva occupies the top position (tattva) and Śakti occupies the second position. Typically speaking, there is no difference between Śiva and Śakti. Saundaryalaharī verse 1 explains their interdependence. Rest evolve only from Her.

As these five Brahman-s evolve only from Her,  Lalitā Sahasranāma (250) addresses Her as pañcabrahma svarūpinī. This does not mean that there are five Brahman-s. Brahman is always One and pañcabrahma refers to five principle acts of Brahman, as discussed above. Each of these five acts and the respective five Brahman-s are explained in Lalitā Sahasranāma 264 to 274. Please click on the following links to study these nāma-s.

http://www.manblunder.com/articlesview/lalitha-sahasranamam-264-265

http://www.manblunder.com/articlesview/lalitha-sahasranamam-266-267

http://www.manblunder.com/articlesview/lalitha-sahasranamam-268-270

http://www.manblunder.com/articlesview/lalitha-sahasranamam-271-274

47. Īśitvādyaṣṭasiddhidā ईशित्वाद्यष्टसिद्धिदा

She is the giver eight types of siddhi-s (superhuman powers), as explained in Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali (II.29) and they are aṇimā, laghimā, parāptiḥ, prākāmyam, mahimā, īśitvaṁ, vaśitvaṁ and kāmāvasāyitā.

These eight superhuman powers are extremely difficult to attain and possible only to the best of yogī-s. Even if they are attained, they are great impediments to the path of liberation. Patañjali himself says, “They are obstacles to samādhi, but they are powers in their worldly state.”

Kṛṣṇa also talks about superhuman powers in Uddhava Gīta (X), “To the yogī, who has controlled his senses and prāṇa-s, who is balanced and concentrates the mind on Me, various powers come. Those who are experts in concentration and yoga call the powers as eighteen in number.  Eight of these are pertaining to Me (aṇimā to kāmāvasāyitā) and the remaining are due to a perfection in sattva (sattva is not used here as one of the three guṇa-s; it means Spiritual essence, leading to realization of the Self).”

Siddhi-s can be attained only by perfecting in Kuṇḍalinī yoga.