Cinmayī चिन्मयी (251)

She is in the form pure consciousness. Cin here means cit.  Pure consciousness is that stage of awareness, where there is no differentiation between the known, the knower and the knowledge.  The absence of this triad while realising the Brahman, is pure cit (also chit) or consciousness.  Please refer nāma 254 also.

{Further reading on consciousness:  Consciousness can be explained as an alert cognitive state in which one is aware of himself and his situation. Brahman is pure consciousness known as cit.  When cit becomes reflected as cosmic conscience in the form of God, it does not lose its omniscience and omnipotence.  When cit is reflected as individual conscience, it degenerates from absolute consciousness to limited individual consciousness.  This is known as citta (individual conscience) and is different from cit.  The cosmic conscience, the Brahman initiates macrocosmic manifestation of prakṛti while the individual conscience initiates the microcosmic manifestation.  Both cit and citta set in evolutionary forces into motion. There are different levels of consciousness, the lowest being the stage of action and the highest being turya and finally turyātīta.}

Paramānandā परमानन्दा (252)

She is the embodiment of happiness.  This nāma is an extension of the previous nāma.  When consciousness is pure, it leads to bliss, which is known as the supreme happiness.

The stage of pure consciousness can be attained only if māyā is discarded.  To discard māyā or illusion, one needs to cogitate Her all the time.  This does not mean that one should stop his quotidian activities, sit in a secluded place and think about Her.  The prescribed actions should continue with the clear understanding that such acts are being done on Her behalf.  This is the concept of Self-realization.  When all the acts are done on Her behalf, the question of happiness or sorrow does not arise, as the results arising out of such actions are surrendered unto Her.  Because one is not the doer, the karmas arising out of such actions do not accrue to him.  One’s body may suffer, but not his mind.  His mind treats both happiness and sorrow on the same footing.  To attain this stage, one should get away from the clutches of māyā.  This stage is where one feels ‘I am That’.

 Chāndogya Upaniṣad (VII.23) says “That which is Infinite is the source of happiness, which is to be sought after”.

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gīta (VI.20), “The mind curbed through practice becomes still in which Ātman is realised and the soul rejoices.”

Vijñānaghana-rūpiṇī विज्ञानघन-रूपिणी (253)

She is the essence of pure consciousness.  Essence means the subtle form of consciousness.  Ānanda or supreme happiness is the gross form of consciousness. 

This is beautifully explained in Bṛhadāraṇayaka Upaniṣad (II.iv.12) says, “Pure and subtle form of consciousness is like dropping a pinch of salt in water.  It gets dissolved and cannot be removed from the water.  A pinch of salt (subtle) makes the whole pot of water (gross) taste salty.  In the same way, the Self comes out as a separate entity (separate entity means me and mine or ego) is destroyed.  Then what remains is the Supreme Self alone. Once this state of oneness is attained, there is no question of even the consciousness.  But how is this pure consciousness?” This Upaniṣad further says (III.iv.2) “This is your Self that is within all.  Everything else (the gross body) is perishable.”

There is another interpretation.  Vijñāna means soul or jīva and vijñānaghana means the total sum of souls.  Such sum of souls is called the hiraṇyagarbha or the golden egg (please refer nāma 232).  Vijñāna can be defined as ‘the absolute freedom revealing itself in the three actions of the Brahman – creation, sustenance and dissolution.  The entire manifestation consisting of subject and object is a reflection of vijñāna.”

This interpretation is elaborated in Praśna Upaniṣad (V.2), which says, “sa etasmājjīvaghanāt parātparaṁ” which means He (Brahman) is superior even to hiraṇyagarbha, the sum total of all beings.”

Dhyāna-dhātṛ-dhyeya-rūpā ध्यान-धातृ-ध्येय-रूपा (254)

She is the form of a triad – the meditation, the meditator and the object of meditation.  This triad leads to another triad – the knower, the known and the knowledge.   Higher level of spiritual knowledge can be attained only through dhyāna or meditation.  Meditation is only a process of powerful concentration.  Reading books and listening to sermons are not knowledge.  Knowledge is attained through internal quest and exploration.  The store house of knowledge is not extraneous, but within.  The store house is nothing but the Supreme Self.  Please refer nāma 251 also.

Patañjali Yoga Sūtra (III.2) explains this further. “Unbroken flow of that concentration in that object is called dhyāna.”

Kashmiri Saivism has unique advaita philosophy known as trika, a triad formed out of Śiva, Śaktī and nara or soul.