Pratyak-citī-rūpā प्रत्यक्-चिती-रूपा (367)

Pratyak means turned towards the inner soul and cit means consciousness.  She is in the form of inner consciousness which is known as inner Self. Pratyak is opposed to parāk, which means turned outwards that happens with the help of senses. Inner consciousness is considered as the supreme level of consciousness. Life energy interacts with internal awareness, paving way for higher level of consciousness.  The lower or higher level of consciousness purely depends upon the purity of the mind.  Purity of the mind depends upon the level of usage of sensory organs.   Looking within means, the process of interaction between life energy or prāṇa with consciousness or cit.  This is called the Supreme Self or the Brahman in un-manifested form, which is the essential nature of the Brahman.  When She is referred to as the inner consciousness, it means Her un-manifested Brahman form, discussed in nāma-s 397 and 398.  

This is beautifully explained in Katha Upaniṣad (II.i.1) which says “The Self-created Lord has created the sense organs with the inherent defect that they are by nature outgoing.  This is why beings see things outside and cannot see the Self within.  Rarely is there found a wise person seeking immortality, who can withdraw his sense organs from external objects to the Self within.”

Paśyantī पश्यन्ती (368)

Nāma 366 said that paśyantī is the second stage in the evolution of sound.  The union of Śiva and Śaktī is the primary stage of sound which is called parā.  This primary stage leads to the next stage called paśyantī where the first differentiation begins to appear in the process of evolution of speech.  In this level, the sound becomes more perceptible but continues to be inaudible, though not yet isolated.  The previous nāma suggested that one should look within to explore the inner consciousness.  But what happens if inner consciousness is explored?  It leads to the beginning of differentiation in the form of visionary wherein the Self begins to realize all others as its own.  This nāma says that She is in this form of speech.  The concept is that She is the beginning and end of speech.  It can also be said that speech originates and dissolves in Her.

Paradevatā परदेवता (369)

She transports power to other gods and goddesses, meaning that She is the supreme amongst gods and goddesses. 

Madhyamā मध्यमा (370)

The next higher level of paśyantī is madhyamā.  This stage is called intermediary stage between the origin and the end of speech.  Here the duality begins to appear.  This is the stage where the individual consciousness, the psychological result of perception, learning and reasoning, where the mind develops capacity to analyze and differentiate has not reached the empirical level.  At this level, intellect, one of the components of antaḥkaraṇa begins to influence the consciousness which is in the impersonal stage of development.    This is a stage where one can talk to himself.  Mantra-s are chanted and recited in this stage only.  This is because, while reciting mantra japa-s, only the inner Self alone should listen to the mantra-s and not anybody else, not even one’s etheric body.  In this stage only the uttering self alone can listen to the sound. Whisper develops from this stage.  Step by step of Her manifestation in the form of sound is discussed in these nāma-s

Vaikhari-rūpā वैखरि-रूपा (371)

Vaikhari is the fourth and final form of sound in its evolution.  This is the state wherein the sound is heard. This is called vaikhari because the sound is produced by a modified form of prāṇa called vaikihari. This is the stage which is called aparā or non-supreme stage in the evolution of sound where there exists fully developed materialization, combined with time and space, the components of māyā.  In fact the theory of evolution of speech purely depends upon the materialistic treatment of prāṇa or life energy.  The whispering sound in the stage of madhyama fully transforms into speech and delivered in the form of vaikhari.  It is said that will (icchā) forms the basis of speech to finally merge with consciousness.   Importance of consciousness is repeatedly emphasised.