Caitanyārghya-samārādhyā चैतन्यार्घ्य-समाराध्या (918)

Caitanya is the foundational consciousness that has absolute freedom of knowing and doing.  Śiva Sūtra (I.1) say,s caitanyaṁ ātmā.  Caitanya is totally independent.  Only Śiva alone possesses this totally independent Supreme Consciousness. All other living beings depend upon this Supreme Consciousness.  Arghya means the water offered to respectable guests. Bhavanopaniṣad (10) says, jñānaṁ arghya which means knowledge is the best arghya.  When devotion is offered with knowledge, liberation is attained. 

Bhuvaneśvarī mantra is also known as Caitanya mantra. The repetition of this mantra ten thousand times is said to absolve sins.  There are two Bhuvaneśvarī mantra-s.  One is single bīja (hrīṁ ह्रीं) and another has three bīja-s (aiṁ-hrīṁ-śrīṁ ऐं ह्रीं श्रीं).

{Further reading on Caitanya: Caitanya is the pure consciousness, which is the essence of the Brahman, who manifests in three forms.  They are Īśvara, Hiraṇyagarbha, and Virāt. The fourth manifestation of the Brahman is turya. This is the non-dualistic consciousness that appears in different forms due to different preconditioned souls, based on their karmic afflictions. Consciousness limited by ignorance is Īśvara and consciousness conditioned by antaḥkaraṇa (mind, intellect, consciousness and ego) is soul.  Both Īśvara and soul (also known as jīvā) act merely as witnesses (sākṣi).  Consciousness is generally classified as four types: consciousness related to object, consciousness related to knower, consciousness related to means of knowledge and consciousness related to pure knowledge.}

This nāma says that She is worshipped with consciousness as offerings.

Caitanya-kusuma-priyā चैतन्य-कुसुम-प्रिया (919)

She is very fond of kusum flower.  Here consciousness is compared to flower by poets.  This is because flower is primarily responsible for the ultimate fruit (liberation).  The kusum flower mentioned here represents eight qualities that are the basic requirements for spiritual progress.  Each such quality is referred as a flower in the following verse.

ahimsā prathamam puṣpam puṣpam indriya-nigraha:
sarva-bhūta-dayā puṣpam kṣamā puṣpam viseśata: |
jnānam puṣpam tapa: puṣpam dhyānam puṣpam tathaiva ca
satyam aśṭavidham puṣpam viṣṇo: prītikaram bhavet ||

अहिम्सा प्रथमम् पुष्पम् पुष्पम् इन्द्रिय-निग्रह:
सर्व-भूत-दया पुष्पम् क्षमा पुष्पम् विसेशत: ।
ज्नानम् पुष्पम् तप: पुष्पम् ध्यानम् पुष्पम् तथैव च
सत्यम् अश्टविधम् पुष्पम् विष्णो: प्रीतिकरम् भवेत् ॥

This verse says non-violence is the first flower, conquering the senses is the second flower, pity on living beings is the third, compassion is the fourth, wisdom is the fifth, penance is the sixth, truth is the seventh and meditation is the eighth flower.  There is another version of this version conveying the same meaning.

Caitanya is said to be the combination of eight flowers mentioned in the verse and these flowers together is referred as kusuma flower. 

This nāma means that She does not need flowers picked from plants.  Gross flowers are extraneous to one’s consciousness. What She needs is subtle flowers comprising of the above qualities.  Kṛṣṇa explicitly explains this in Bhagavad Gīta (IX.26). “Whosoever offers to me with love, a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, I appear in person before him.” 

Saundarya Laharī (verse 3) says, caitanya stabaka makaranda srutijharī which means ‘the sweetness of knowledge of the Self overflows from the blossomed flowers of caitanya’.  The overflowing knowledge manifests as bliss. 

Sudāma (also known as Kucela- kucela means badly clothed) and Kṛṣṇa studied together during their young age and were very good friends.  Sudāma could not make a decent living.  His wife compelled him to meet Kṛṣṇa. Sudāma carried with him parched rice in a worn out cloth.  When they met, Kṛṣṇa forcibly pulled the pack of worn out cloth and the parched rice grains fell on the floor.  Kṛṣṇa addressed Sudāma “Oh! Friend, this loving present brought by you affords me supreme delight.  The parched rice will satisfy me and the entire universe.”  By saying so, Krishna picked up the grains from the floor and consumed. Sudāma did not ask Kṛṣṇa any favours and returned to his place.  On reaching his place he saw his small house had become a huge bungalow.  The parched grains that Sudāma offered to Kṛṣṇa was filled with love for Him and Kṛṣṇa reciprocated his deep and true love by offering him material prosperity.  This story appears in Srimad Bhāgavata and highlights the value of true devotion. 

Sadoditā सदोदिता (920)

She is eternally shining (reference can be made to nāma-s 6, 275 and 596 where She is compared to sun).  She shines in the mind of virtuous men. 

Chāndogya Upaniṣad (III.xi.2) says “In Brahma loka, the sun never rose, nor did it ever set.”

Sadā-tuṣṭā सदा-तुष्टा (921)

Sadā means always and tuṣṭā means pleased or satisfied.  She always remains satisfied, because of the attributes mentioned in nāma-s 252 and 656.  She always remains contended because of true devotion.

The quality of the Brahman is eternal contentment, as the Brahman does not partake in any actions and always remain as a witness. Actions alone cause discontentment, a quality of souls. When one realises the ever content Brahman, he also becomes contended. 

Taruṇāditya-pāṭalā तरुणादित्य-पाटला (922)

Pāṭala means pale red, the colour of rising sun.  This colour has more of red (Her complexion) and less of white (complexion of Śiva).  This means that Her qualities are more predominant than that of Śiva while sustaining the universe.  

She assumes different complexions depending upon the form in which She is contemplated. Bṛhadāraṇayaka Upaniṣad (II.iii.6) describes the Brahman with limiting adjuncts.  It describes the Brahman in various forms, “Like a cloth dyed with turmeric, or like grey sheep’s wool, or like the insect called indigo, or like a white lotus, or like a flash of lightning.”

The same Upaniṣad (III.ix.21) again says “Faith rests on the heart, for one knows faith through the heart”.  The one who needs salvation meditates Her in white complexion, the one who needs bravery meditates Her in red complexion.  Yama, the Lord of death is dark complexioned. Goddess Sarasvatī is visualised sitting on a white lotus.  White means knowledge. Every colour has got qualities.  Each devotee visualises Her in different complexion based upon his needs. 

Each cakra shines in different colours in kuṇḍalinī meditation.  Such colours have different qualities and when kuṇḍalinī is predominant in a particular cakra, the qualities of that colour become predominant in the practitioner. 

This nāma does not overrule Her red complexion as discussed in dhyāna verses.  This nāma says that Her complexion changes depending upon what is prayed for. 

Dakṣiṇā-dakṣiṇārādhyā दक्षिणा-दक्षिणाराध्या (923)

She is adored by right hand worshippers known as dakṣinācāra. Left hand worshippers are called vāmācāra.  She is adored both by dakṣinācāra and vāmācāra methods as explained in nāma 912.

Dakṣiṇa also means knowledgeable men adakṣiṇa means ignorant men. She is worshipped both by wise and ignorant.  Anybody who worships Her is a devotee.  A devotee could be knowledgeable or ignorant.  Knowledgeable means the one who pursues the Brahman mentally, expecting nothing in return from Her, except salvation.  Ignorant means the one who continues to be associated with rituals expecting something in return from Her.

Dakṣiṇa also means offerings made to one’s Guru. It can also be interpreted that She is pleased when offerings are made to a Guru who initiates disciples into Śrī vidyā cult.  

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gīta (VII.15, 16 and 17) “foolish and vile men of evil deeds do not adore me.  Four types of devotees of noble deeds worship me: the seeker after worldly possessions, the afflicted, the seeker for knowledge and man of wisdom.  Of these best is the man of wisdom, ever established in me and possessed of exclusive devotion.  I am extremely dear to that man and he is extremely dear to me.”