Gāna-lolupā गान-लोलुपा (857)

She is fond of songs.  Shyāmala Dhandagam (4) says jaya saṅgīta priyeJaya means victory and this means She is fond of songs that praise Her victories (like Devi Mahātmyam).  She has a melodious voice, says Saundarya Laharī (verse 66).  It says that the sweetness of the strings of vīṇā of Goddess Sarasvatī is nothing before the soft eulogistic melody of Lalitāmbikā. 

Kalpanā-rahitā कल्पना-रहिता (858)

Kalpana means formation of ideas and rahita means absent.  She is devoid of approximations, as She is the endowment of Reality.  When the ultimate Reality is known, there is no necessity for formation of ideas. 

There is another interpretation.  This nāma is split into kalpa + nara + hitaKalpa means pralaya or the deluge, nara means human beings and hita means friend.  Even during annihilation of the universe, She holds in Her womb (possibly hiraṇya garbha or the golden egg), pious souls for recreation. Aṣṭāvakra Gīta (II.25) says “Amazingly, in the infinite ocean of Myself, the waves of life arise, meet, play and disappear naturally.”

[For further reading on hiraṇya garbha: – The Brahman imparted Vedas to the first created being known as hiraṇyagarbha or the cosmic soul, whose limiting adjunct is the universal mind. In case a person is not able to realise the nirguna Brahman (Brahman without attributes) and realises only sagguṇa Brahman (with attributes), after death he reaches Brahmaloka, the highest level of cosmic order.  From there he is not reborn into the mortal world, but lives in Brahmaloka for an infinite period of time and attains liberation with hiraṇyagarbha, the presiding deity of Brahmaloka.  This process is explained in detail in Bhagavad Gīta VI.40-44.]

{Further reading:  Aṣṭāvakra Gīta (अष्टावक्रगीता) or the Song of Aṣṭāvakra, also known as Aṣṭāvakra saṃhitā is an Advaita Vedānta scripture which documents a dialogue between the Perfect Master Aṣṭāvakra and Janaka, the King of Mithila. Aṣṭāvakra Gīta states that there is no such thing as existence or non existence, right or wrong, or moral or immoral. In the eyes of the Aṣṭāvakra, one's true identity can be found by simply recognizing oneself as pure existence and that as individuals we are the Awareness of all things.

Aṣṭāvakra Gīta teaches that one is already free once one realises one is free. It is in the form of conversation between two enlightened souls. It advocates non-action, the loss of desire and severing of worldly attachments. To free oneself from the cycle of life and death one should withdraw from all earthly desires and worries. To continue indulging in Earthly things even after one has realised their true nature is said to be foolish and time wasting. Instead it paints a picture of The Master as someone who continues to keep up their responsibilities in the world, not because they believe they have to or due to any worldly attachments, but simply that it is in their nature to do so. To avoid misinterpretation in this regard teachers traditionally recommend that Aṣṭāvakra Gīta be pursued by only those who have already advanced on the spiritual path.}

Kāṣṭhā काष्ठा (859)

Kaṭha Upaniṣad (I.iii.11) says “sā kāsṭhā sā parā gatiḥ” which means ‘That which is the limit of growth is also the highest goal attainable by anybody.’ (There is nothing higher than the Brahman, and that is the highest goal anybody can attain.)  One’s goal should be from the gross to subtle.  In this context this nāma means goal. 

Kāṣṭhā is time period consisting of 1.60 seconds. (One nimeṣa is equal to 0.088 seconds. One nimeṣa is equal to one blink of eye.  Eighteen nimeṣa is equal to one Kāṣṭhā or 1.60 seconds.)

One of the forms of Śiva is Bhīma, representing ether (element ākāś) and His wife is known as Kāṣṭhā.

Kṛṣṇa explains to Arjuna (Bhagavad Gīta X.42) the ultimate goal “Suffice it to say that I stand bold this entire universe by a fraction of my yogic power.” That yogic power is Kāṣṭhā. The one, who realises this Kāṣṭhā is known as Self-realized person. 

But the path to the goal is full of thorns and hard to tread.  It is like walking on razor’s edge, says Kaṭha Upaniṣad (I.iii.14).

Akāntā अकान्ता (860)

She is the destroyer of sins. Sins are destroyed by making one perform good karma-s.  Nāma 167 pāpa-nāśinī and nāma 743 pāpāraṇya-davānalā convey the same meaning.  Triśatī nāma-s 31 and 112 also convey the same meaning.

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gīta (XVIII.66) “Resigning all your duties to me, the all-powerful and all-supporting Lord, take refuge in Me alone.  I shall absolve you of all sins, worry not.”

Jesus Christ said “There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake and gospel’s.  But he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:29, 30)

 Nāma 329 is kāntā which said about Her vibrating and radiating beauty.  Generally if ‘a’ is prefixed to a word, it means the opposite meaning of that word.  But, this nāma is an exception like varadā (331) and avaradā (639).

Kāntārdha-vigrahā कान्तार्ध-विग्रहा (861)

She has half the body of Her husband Śiva.  Kāntā means Śiva. This form is known as Ardhanārīśvara form, half-male and half-female.  This form was very popular in ancient sculptures. This form means the creation.  Male form is known as puruṣa and the female form is known as prakṛti.  Creation is caused by the union of puruṣa and prakṛti

Liṅga Purāṇa (I.iv.28) says “At the beginning of creation, Brahma had created a Being (Rudra) possessed of a body half man’s and half woman’s and then the Creator said “Divide thyself”. And He being accosted thus divided Himself into two.  It was then that She was born.”

Saundarya Laharī (verse 23) also refers to this form.  The verse says that after having obtained the left half of Śiva’s body, She still remains unsatisfied. She is so fond of Śiva.

Nāma 392 śrikanṭhārdha-śarīriṇi also refers to this form.

Chāndogya Upaniṣad (III.xii.6) says “The glory of puruṣa (Śiva) is still greater.  All creatures constitute one quarter of Him.  The remaining three quarters are nectar in heaven.”