Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 13: Shri Campakasoka Punnaga Saugandhika Lasat Kaca (OM champakAshokapunnAgasaugandhikalasatkachAyai namaH)

The meaning of this namam is that the Divine Mother is the one with her hair adorning with fresh flowers such as Campaka, Asoka, Punnagam and Sagandhika.

From this namam onwards, the description of the Divine Mother’s immensely beautiful figure as seen by her devotees begins. It covers a head to toe commentary of the Divine Mother.

There are three parts. It starts with her head. Next is about her body part from throat going down to her waist. The last section covers her waist down to her feet. I will make a comparison here with seven and half year’s Saturn period in one’s astrological chart. The first two and half years will have head or mental issues. Second two and half years will affect throat down to waist, meaning the person cannot eat well at right time and will suffer stomach related problems. Last two and half years will affect waist down to toe, meaning the person slipping down or falling down thereby affecting his leg and or his walking.

This thirteenth namam talks about the Divine Mothers head. Earlier namam had described that the Divine Mother rose out of Yoga fire lit by sages. Those sages were seeking her help to stop the Pandasuran (an evil force) from harming them. When the Divine Mother came out of the fire, first her head had come out. The Divine Mother’s hair is full of original fragrance. The flower Campaka, Asoka, Punnagam and Saugandhika get their fragrance enriched from the original fragrance of the Divine Mother and not the other way about. The Divine mother’s hair has infinite treasure of fragrance. What a person normal smelling outside is very little portion measured from the Divine Mother’s original fragrance.

Comparing an episode on one of the Pandiaya king’s doubt. The king wanted to know if a normal lady’s hair had fragrance of its own. One Tamil poet, with Lord Siva’s assurances, argued in Pandiyan’s court that normal lady’s hair would have the fragrance of its own. The poet sought the earlier announced reward from the king. Nakeerer, an eminent poet and learned man who was in that court argued against the poet’s point of view and refused to recommend the reward for the poet. Then, Lord Siva appeared in Pandiya king’s court to support the poet’s argument. Nakeerar was very strong not to accept poet’s and lord Siva’s point of view, saying that the normal lady’s hair had fragrance of its own. Lord Siva even showed his anger by opening up his third eye. Nakeerer stood by his point that normal lady’s hair would not have original fragrance excepting that of the Divine Mother’s hair which only would have the original fragrance. The episode goes further in that the Lord Siva blessed Nakeerer for his strong point even against the Lord Siva. 

This all goes to prove the point that the Divine Mother’s hair has her own infinite treasure of fragrance.

C N Nachiappun
Singapore, 06 February 2020.