Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 478: Shri Khatvangadi praharana (ōṃ khaṭvāṅgādipraharaṇāyai namaḥ)

In Namams 475 to 534 represents the Divine Mother’s Yogini forms. 

The Divine Mother is armed with club and other weapons. 

Khatvanga is, Lord Shiva’s weapon; it has a club with a skull at its end; it a key weapon in one of four arms of the Dakini Devi in Visduhhdi chakra. The four legs of the cot are also called Khatvangam, giving a meaning that the Divine Mother has the cot legs as one of her weapons. The upper portion of the legs are thicker than the lower portion.  Dakini Devi has four legs also. 

For an able man, even the grass can become a weapon. It is called that a man without a weapon is called half man. The Divine Mother with Her various forms have all kinds of weapons with Her. The universal beings have more than enough weapons for their defense and aggression needs. In ancient days, the soldier had a sword and a shield to save him. For all universal happenings, the Divine Mother is behind them. She has enough weapons to safeguard Her devotees. Khatvanga is a message to humans to be non-attached to worldly things in this life. 

The other weapons refer to a sword, a trident, and a rod. From the description in meditation verse, Dakini Devi, in Visuddhi chakra, is understood as having four armed and holding club and other weapons in them.

 

The Divine Mother as Dakini Devi armed in four hands.

 C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 17 May 2021.

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San Ramon, California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2.       Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3.       The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Chithbavandar.