Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 630: Shri Tryaksari (ōṃ tryakṣaryai namaḥ

The Goddess Divine Mother’s form consists of three-letters or syllables. 

Jnana, Kriya and Iccha Shakti have a three-letter bijamantra. To increase the knowledge and wisdom which is Jnana shakti generally useful for universal beings. They are trying to safeguard themselves from the possible sorrow reaching them which is due to Kriya shakti. Each soul loves its own self which is due to the Iccha shakti. To identify and create awareness of dangers coming is due to Jana shakti. To seek and secure the items needed for humans is due to Kriya shakti. So, the humans are keen to grow Jnana, Kriya and Iccha shakti. Humans learn to increase their knowledge and position themselves as experts in their chosen field. They can control the five elements namely, Sun, Vayu, Water, Agni and Earth, for their use. They learn to grow love. Above all they have devotion towards the Divine Mother. So in front of the Divine Mother, the Tryaksari, the humans are present in this world. 

She is in a three-lettered Mantram. Bala is Srividya mantra with three-letters. Each letter is a kuta. Heem is Vaghbha kuta, Kleem is Kamaraja Kuta. And Sow is the Shakti kuta. Pure vidya has three-letters. The Divine Mother is in all three-letters mantras forms, we need to pray in citshakti form to seek the Divine Mother’s form. 

Om consists of three-letters a, u and m; it is therefore a Tryaksari mantra (mantra with three-letters). The Divine Mother is the nature of Om. 

She is Tryaksari as She and Her mantra, the Pancadasi, has three kutas, each with a seed letter (bija mantra). Three kutas are Vagbhavakuta, kamarajakuta (Madhya) and Shaktikuta. “In Vagbhavakuta resides Vagisvari who is Jnana shakti, who confers Liberation; in Kamarajakuta resides Kamesi, who is Kriyashakti, who fulfills desires; in Shaktikuta resides Parashakti, who fulfills the desires Iccha shakti who is in the form of Lord Shiva. Devi Mahatripurasundari is thus three-syllable.” (Vamakesvara Tantra) the Divine Mother is indeed the conjunction of Jnana, Kriya and Iccha shaktis. We shall see in Namam 658:” Iccha Shakti, Jnana shakti kriya shakti svarupini” with the meaning the Divine mother is in the form of power of will, knowledge and action. 

Gaudapadacarya says that Suddha vidya and Kumari mantras are three-lettered. Suddha vidya means the pancadasi which is the three-lettered because of its three bijaaksaras, as indicated above. 

The Brhataranyaaka Upanisaid (V.3.1 and V.5.1) says, “The word hadya (heart) is three-syllable.” And the word Satyam (truth) is also a three-syllabled.  The Divine mother is of the form of the heart and truth. Instead of Sathyam, the word Sukrtam (good deed) is also given  (Su+ Kr+tam) another three-lettered word, in place of (Sa+t+yam). Letters are divided into three groups, Yugaksara, masaksara and nityaksasa (letters of age, month and day). The Divine Mother presides over these and is therefore “Tryaksari”.

The Divine Mother form consists of three-letters. 

C N Nachiiappun

Singapore, 16 October 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 Sithbavandar