Brahmanda purana mentions many sublime and deep concepts. Lalita Sahasranama is one of them. These names came from the conversation with Hayagriva and Agastya. The subtle intention behind these deep concepts is even more deep. Let us try to understand it with a short story.
Once upon a time, there is a mountain. It is gifted with numerous mines and treasures. It has magnificent natural beauty with many lush fruit bearing trees. Life there is delightful. Many species live there. People living there have abundant grains and other food items. They are blessed with everything except one. Due to the mountainous terrain, they are no freshwater resources. They drink honey, cider, etc. for drinks. Thirst is a disease that is common to all living things on that mountain.
There is a belief among the people on that mountain that if you climb to the top, you will find something awesome. That it will quench all their thirst. No one knows if this is true or an illusion. It is impossible to reach the pinnacle. That is why no one ever reached there. Yet they continue to put efforts on it. For many generations they have been trying to achieve it with no luck.
One day a saint started his journey down the mountain instead. There he found a delta area with red soil. A little further on he saw a flowing river. He immediately felt like drinking that water. He drank. Then the thirst that plagued him throughout the life is quenched in a moment. He felt peaceful. That was really awesome. He wanted to know more about it. He worked hard and understood the principles of water. He went up the mountain to share this miracle with his people.
Friends, I found a solution to this thirst that has plagued us all for so many years. He said, "if you come with me, I will show the path to you as well". Is it! How! Asked everyone. "Instead of going up you should travel down. There you will find rivers flowing with pure water." He said, "That water would quench the thirst if you drink it." "River flowing with pure water", what is it? No one has ever seen it! Going down the mountain? No one has ever done anything like this. Our ancestors were always going up the hill. That is what we are following. Going down the hill is unprecedented and unheard. How can we believe you", people said. Few people said, we would like to try it, but not possible right now because of various other obligations. Only a couple of them said we are ready to come with you. Show us the path.
Then the saint carved a sculpture out of stone. It is a beautiful idol of a goddess that has ice cubes from throat to stomach. She is trance with half open eyes and is pleasant. Pot in one hand. And Varada mudra in the other hand. The pedestal of the goddess is made of copper sulphate and the canopy is made of zinc. He named the idol Sajala Devi. He gave her eight other names and called is Ashtottaram. The names are Tapashamani, Nirmala, Malinyaharini, Vidyutprakashini, Agnija, H2O, Aruparoopi, Sheetala. He prescribed them to worship this goddess with these names and left the place with his followers.
That thirst is our ignorance. Our craze of material possessions is that journey up the hill. That journey down the hill is spirituality. That water is the Atma. That saint is Sage Vyasa. 'Taapshamani' because water removes heat. 'Nirmala' because there are no impurities in water. 'Maalinyaharini' because it washes away the dirt. 'Vidyutprakaashini' because we can generate electricity from it. Agnija because water came after fire at the beginning of creation. H2O because 2 hydrogens combine with 1 oxygen to form water. 'Arooparoopi' because there is no shape but can still be seen. 'Sheetala' because it cools. These are the explanations for the ashtottaram given by that saint. Hydrolysis is carried out with copper sulphate and zinc amalgam. Copper sulphate in the bottom of the pot and zinc amalgam in the top act as the anode cathode. That causes Hydrolysis. That is why the statue is designed like that. The ice cubes indicate that one who drinks water feels cold down the esophagus. The intention of the saint is that one day, these people will find pure water by thinking on these names given to the goddess. The intention of sage Vyasa is that one day we all will be liberated by learning the secrets of the thousand names of goddess Lalitha. So it is prescribed to chant Lalitha Sahasranama and worship the idols described in Dhyana Shlokas. Sage vyasa is equal to God. He embedded beejaksharas in the names of Lalitha devi. He also bequeathed us a bounty of benefits through Lalitha Sahasramnama.
