6. Kalāvatī कलावती

She shines as kalā-s of the moon.

Kalā generally means a part of anything. But contextually, it means 1/16th of moon’s diameter. She pervades all the sixteen parts of the moon. Each of these sixteen parts is represented by sixteen vowels. Each kalā has a name and they are as follows:

1. amṛtā अमृता, 2. mānadā मानदा, 3. pūṣā पूषा, 4. tuṣṭi तुष्टि, 5. puṣṭi पुष्टि, 6. rati रति, 7. dhṛti धृति,  8. śaśini शशिनि, 9. candrikā चन्द्रिका, 10 kānti कान्ति, 11. jyotsnā ज्योत्स्ना, 12. śrī श्री, 13. prīti प्रीति, 14. aṅgatā अङ्गता, 15. pūrnā पूर्ना, 16. pūrnāmṛtā पूर्नामृता.

By remaining in all the sixteen kalā-s, She waxes and wanes the moon. She is worshipped through these sixteen kalā-s while establishing pātrasādana in a conch. These sixteen kalā-s are called candrakalā.

Kalā is also known as the Divine Power or the Absolute Power of Autonomy of Śiva, also known as Svātantrya Śakti. It is His unique Power of Authority.  Divine Power consists of five aspects and they are cit (consciousness), ānanda (bliss), icchā śakti (will), jñāna śakti (knowledge) and kriyā śakti (activity). These are the Powers of Śiva that have been given to Parāśakti by Śiva. Hence, it is said that there is no difference between Śiva and Śakti. They are inseparable.

Kalā is one of the kañcuka-s (coverings) of Māyā tattva, which means transcending time. In other words, She is omnipresent and all pervasive. Kalā also means the subtlest aspect of the objective world. There are five types of kalā-s and they are nivṛtti, pratiṣṭhā, vidyā, śānti and  śāntyatītā. These five kalā-s play vital role in effectively putting into use the manifested energy for the purpose of creation as well as realization.

Śiva Sūtra (I.3) uses the word kalāśarīram, which is explained as the process through which materialistic life is carried out. Materialistic life means bondage, influenced by Her spell of Māyā.

7. Kamalākṣī कमलाक्षी

Her eyes are like lotus flowers. Viṣṇu, Her brother, also has eyes that appear like lotus flowers.

This nāma can be interpreted to mean Her side glance, as explained in Saundaryalaharī (verse 13), which says, “When Your side glance falls on an old man ugly to look at and who has no interest in pleasures, hundreds of young women run after him….”

8. Kalmaṣaghṇī कल्मषघ्णी

Kalmaṣa means sinful actions and She destroys sinful actions by destroying the sinners. As She is the Supreme ruler of the universe and in order to uphold dharma, She has to maintain balance between good and sinful actions. When sinners rear their heads, She annihilates them in order to uphold dharma. Her acts of destroying sinners are explained in Śrī Devi Māhātmyam (Durgāsaptaśatī).

By surrendering unto Her through one’s mind, She relieves traces of evil, if present in Her devotee in order to offer him liberation. All Her mantras, such as Pañcadaśī and Ṣoḍaśī are capable of conferring liberation. Kṛṣṇa explains this concept in Bhagavad Gītā (XVIII.66) thus: “I promise you. Resigning all dharma, take refuge in Me alone. I shall absolve you of all your sins. Do not worry.”

9. Karuṇāmṛta-sāgarā करुणामृत-सागरा

Her compassion is immortal that is like an ocean.

Lalitā Sahasranāma 326 says, Karuṇārasa-sāgarā which is explained thus:

Śaṇkarā, the great saint has given the following interpretation:  “Ocean, without making a move is the cause for rain and the entire universe sustains on this water.  A drop of water gets itself detached from the clouds and enters a different plane (leaving ākāś and reaching earth) merely to sustain this universe.  The water itself does not get any benefit out of its own action.  Such is Her compassion.”  This compassion is called the Supreme because, She does not differentiate.  As far as She is concerned, all are equal before Her, yet another reasoning for addressing Her as the universal Mother Śrī Mātā.

10. Kadaṁbakānanāvāsā कदंबकाननावासा

She lives in the forest of Kadaṁba trees. This has been differently told by Vāc Devi-s in Lalitā Sahasranāma (60) as Kadaṃbavana-vāsinī.

She lives in the middle of kadaṃba trees whose flowers have divine fragrance.  Her Cintāmaṇi graha is surrounded by a forest of kadaṃba trees.  Nature’s greenery is mentioned here.  Her Pṛthivī tattva, the Nature is described.  She is also called Mother Earth.   There are twenty five walls around Her Cintāmaṇi graha, each wall representing a tattva.  This Kadaṃba kānana (kadamba forest) is situated between the walls of gold (eighth wall) and silver (seventh wall).

It is interesting to note that all the goddesses of Śrī Cakra intersect each other in the place between seventh and eighth walls.  There are twelve Vedic (solar) months corresponding to English calendar.  These twelve months are grouped under six ṛtu-s, each ṛtu consisting of two months.  Each ṛtu is ruled by a god.  These six gods along with their wives live in their palaces situated between third and eighth walls or forts of Śrī Pura.

11. Kadaṁbakusuma-priyā कदंबकुसुम-प्रिया

Kusuma means flower. She is fond of Kadaṁba flowers. Lalitā Sahasranāma 323 also says Kadaṁbakusuma-priyā.

There are said to be five types of sacred trees - mandāra, pārijāta, haricandana (sandal tree), kadamba and santhānam (not sure of this name) and kadamba tree is one among them.  These five sacred trees said to represent the four components of antaḥkaraṇa viz. mind, intellect, consciousness and ego and the fifth being the heart, where the soul is said to reside (Some modern interpretations point out that the soul resides within the pineal gland, the gland of divinity).  The smell of these flowers is compared to the modifications of the mind.

12. Kandarpa-vidyā कन्दर्प-विद्या

Kandarpa refers to Manmatha (Cupid). He is one of the prime worshippers of Parāśakti through his own Pañcadaśī mantra, which is commonly followed now ­– ka, e, ī, la, hrīṁ: ha, sa, ka, ha, la, hrīṁ: sa, ka, la, hrīṁ. This is known as kādi vidyā. Lalitā Triśatī follows Manmatha’s Pañcadaśī mantra only.

13. Kandarpa-janakāpāṅga-vīkṣaṇā कन्दर्प-जनकापाङ्ग-वीक्षणा

By side glance, She resurrected Manmatha, who is referred two times in this nāma. Kandarpa   and Apāṅga both refer to Manmatha. Apāṅga means without body. This means that She resurrected Kandarpa without a body.

Lalitā Sahasranāma (84) Haranetrāgni-sandagdha-kāmasaṃjīvanauṣadhīḥ also refers to the resurrection of Manmatha.

Manmatha, the god of love was burnt by the third eye of Śiva.  Śaktī resurrected Manmatha.  The motherly nature of Lalitai is highlighted here.  Manmatha is the son of Śiva and Śaktī.  When father is angry with his child, only the mother comes to its rescue.  When Śiva was angry with Manmatha, Lalitai came to his rescue.  Śiva is a strict disciplinarian.

The secretive meaning is that liberation means knowing the inner Self which is possible only by eradication of ignorance or avidyā.  When ignorance is removed, what remains is knowledge or vidyā.  That is why the worship of Lalitai is called Śrī Vidyā.  Burning of Manmatha is the removal of avidyā and his resurrection is vidyā.  Manmatha before his killing was an embodiment of avidyā that mainly comprises of ego and resurrected Manmatha is with pure knowledge.  His ego was burnt by Śiva and knowledge was given to him by Śaktī

14. Karpūravīṭī-saurabhya-kallolita-kakuptaṭā कर्पूरवीटी-सौरभ्य-कल्लोलित-ककुप्तटा

She chews betel leaves along with certain spices and this fragrance spreads throughout the universe.

Lalitā Sahasranāma (26) also refers to this act thus: Karpūravīṭikāmodha-samākarṣi-digantarā.

Karpūravītikā is a combination of fragrant ingredients, used to chew along with the betel leaves.  The ingredients used are – saffron, cardamom, clove, camphor, kastūri, nutmeg and mace or myristica fragrans or jātipattrī (arillus of the nut also known as myristica officinalis).  The ingredients are finely powdered and mixed with powdered sugar candy and camphor (consumable).  This Karpūravītikā powder when used with betel leaves for chewing gives immense fragrance and delicious taste.  When She chews this, it provides fragrance to the entire universe.

Possibly this could mean that She attracts ignorant men by this fragrance.  Knowledgeable men can reach Her by devotion whereas ignorant men require inducement to obtain Her grace.  This inducement is the fragrance mentioned here.

Lalitā Sahasranāma (59) also refers to this - Tāmbhūla-pūrita-mukhī, which means that the betel leaves turn Her lips into red colour.  This nāma says that Her face shines with betel leaves In Her mouth.

15. Kalidoṣaharā कलिदोषहरा

She destroys the sins committed during kali yug. This is also explained in Lalitā Sahasranāma 555.

The following reading from Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa (Chapter 43 Verses 26-30) is about the duration of each yug.  At the end of each yug the total dissolution takes place and the next re-creation is known by the succeeding yug.  Currently we are going through 5114th year of kali yug ((2012-13) out of 360,000 human years.

“360 human years is equal to one divine year.  12,000 divine years (4,320,000 human years) consists the four ages called Kṛita yug (4000 divine years), Tretā yug (3000 divine years), Dvāpara yug (2000 divine years) and Kali yug (1000 divine years). The balance of 2000 divine years has been calculated for twilight period of each yug.”   Out of the four, kali yug is supposed to have more sinners and She in the form of Goddess Kali destroys sins committed during kali yug.” 

An age of the world, long mundane period of years, of which the first three have already elapsed, while the Kali, which began at midnight between the 17th and 18th of Feb. 3102 B. C. is that in which we live. The duration of each is said to be respectively 1,728,000, 1,296,000, 864,000, and 432,000 years of men, the descending numbers representing a similar physical and moral deterioration of men in each age. The four Yuga-s comprise an aggregate of 4,320,000 years and constitute a great Yuga or Mahā-yug.