We had seen earlier, how Devi annihilated Bhandasura.
Om kāmeśvarāstra nirdagdha sabhaṇḍāsura śūnyakāyai namaḥ
(who burned and destroyed Bhandasura and his capital Shunyaka with the mighty Kameshvara missile.)
Om hara netrāgni sandagdha kāma sañjīvanauṣadhyai namaḥ
(who became the life-giving medicine for Kamadeva (the god of love) who had been burned to ashes by the fire from Siva’s eye.)
Kamadeva was reborn again and unlike earlier, his form was not visible to everyone, only his wife, Sati Devi could see his form. He regained all his powers and charms. Kamadeva became a celebrated devotee of Mother. He had devised many aspects of Devi worship. There are many mantras of Devi attributed to Kamadeva.
Om brahmopendra mahendrādi deva saṁstuta vaibhavāyai namaḥ
(whose many powers are extolled by Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, and other gods.)
All the gods praised Devi. Brahma, Upendra, Indra, etc.
Let us see the explanation for the following mantras
Om śrīmad vāgbhava kūṭaika svarūpa mukha paṅkajāyai namaḥ
(whose lotus face is the auspicious vagbhavakuta (the first five syllables of the panchadasakshari mantra).)
Om kaṇṭhādhaḥ kaṭi paryanta madhya kūṭa svarūpiṇyai namaḥ
(who from Her neck to Her waist is of the form of the madhyakuta (the middle six syllables of the panchadasakshari mantra).)
Om śakti kūṭaikatāpanna kaṭyadhobhāga dhāriṇyai namaḥ
(whose form below the waist is the shaktikuta (the last four syllables of the panchadasakshari mantra).)
Earlier we had discussed the gross form of Devi. The form with hands, legs, etc. The sthoola rupa. Now we are entering from the gross to the subtle (sookshma) form of Devi. We study the scriptures in a sequential method. We call it as Sakha-Arundathi Nyaya.
If one has to be taught about a star, first the master will point to a tree, then the branch of that tree, then the space between the branches, followed by a galaxy and then the brightest star in the galaxy. Only then the student would be able to understand the subject well. In the beginning, one cannot teach him directly pointing towards the star.
In the same way, in Lalita Sahasranama first Devi’s gross form, Her abode, palace, the throne, and things that we could grasp easily was described first. Now slowly we are entering the next level.
It is Devi’s inherent quality to protect the good and destroy the evil. In Devi Mahatmya it is said
इत्थं यदा यदा बाधा दानवोत्था भविष्यति
तदा तदावतीर्याहं करिष्याम्यरिसङ्क्षयम् Devi Mahatmyam 11.54-55
whenever there are chaos and disturbances to the good people because of danavas (evil ones), I incarnate and eliminate the evil every time. Accordingly, Bhandasura was also killed. All these feats of Devi are attributed to Her gross form.
As said earlier, Sthoolam, Sookshmam, param are various forms of Devi. The same way we could perceive the idols in a temple or great mahatmas, when we progress in spiritual sadhana, we could perceive Devi’s sookshma roopa. For a visible form, we usually describe the face first then from the face to the waist, and so on.
In the same way for the subtle form formed by mantras also are described from head to toe. The form is divided into three; vagbhavakuta, madhyakuta & sakthikuta. We can see the same in the 3 mantras mentioned earlier.
Vagbhavakuta: the facial parts
Madhyakuta: the parts from throat to waist
Sakthikuta: the parts below the waist
These mantras were transferred in oral tradition from the master to the disciple not read from the books. Only if the master gives the mantras as deeksha will that become beneficial. I’m still reciting the mantra here for us to have a brief idea of what it is.
क ए इ ल ह्रीं (Vagbhavakuta)
ह स क ह ल ह्रीं (Madhyakuta)
स क ल ह्रीं (Sakthikuta)
The same way a visible form has these three parts, mantras to have.