Lalita, a form of Tripurasundari, Hindu deity, is a major goddess in the Hindu pantheon: she belongs to the group of ten Mahavidyas i.e. manifestations of the primordial energy deified as the mother goddess known as Sakti. Saktism, the cult devoted to Her, embodies different traditions of worship, viz Samayacara, Vamacara, Cinacara, etc. As it is learnt from traditional lores, Agastya, an ancient sage, has introduced the Samayacara tradition of the worship of Tripurasundari or Lalita. Since that remote past, the tradition has been prevalent in the southern regions of India. The Lalitasahasranama, a classical hymn in praise of Lalita, containing 320 verses distributed in three chapters, in the form of a dialogue between Agastya and Hayagriva, presents an enumeration of one thousand names of the deity as well as their spiritual significances and efficacies. It forms a part of the Brahmandapurana, Hindu mythological classic. It is regarded to be a popular prayer book and occupies an important place in the worship of Lalita. The text of the present edition is critically presented on the basis of several manuscripts by an eminent scholar. It includes the authentic English translation of the text as well as of the commentary by Bhaskararaya, 18th century authority on Saktism. Brief notes by the learned translator will be of immense use to the scholars and devotees.
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