Glorious Alchemy

The Lalitā Sahasranāma (LSN) that strings together a thousand names of the Goddess opens the mystical door that alchemizes limited paradigms into unbounded love, that arises from the recognition of That which subsumes all divisions and limitations. When we invite the LSN into our inner landscape, it becomes a garland of mantras, where every life experience is rendered sacred because it can be found in the velvety folds of the chant. This kind of practice opens us to uncommon wisdom and sweetness – this is Glorious Alchemy. The commentary in this book is simple and straightforward, retaining the subtleties of the original Sanskrit while being accessible to the modern reader. It takes a non-traditional approach in providing a primer on the Goddess-centered path known as Śrīvidyā in Part I, while Part II threads together the thousand nāmas as it relates to life and personal practice.

This book is accompanied by two of my audio recordings:

1. Listen to the Lalitā Sahasranāma:

2. Guided meditation to go with that described in the book Listen to the audio HERE.

If you’re interested in a closer study of the Lalitā Sahasranāma, including correct chanting and nyāsa, check out this course.

Praise

“Quite simply, the best book on the LSN in the English language. It is no exaggeration to call Glorious Alchemy divinely inspired. Completely comprehensive, detailed and yet totally accessible, it is an incomparable work. If only we had such a book for every Tantrik recitation text or long-form mantra! This is a perfect example of the Tantrik science of exegesis, and perfectly demonstrates why it is so necessary and beneficial. I would especially draw the practitioner’s attention to the utterly sublime bhāvanās or guided meditations scattered so abundantly throughout the text — these alone are worth ten times the price of admission. Indeed, they are priceless jewels in this crowning text of Goddess-centered Tantrik sādhanā.”

Christopher Wallis (aka Hareesh), M.Phil., PhD, author of Tantra Illuminated and The Recognition Sutras

The recitation of the thousand names of the Divine Mother known as the Lalita Sahasranama is one of the most powerful and popular spiritual practices among devotees of the Goddess. The background for these names is the sophisticated system of nondualistic Tantra known as Sri Vidya. Because of its complexity and the secrecy of many of its lineages, Sri Vidya has remained mostly an enigma to the uninitiated. In Glorious Alchemy, Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan introduces the esoteric philosophy, metaphysics, mythology, devotional sentiment, and yogic discipline of this profound tradition with elegant clarity. With the humility and respect of a devoted practitioner and the rationality of an educator, she makes the divine names come alive, showing how the Lalita Sahasranama reveals a path back to the Great Mother. This book is an invaluable blessing to those interested in tantra, yoga, nonduality, the divine feminine, and the Hindu worship of the Goddess. This is the book I wish I could have written.

Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, Head Priest and Dean of Seminary, Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram, Laguna Beach, California

Written in lucid English with illustrations and charts, the text is a must-read for understanding Śākta Tantrism. I am confident that Śākta aspirants, as well as scholars seeking insider perspectives on Śākta Tantrism, will find this text invaluable.

Dr. Sthaneshwar Timalsina, Professor, Religious Studies, San Diego University

Glorious Alchemy is more than a book; it is a living revelation that those who love Devi, those who wish to deepen their relationship with Her, and those who have yet to remember Her, have all been waiting for.

Laura Amazzone, Author of Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power

Besides containing one of the best overviews of the View of nondual Tantra I have ever come across, this workbook also includes many self-reflective exercises that assist in integrating the more esoteric aspects of Śrī Vidyā with moment-to-moment experience.

Dharma Bodhi Tantrik Yogi, Trika Mahāsiddha Yoga

…a fresh yet erudite, systematic yet devotionally charged revelation that brings an ancient prayer, and an intimate vision of the Goddess herself, vividly to life.

Michael M. Bowden, author, The Goddess and the Guru; editor, Gifts from the Goddess; co-founder, Shakti Sadhana

As a reference work Glorious Alchemy is a source of information to which the reader will return again and again; as a devotional manual it inspires; and as a guide to meditative practice it provides effective, step-by-step instruction to the spiritual seeker. In short, this is a work of lasting value

Devadatta Kali, Author of In Praise of the Goddess: The Devimahatmya and Its Meaning

Simply wonderful. I wholeheartedly recommend this vital work on Sri Vidya

This book is an invaluable blessing to those interested in tantra, yoga, nonduality, the divine feminine, and the Hindu worship of the Goddess. This is the book I wish I could have written.

Rev. Dr. Swami Bhajanananda Saraswati, Head Priest and Dean of Seminary, Kali Mandir Ramakrishna Ashram, Laguna Beach, California

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