Sri Varahi Vajra Panjaram

The Sri Varahi Vajra Panjaram is a short hymn that gives twelve names of Varahi. Vajra panjara means a cage made of diamond or thunderbolt, a shield nothing can break, and the text names itself that way: vajrapanjara namedam namadvadashakanvitam, this is called the Vajra Panjara, made of twelve names.

The twelve names

The first two verses list them. Panchami marks her as the fifth of the Mothers. Dandanatha is the commander who holds the rod and leads the army of Lalita. Sanketa, Samayeshvari and Samayasanketa tie her to the signs and the inner discipline of Sri Vidya worship. Varahi and Potrini recall her boar face, potra being the boar's snout. Then come Shiva, Vartali, Mahasena, Ajnachakreshvari and Arighni, the slayer of enemies.

Speaker and listener

The third verse opens shrinu dvadasha namani tasya devya ghatodbhava, listen, pot-born one, to the twelve names of the goddess. The pot-born is Agastya, so the names are taught to him. Some editions give Ashvanana, the horse-faced Hayagriva, as the rishi.

What the closing lines say

Hearing the names is enough to please her, the text says, and sakrit pathena, by reading it even once, the devotee is guarded from crisis and fear and gains long life and happiness. It is short enough to say each evening, and many keep it for Panchami and the Ashadha Varahi Navaratri.