Chitamani Gruham

‘“Smaram yonim Lakshmeem thrithayamidamaadau thava manoh
Nidhaayaike nithye niravadhimahaabhogarasikah
Bhajanthi thvaam Chintamani gunanibaddhaakshavalayah
Shivaagnau juhvanthah surabhighruthadhaaraahuthi shathaih.”



Literal meaning:-Some connoiseurs of the highest enjoyment,adding before the beginning of Thy mantra(verse)the Bija-syllables of Kaamaraaja(kleem),Bhuvaneswari(hreem),and Sree(shreem)and adorned with a necklace of Chintamani,worship Thee with oblations consisting of countless streams of Kamadhenu‘s ghee in the purified fire of Shiva(i.e.Shakthi established as the thrikona in the anaahatha-chakra).

Sonundaryalahari of Adi Shankaracharya.
Sumeru madhya shrungasthaa Sreemannagaranaayika
Chintamanigruhaantha:sthaa Panchabrahmaasanasthithaa!”-Lalita Sahasranama.


In Sri.Bhaaskararaya’s commentary on Lalitha Sahasranamam , the term “Chintamani” is described as thus:-

Chintamani is that jewel which yields all the objects desired;of this the city is built.




Lalitha Devi in Her Abode, Chintamani
Maha Tripura Sundari, in Chintamani Gruham


This house is described in detail in the Brahmaanda Purana,”In that house of Chintamani all is Chintamani.”This house having an extent of a thousand yojanas is above the world system.
The Rudrayaamala says,”In that Chintamani house of a thousand yojanas in extent.
“The house which is on Meru is smaller in size.
The Lalithaasthavaratna (v.105) says,”May that house,built of Chintamani stone which is on the northern side of Sringaaravana (on Meru),whither all the devas go to worship,remove all my mental trouble(chinta).”
In the commentary on Gowdapaada-sutra(no.7)the Chintamani house is explained as the place of origin of all those mantras which bestow all desired
objects(chinthitha),and its construction is elaborately described.

Chintamani is specially mentioned in the 3rd,8th and the 33rd slokas of Soundarya Lahari.


:”Avidyaanaamanthasthimiramihiradweepanagari
jadhaanaam chaithanyasthabakamakarandasruthijhari
Daridraanaam Chintaamanigunanikaa janmajaladhau
Nimagnaanaam dhamshtraa muraripuvaraahasyabhavathi.”


The dust of Thy lotus feet is the Island City,wherefrom takes place the luminous sun-rise of spiritual illumination driving away the over-casting darkness of ignorance in the hearts of the devotees.

It forms the cluster of flower buds from which gushes forth the nectar of intelligence,enlivening the dull-witted.
It is a veritable necklace of wish-yielding gems for the poverty-stricken.And for those immersed in the ocean of worldly affairs,it becomes their uplifter like the tusk of Vishnu,which raised the earth from submergence in pralayaa waters when He incarnated as the Cosmic Boar.
The Nagara.
Nagara had 25 streets circling it, made of iron, steel, copper, and lead. An alloy made of five metals, silver, gold, the white Pushpa raga stone, the red Padmaraga stone, onyx, diamond, Vaidoorya, Indra neela (topaz), pearl, Marakatha, coral, nine gems and a mixture of gems and precious stones.
In the eighth street was a forest of Kadambas.
This is presided by Syamala. In the fifteenth street lived the Ashta Digh palakas. In the sixteenth lived Varahi alias Dandini who was her commander-in-chief.
Here Syamala also has a house.
In the seventeenth street lived the different Yoginis. In the eighteenth street lived Maha Vishnu.
In the nineteenth street lived Esana, in the twentieth Thara Devi, twenty-firstVaruni, the twenty-second Kurukulla who presides over the fort of pride,
twenty-third Marthanda Bhairava, twenty-fourth the moon and twenty-fifth Manmatha, presiding over the forest of love.
Bhaskararaya’s Explanation.
Sri Nagara is beyond all the Universes,in the middle of Amrutha Saagara,in Ratna Dweepa.
It is surrounded by many Forts and lush gardens .
These are.
1. Diifrent Trees,
2. Mahothyaanam Kalpa Vatikai.
3.Santhaana Vatikai.
4.Hari Santhana Vatikai.
5.Manthaara Vatikai.
6.Parijaatha Vatikai.
7.Kadambavana Vatikai.
Forts as described in the above, of metals and Gems.
In addition to this it is surrounded by Manas(mind),Buddhi(Discriminating power, Intellect),Ahankaaram(‘I’ ness),the Tejas of Sun and Moon.
In this resides Mha Padhmadavi.
In the Center ,lies the Chintamani Gruham.
In the middle of this Chinatamani Gruham lies the Sri Chakra, surrounded by the Nava Aavarnaas.
In its center, Mahathripurasundari is seated in the Mahasmihaasana(on the Pancha Brahmaasana),of the Bindu Peeta of Sarvaanadhamaya