38) Ratna-kiṅkiṇikā-ramya-raśanā-dāma-bhūṣitā
Lalitā wears a row of bells made out of jewels round Her lower waist.
There is a lovely story how this came to be. Manmatha once aroused the passion in Śiva, the supreme yogi with the help of Pārvatī. When Śiva realized his plight, he emitted fire from his eye, and burnt away Manmatha, the God of Love. Now, Manmatha is a great devotee of Lalitā, he is in fact the seer of Her mantra. Ratī Devi, Manmatha's wife then appeals to Pārvatī along with all the gods, for without love no world would be a place worth living. Pārvatī prevails on Śiva to give life to Manmatha. Manmatha then requests Devi to grant him the boon of sweet revenge against Śiva. Devi grants him this boon that he lives in the tinkling sounds of the bells She wears on Her lower waist and feet, which laugh at the defeat of Śiva whenever Devi is enjoying with Śiva. Since Śrī Devi is forever enjoying with Śiva, Manmatha is laughing away to glory all the time as the tinkling sounds of Devi's waist bells.
Source: Śrī Amṛtānandanātha Saraswatī "Sudhā Syandinī Bhāṣyaṃ" Typed Manuscript
(an incomplete commentary on Lalitā Sahasranāma)
