- Edited
Śrī Mātre Namaḥ,
In Lalitā Sahasranāma Stotraṃ (LSS) there are two verses which talk about the killing of Viśukra and Viṣaṅga, brothers of Bhaṇḍāsurā who were born from his shoulders.
मन्त्रिण्यम्बा-विरचित-विषङ्ग-वध-तोषिता
mantriṇyambā-viracita-viṣaṅga-vadha-toṣitā
మంత్రిణ్యంబా-విరచిత-విషంగ-వధ-తోషితా
विशुक्र-प्राणहरण-वाराही-वीर्य-नन्दिता
viśukra-prāṇaharaṇa-vārāhī-vīrya-nanditā
విశుక్ర-ప్రాణహరణ-వారాహీ-వీర్య-నందితా
As per the above verses Mantriṇī or Śyāmā killed Viṣaṅga while Vārāhī killed Viśukra. But to confuse the readers in some commentaries on LSS, it is the other way. So, the verses become:
मन्त्रिण्यम्बा-विरचित-विशुक्र-वध-तोषिता
mantriṇyambā-viracita-viśukra-vadha-toṣitā
మంత్రిణ్యంబా-విరచిత-విశుక్ర-వధ-తోషితా
विषङ्ग-प्राणहरण-वाराही-वीर्य-नन्दिता
viṣaṅga-prāṇaharaṇa-vārāhī-vīrya-nanditā
విషంగ-ప్రాణహరణ-వారాహీ-వీర్య-నందితా
Which version is correct?
As per Brahmaśrī Sāmavedaṃ Ṣaṇmukha Śarma Garu, a great Vedic & Tantric scholar and a Śrī Vidyā adept the correct version is that Mantriṇī killed Viśukra while Vārāhī killed Viṣaṅga and this is based on Lalitopākhyānaṃ which appears in the Uttarakhaṇḍa or the final section of Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa and forms an integral part of the purāṇa.
According to him till before the time of Bhāskararāya all the texts on LSS had the above correct version while in the commentary by Bhāskararāya called "Soubhāgyabhāskara" the switch happened.
Also there seems to be a good reason why Mantriṇī killed Viśukra while Vārāhī killed Viṣaṅga. 'śukra' is the last of the saptadhātus which contains rest of the six dhātus and also the ṣaḍrasas from the food as per Ayurveda. It is the physical component that drives eros or kāma, the lust for life. Viśukra stands for vi = viruddha or opposed to śukra, so Viśukra destroys the eros.
One of the nāmās of Mantriṇī is 'Śukapriyā', 'śuka' means parrot. A parrot is known for its erotic playfulness with its partner and in Indian thought a parrot came to be considered as being synonymous with erotic desire or kāma. Also, we can see a parrot perched in one of the hands of Mantriṇī. So, it is natural to assume that the correct version is that Mantriṇī killed Viśukra and restored the eros.
Also in Guruji's words - "Mātaṅgī is Sarasvatī. Her upāsanā gives us desires (kāma) as well as fulfilling them. But even though one is involved in these sensory games, one knows they are games and is not bound by them. She leads one naturally to the mandala of the Śrī Cakra."
'Viṣaṅga' means clinging or attached to the sensuous things, unhealthy attachments. Vārāhī destroys the ego of an individual which causes the unhealthy attachments to objects in the first place. Hence, one can say the version based on Lalitopākhyānaṃ seems to be correct.
References:
Śrī Lalitopākhyānam by Brahmaśrī Sāmavedaṃ Ṣaṇmukha Śarma Garu (pg 288)
Śrī Lalitā Vidyā by Brahmaśrī Sāmavedaṃ Ṣaṇmukha Śarma Garu (pg 46, 196-198)
Śrī Lalitādevī Caritra by Śrī Śrī Śrī Siddheśvarānanda Bhāratī Svāmī (pg 29)
Lalitā Sahasranāma by L.M. Joshi (pg 97-98)
Lalitha Charitham by Brahmaśrī Sāmavedaṃ Ṣaṇmukha Śarma Garu
Sree Lalitopakhyanam by Sri Krishnananda Natha (pg 113)