While describing the 'angas’ of Sri Lalita Maha Tripurasundari, Vasinyadi Vagdevatas, declare that the softness of Her thighs are known to Kameswara alone. Her ‘Janus’ are in the form of the crown of ‘ Manikya' precious stone! Devi's ‘Jangha’ is akin to the hidden arrow of ‘Smara’ or Manmatha! Her hidden ‘Gulpha’ is harder than the back of tortoise! “ Kamesajnatha soubhagya mardavorudwayanvita manikya makutakara janudwaya Virajita Indragopa parikshiptha Smara' thunabha janghika Gudagulpha Kurma prushta jayishnu prapadanvita.”
Earlier, Sankara, in the previous slokas, has visualized how Devi hit Kameswara on His forehead for the fault of calling in their privacy His other wife by a slip of His tongue! He says that Manmatha, once humiliated by Siva, enjoyed at this discomfiture of Siva and laughed through Devi's anklets! Sankara wonders how Her feet are at ease on the snow clad mountains and at the sametime effulgent during the night. She brings prosperity to the followers of Samayachara! Her feet defeat the lotus that is frost bitten and folds up during the night despite the stay of Lakshmi in it for sometime!
Sankara does not agree with the opinion of Vasinyadi Vagdevatas that Her feet are harder than the back of tortoise! How can Her feet be so hard questions Sankara! Sankara says, “ How did the poets compare Your delicate, tender flowerlike feet so cruelly to the stony and hard back of tortoise? It is a wonder how, during the wedding, compassionate Kameswara, lifted both Your feet and made them press the grinding stone!”
Sankara takes exception to the comparison of Devi's tender feet to the stony and hard back of tortoise by celebrated poets! He cannot reconcile himself to such cruel comparisons! He has earlier described the soft, bright and delicate nature of Devi's feet. They have beaten the softness of the lotus as well as its brightness! “ Padadwaya prabhajala parakruta saroruha Sinjana Mani manjira manditha sripadambuja” is how Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra describes Her lotus feet.
During the second incarnation of Lord Vishnu, He took the avatar of Kurma or Tortoise and bore the burden of the great Meru mountain and prevented it from being drowned in the ocean. As Devas were dying in the battle with asuras, it was suggested that the Meru mountain has to be churned when Amirta- Divine Nectar will emerge! Drinking that would make one immortal So Devas and asuras churned the mountain with Vasuki, king of snakes, as the rope! The asuras were on the side of the the head of the snake. Terrible poison, ‘Halahala’ spewed out of the snake's head! Many asuras died and the mountain began sinking! Devas prayed and Lord Vishnu took the avatar of ‘ Kurma’ and lifted it up! Churning continued and out came Lakshmi, Chadra, Airavata the white elephant, and many other valuable objects! Finally emerged “Dhanvantari” with the “Amrita kalasa” containing the Immortal drink! The poison was swallowed up by Lord Siva and Amrita was distributed mainly to Devas deceitfully by Vishnu in the guise of Mohini with her bewitching beauty! The practice of the groom placing the bride’s feet and pressing them on the grinding stone is a ritual followed in the weddings even today!
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