Sage Hayagriva manifested as an emanation of God Hayagriva, an aspect of Lord Vishnu. This devoted sage, an ardent worshiper of the Divine Mother Lalita, imparted the Lalita Sahasranama stotram to Agastya. Despite hearing the stotra, Agastya sensed a void in his heart. Desiring further knowledge, he humbly clung to Sage Hayagriva's feet, pleading for more teachings. Three years transpired in this quest. In response, the Divine Mother Lalitadevi herself intervened, instructing Hayagriva to impart the Lalitatrisati hymn to Agastya. Joyfully, Hayagriva complied with the divine command.
According to this narrative, the Lalitatrisati is deemed
even more potent than the Lalita Sahasranama. This hymn, comprising three
hundred names of the Divine Mother Lalita, uniquely incorporates the renowned
panchadasakshari mantra. Consequently, the same guidelines prescribed for
reciting the larger hymn apply here.
The text includes a purvapithika (prologue) and a
phalashruti (epilogue detailing the benefits of recitation). Although credited
to Adi Shankaracharya (788-820 CE), there is scholarly debate regarding its
authenticity as the work of Adi Shankara.