The Purana Index v1.c3.s4.6

v1.c3.s4.6

There is a well-known tradition that the great Śankarācārya wrote a commentary on the Lalitā-Triśatī. He thus attached a special significance to the worship of Lalitā by addressing her with three hundred names of the Triśatī. It has since then become a recognised mode of worship of the Devī by the orthodox Hindus for the advancement of their moral and material welfare It would thus seem that the Lalitā cult was popular in the days of Śankarācārya himself Even Kālidāsa who perhaps lived in the 1st century B C. refers to the worship of Devī and though he mentions her by the name Caṇḍikā, still he lays emphasis upon the saumya form of Devī worship This is perhaps due to the Lalitā Upākhyānam of the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa. So we have to conclude that whatever be the purpose of the manifestation of Lalitā, the Devī worship or worship of the world mother (Jagatām Mātā) was prevalent from Vedic times, and the Purāṇa compiler was particularly interested in narrating the story of Lalitā and thus laid stress upon its importance.