The complete shloka from Lalita Sahasranama
पञ्च-प्रेतासनासीना पञ्चब्रह्म-स्वरूपिणी । चिन्मयी परमानन्दा विज्ञान-घनरूपिणी ॥ ६१॥
pañca-prētāsanāsīnā pañcabrahma-svarūpiṇī । cinmayī paramānandā vijñāna-ghanarūpiṇī ॥ 61॥
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पञ्च-प्रेतासनासीना - पञ्च प्रेतासन आसीना
pañca pretāsana āsīnā - Seated or occupying the Five seats or thrones of the dead
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The general interpretation is
The "five pretas" or corpses symbolize the five main tasks of the universe managed by 5 gods, which, when not charged with Shakti (energy), are considered inactive or "lifeless". Those are
Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Preserver) ,Rudra (Destroyer/Transformer), Ishwara (Obscurer), and Sadashiva (Revealer/Blesser).
There is a visual representation that is popular in which Shri Lalita Tripura Sundari is depicted as seated on a table with four legs – the four legs representing ब्रह्मा, विष्णु, रुद्र and माहेश्वर, while the table representing सदाशिव.
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There is another interpretation to this.
the पञ्च प्रेत within us – these are the पञ्च-कोश viz अन्नमय (food layer), प्राणमय (प्राण layer), मनोमय (मन layer), विज्ञानमय (बुद्धि layer) and आनन्दमय (layer from where propensity for सुख come about driven by अनुभव of विषय वस्तु). These कोश are जड only but चैतन्य seated within them is the one that is activating all these five within us.
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According to my understanding, in Rig Veda, we encounter the phrase panca janāḥ (5 types of people) many a time.
For example:
इहि तिस्रः परावत इहि पञ्च जनाँ अति । धेना इन्द्रावचाकशत् ॥
ihi tisraḥ parāvata ihi pañca janām̐ ati | dhenā indrāvacākaśat ||
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Some say (in respect of panca janāḥ)they are the Five Fires, others they are Men, Fathers, Gods, Gandharvas, Uragas or Rakshasas. Shakatayana thinks that they are the four Varnas and the fifth the nişāda. Shakapuni says they are the four main officiating priests, Riwiks, viz., Hota, Adhwaryu, Udgata, Brahma, and the sacrificer, Yajamana.
According to Bṛhaddevatā, panca janāḥ also indicates the Sight (eyes), the Audience (ears), the Mind, the Voice (mouth), the life.
What Rig Veda is indicating about panca janāḥ, is the same what Lalita Sahasranama is mentioning about पञ्च प्रेत - pañca preta.
So, pañca preta may not indicate Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ishwara, and Sadashiva, but indicates the Sight, the Audience, the Mind, the Voice, the life, which are as good as dead unless the DIVINE BRAHMAN or Lalita Tripura Sundari, supports them.
