Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 84: Shri Hara Netragni Sandagdha Kama Sanjivanausadhih (OM haranetrAgnisandagdhakAmasa ~ njIvanauShadhyai namaH0

In Namams 64 to 84, we will be seeing the Divine Mother destroying the Bhandasura.

The Divine Mother is the life saver or sanjivi for Kamadeva (the god of love). He had earlier been burned to ashes by Kamesvara’s third eye fire.

Kama’s widow Rati was bereaving the loss of her husband. The celestial beings who came to praise the Divine Mother for Her help to them, requested Her to help Kama back to life. It is the mother who consoles a child when the father is angry with the child. The Divine Mother glanced at Lord Kamesvara. His anger vanished at the Divine mother’s glance at Him. Through his sighting at the ashes, Kama became alive but without his body (Anangaka, the person without body).

Another hidden aspect of this mantra is that not many souls are ready to reach and become united with the Supreme Self. In Gita the Lord explains that one in thousand souls strives for Mukthi. Out of many who try and succeed to reach the Almighty, only one would know Him. If someone can attain salvation, he will become one with Sadasiva. He will not have any worldly attachments. The universe is there in existence due to the process of creation and desire. This Kama getting back to life is the revival of such desire needed for recreation of the universe which the Divine Mother is requesting Lord Kamesvara through Her glancing at Him. This is interpreted as that the Divine Mother is the life saver or sanjivi for Kamadeva. This is also the way She is governing this Universe.

Another way to look at this mantra is that Hara is the Knowledge; Netra is the eye which leads; Agni is the creations of countless shapes and things; Sandagdha that is burned. In essence, the souls burned down by fire of samsara are elevated to salvation by the Divine Mother.

C N Nachiappun           

Singapore, 17 April 2020.

References:

1.      The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San Ramon, California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2.      Shri Lalitha Ahasranama Stoistrom published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3.      The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai,Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Sithbavandar.