Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 113: Shri Bhavanagamya (OM bhAvanAgamyAyai namaH)

From Namam 112 to 131, we will see the devotion aspects in the Divine Mother worship

The Divine Mother cannot be reached through someone’s thought or imagination.

According to ancient Hindu Scriptures Sruti or Vedas, the mind and words withdraw from the Supreme Power. This can be interpreted as the Divine Mother can be reached only by purifying the mind and following the path of action.

The devotee needs to learn to purify his mind to have a deep desire to reach the Supreme Self. The Gopis of  Vrindavanam attained Lord Krsna  with pure mind. Similarly the devotees with pure mind can reach the Divine Mother. This approach of the devotee is called Bhavanagamya.

Bhavana yoga is meditation yoga and it is used in Kundalini yoga to aid th worship of the Divine Mother. In Bahavana yoga, the meditation as a Sadhana is used to reach the goal. In this process, the Kundalini is awakened at Muladhara for unison with the Supreme Self in Sahasrara.

Meditation yoga has three ways: Brahmi, Mahesvari and Aksara. There are two types mentioned namely bhavana of meaning and bhavana of sound.

Further sub divisions are Sakala, Niskala and Sakala-niskala. Accorrding to Bhaskararaya meditation from Muladhara to Ajna chakra is Sakala; from Indu to Unmani is Sakala-niskala and at Supreme abode mahabindu it is Niskala.

Adi Sankara in his commentary on Gita 11-65 observes that bhavana is devotion to Self Knowledge.

Bhavana is one’s attitude towards worship and how to reach the deity worshipped. Being united with the deity without any difference is bhavana, The Divine Mother is easily reached through this method.

Close enough meanings:

Sakala is complete or whole or sound

Niskala is spotless without blemish or untainted

Indu is moon

Unmani is beyond mind or thoughtless.

C N Nachiappun           

Singapore, 15 May 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 Sahasranamam Stostrom 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.