Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 255: Shri Dharmadharma vivarjita (OM dharmAdharmavivarjitAyai namaH)

In Namams 249 to 274, the Divine Mother’s Five functions and Her Five Isvara forms are described. 

The Divine Mother is devoid of or entirely free from both virtue and vice. 

According to Jaimani dharma is action in accordance with the veda; adharma is opposite of that. 

Universal elements are dharma based. Water wets; Fire gives out heat. Each soul’s actions are dharma based to improve on its maturity towards the Supreme Being. In general, universal creatures follow their dharma in their acts. Even an evil person or a demon follows his dharma (or sometimes fails in his dharma.) If a soul is following systematically its own karma, it means that it is following its dharma. Adharma is a blockage for the soul’s improvement towards the Brahman. The devotee’s life will have both dharma and adharma actions. The whole universal actions represent dharma; which is the Divine Mother’s form and the Brahman which is eternal; it does not have any karma. That is why the Divine Mother is praised as Dharmadharma vivarjita. 

Due to karma, the soul is following their specified dharma and adharma actions. This may differ due to their past vasanas. An action which is dharma at one time may turn out to be adharma in another time. It may be dharma for one but adharma for another person. It is like a poor man’s best feast can be a poison for a rich man with many health complications. Namam 287 “Nijajna rupa nigama” implies that with the meaning that the Divine Mother commands take the form of Vedas. To live according to veda specifics is dharma. When souls follow their karma and do their dharma and adharma actions their negative karma effects will be reduced. Depending upon their past vasanas, the soul takes a new body with its dharma and adharma levels to follow. One soul’s conditions will differ from other soul. Essentially, due to own karma, each soul follows its own dharma and adharma actions. Both dharma and adharma apply to unenlightened soul also. 

Similar to a paddy field separating wall which controls the water flow to its own and neighbouring fields, the mankind faces the social restrictions for which one’s dharma actions help. This is basically to improve the soul to higher level. When everybody follows his own dharma actions, there is smooth functioning of the universe. Adharma is going beyond his own dharma. When correct dharma is followed, the Divine Mother gives one’s wants and comforts. The Divine Mother is beyond all these; She does not have any karma, being infinitely eternal. 

The restrictions due to dharma create relations such as father, son, husband, wife, friend etc. Each relation controls one’s activities. The souls try to overcome such restrictions through adharma means. When the man is born, he is not the father. But such relations/restrictions are added on to him. He has to live with these restrictions and dharma. Each one has different dharma restrictions due to his past vasana. The Divine Mother is beyond all these variations. 

Samvarta Smrti says that dharma is the conduct which is in accordance with the scriptures and traditions. Nityahrdaya Tantra says dharma is bondage and adharma is freedom. Often such statements imply contrary to the sastras. Dharma can mean karma effect. The Divine Mother does not have any bondage or liberation. Dharma creates equality or happiness while adharma creates inequality or sorrow or misery. The Divine Mother is free from all these. The Divine Mother imparts great powers to the sacred secret syllables of Shiva and Sakti in mantras. The word dharma comes from the root word dhr with meaning ‘to continue’ and ma means ‘great’. According to Matsya Purana the dharma is the one which is carried by the great, here it is the Divine Mother. 

Yajna valkya gives a list. Sacrifice, good conduct, self-control, non injury (ahimsa), gift giving and scriptural study all contribute to dharma. The supreme dharma is self realization. 

Vivarjita means not to allow 

The Divine mother is beyond all these. She is Dharmadhrama vivarjita. 

The  Divine Mother as Kannyakumari Amman ready to bless.

 

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 05 October 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 Sahasranama Stostram 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.

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 254: Shri Dhyana dhyatr dhyeya rupa (OM dhyAnadhyAtRRidhyeyarUpAyai namaH)

In Namams 249 to 274, the Divine Mother’s  Five functions and Her Five Isvara forms are described. 

The Divine Mother shines as meditation, meditator and the object of meditation. 

During the dhyana, which is focused unbroken flow of thought towards an object, the devotee gets to increase his thinking power. If one’s thoughts are focused on the Supreme Being, it becomes dhyana. The one who had already merged with the Supreme is called Brahman; the one who is trying to reach the Supreme through his tapas is called yogi. The one, who performs constant dhyana towards the Supreme Being, goes up in the ladder to reach the Brahman. 

It is not right to think that everything in this universe is not part of the Divine Mother; thinking about universal things, cannot help but to reach the Divine Mother. For example thinking about food is common for humans but that cannot be part of dhyana for the Brahman if that thought is about eating one’s meal only. However, if the person preparing the food thinks that is for offering to the Divine mother as Prasad, it will become dhyana.  Focusing our thoughts on any other thing will not be dhyana. 

The thinking becomes dhyana when one considers the deities in a temple are not just stones but they are part the divinity. Cit is part of the Divine Mother. 

The Divine Mother is the Supreme intelligence (Namam 251 “Cinmayi” and Namam 253 “Vijana Ghana rupini”). In such a state to realize the Divine Mother, dhyana is the best tool available to the devotee. If something is in visible form, it will be easily understood. The Divine Mother is in formless state for most of the times; to understand Her, the dhyana is the way to go. When one understands something through his thinking that continues to be held in his mind for some time. If he can continue to hold the Divine Mother in his mind through dhyana which will increase his chance to reach the Supreme Being soon. 

Yoga Sutra (111.2) identifies “Meditation as unbroken flow of thought towards an object.” 

Dhyana is seventh of eight forms as listed in Astanga yoga, namely: 

1.       Yama (Self-control)

2.       Niyama (Control of organs)

3.       Asana (posture)

4.       Pranayama (Breath control)

5.       Pratyahara (Withdrawal of organs)

6.       Dharana (Concentrating the mind)

7.       Dhyana (meditation)

8.       Samadhi ( In serene repose) 

With all these, this Namam interprets the Divine Mother is shining as meditation, meditator and the object of meditation. 

 The Divine Mother as Sri Vidya ready to bless.

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 04 October 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 Sahasranama Stostram 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. 

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 253: Shri Vijnana Ghana rupini (OM vij ~ nAnaghanarUpiNyai namaH))

In Namams 249 to 274, the Divine Mother’s Five functions and Her Five Isvara forms are described. 

The Divine Mother is the embodiment of all pervasive substantial intelligence. 

Scientists studying the universal five elements with instruments gain knowledge of those elements. It is part of their understanding science. If they go further, they get to know that there is this soul in all living beings, which is independent from those five elements. 

 Sun’s rays reflected by moon give cool comfort to us. But those very Sun’s rays, focused through a lens generate fire. Similarly by focusing the mind through meditation, one can aim for higher knowledge of the universe. 

The soul seeks knowledge to gain wisdom. Ghana means heavy or solid mass. The Divine Mother holds the very substantial all-pervasive intelligence within Her, by gathering of the intelligence of all souls in the universe, which She in the first place had provided to the universal creatures. 

The universe in the form of the Divine Mother contains the total absolute knowledge which is infinite. Only the matured souls can understand this “Cit” or the Absolute aspect of the knowledge. 

There are three methods through which one can understand things in general; through the knower, through the thing known and through knowing itself. Understanding a thing through these methods is part of Vijnana which is considered to be special knowledge.   

The Divine Mother is the total forms of all souls. Awakening, dreaming and deep sleeping are three levels, through which all the things in universe exist in the Divine Mother, who pervades the universe. 

Vijnana (Visesha Jnana or special intelligence) is interpreted also, as soul, according to Brhadaranyaka Upanisad. 

Ghana literally means solid mass. The term, Vijananaghana stands for the total souls’ intelligence put together. The Divine Mother is a whole and infinite Supreme; She lives as individual souls and all the resources of separate souls. 

The Divine mother is Vijnanaghana rupini. 

 

The Divine Mother as Kalas of Sri Mata ready to bless.

C N Nachiappun           

Singapore, 03 October 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 Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

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

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 252: Shri Paramananda (OM paramAnandAyai namaH)

In Namams 249 to 274, the Divine Mother’s  Five functions and Her Five Isvara forms are described. 

The Divine Mother is Supreme Bliss, with no miseries or sorrows in Her. 

Once pure awareness is reached, there is no more sorrows. Pure awareness is a state of constant bliss. This Supreme state is the liberation (Moksa). The Divine Mother is verily the Moksa form. 

All humans have the happiness. They usually indulge in Maya and neglect their happiness. They try to covet things belonging to others, even though they may not fully use such things. When they face difficulties in such acquisitions, they falsely suffer. 

All sufferings are opposite to happiness. The humans usually encounter sufferings and happiness as their lives move along. Denied fulfillment desires are hindrance to happiness. As against this, only the universal pervasiveness of the Divine Mother can grant the humans such happiness.  

The Sun’s rays may be blocked by the clouds, yet the cloud cannot reach the Sun. Sun’s brightness is independent of the clouds; they can only occasionally cover it. The difficulties the humans experience occasionally is like those clouds covering the Sun. 

One has to keep seeking, until one visualizes the kindness and grace of the Divine Mother that provides the ultimate happiness of Moksa. The nonstop Supreme Bliss is only from the Divine Mother. No wordly happenings can stop that flows from the Divine Mother. 

Taittiriya Upanisad (11.8) discussed the levels of  such a bliss. For sake of analysis, the Upanishad gives the following sequence of bliss; bliss experienced by human beings; by human gandharva (a group of low ranking deities- manushya gandharvah); celestial gandharva; pitrdeva; kamadeva; Indra; Brahaspati; Prajapati and Brahma. The bliss felt by each increases hundred folds from one level to the next higher level in this sequence. 

It shows that the bliss of one who resides in the Brahman is limitless. It is beyond any calculation; countless times higher than the happiness of the normal human being. 

When the Divine Mother grants the liberation to a soul, it will reside in the Brahman. The Divine Mother is truly the embodiment of such Supreme Bliss.  

“Brahman is the Supreme Bliss” It is said. The Divine Mother is eternally in happy with that Supreme Bliss. 

She is Paramananda. 

The Divine Mother as Kamala Lakshmi.

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 02 October 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 Sahasranama Stostram 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.

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 251: Shri Cinmayi (OM chinmayyai namaH)

In Namams 249 to 274, the Divine Mother’s  Five functions and Her Five Isvara forms are described. 

The Divine Mother is full of consciousness in Herself. 

Cit is a Sanskrit root word which means true awareness or consciousness. It also means to understand, to comprehend or absolute knowledge itself. 

The expression “satcitananda” (sat-chit-ananda) means “pure awareness with Brahma or total internal bliss”. 

If someone sits in a chair, he has the feeling or sense that he is sitting in the chair. The chair does not have any feeling. So She uses Her Cit or absolute knowledge; try to understand the chair and the person sitting in it. The Divine mother is in this Cit form.

The Divine mother has the absolute knowledge. She is in three levels namely, knower, knowing and the known object.

The Divine mother’s description in this Namam can be interpreted as formless awareness. The Divine Mother is Cinmayi.

                                        

             The Divine Mother  Bhuvaneshwari

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 01 October 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 Sahasranama Stostram 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.

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 250: Shri Panca brahma svarupini (OM pa ~ nchabrahmasvarUpiNyai namaH)

In Namams 249 to 274, the Divine Mother’s Five functions and Her Five Isvara forms are described. 

The Divine Mother’s form exists as five brahmas or made of the five Brahmas. 

Brahma, Visnu, Rudra, Isvara and Sadshiva are the deities doing their respective functions for smooth running of the universe. They will not become immobile or incapable of doing things as indicated in earlier Namam 249 “Panca Prethasanasina” when their sakis are with them; only when their saktis exit them during pralaya, they will become immobile something like a solid being but not exactly a corpse. Earlier the five divinities were called the five Brahmans, whereas the present Namam calls these five Brahmas are indeed the Divine Mother’s own form. For logical discussion, they were assumed to be immobile (corpses) in earlier Namam. We cannot separate them from their inner saktis. Heat cannot be separated from the fire. Likewise, these saktis cannot be separated from Bhraman. The Divine Mother is in all deities’ form. Each deity’s actions basically are actions of the Divine Mother’s. So She is Panca brahma svarupini. 

The Divine Mother is in all five Brahmas, who are holding Her seat in Sricakra. She holds in Herself all five brahmas. According to Garuda puranam, Narayanan, Vasudevan, Braitumnan, Aniruthran and Shankarson are said to be five forms of Vishnu doing the preservation or saving function. The Divine Mother is all those five deities’ forms of Vishnu also. 

These five Brahmas can also be considered to be different forms of Lord Shiva, namely, Isvara, Tatpurusa, Aghora, Vamadeva and Sadyojata. 

According to the Linga Puranam, the five Brahmas are the individual soul, existing nature from the beginning of the universe, intelligent, ego and mind. They also represent the five organs of perception; the five organs of action or the objects of the five senses. The universe consisting of five elements are to be suggested by Panca brahma. The sruti comments by saying “Everything, indeed is Brahma”. Hence this Namam implies that the Divine Mother‘s form is the total universe. Mother‘s form is the total universe.

The Divine Mother as Panca brahma svarupini

 

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 30 September 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 Sahasranama Stostram 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.

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3EoRFDzDoU&t=7s

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 249: Shri Panca pretasanasina (OM pa ~ nchapretAsanAsInAyai namaH)

In Namams 249 to 274, the Divine Mother’s Five functions and Her Five Isvara forms are described.  

The Divine Mother sits on the seat made of five deities, whose divine energies have subdued or not there with them. 

Her seat in the universe or in Sricakra is made with such five deities without their energies with them, (some may call them as corpses). Four of the deities are standing as the legs of the chair. And Sadashiva is in lying position on the Divine Mother’s seat, as described in Sricakra. All five murthies are in the Divine Mother’s abode in the universe and or in Sricakra, holding Her seat.  

The five deities are: Brahma, Visnu,Rudra, Isvara and Sadashiva. They are five Brahmans (See Namam 58 “Panca brahmasana sthita”). The Divine Mother has assigned to them, five functions to help Her in running the universe. The five functions are: creation, preservation, suppression, expression and destruction or dissolution. During the pralaya, they stop their jobs in order to enter into the Divine Mother. 

One becomes a corpse or the one without life when the soul or the inner Existence leaves the body. Here the deities mentioned have  subdued subsided or hidden  from their energies. 

If Lord Shiva is separated from the Divine Mother, He will be without the His Sakti or Energy. He will be then similar to the condition above. The question is, can we really separate the five deities from their Saktis which they are receiving from the Divine Mother? 

Brahma uses the Vamasakti which he gets from the Divine Mother for activity of creation. Without the Vamasakti, He is powerless as a deity. In the same manner, without the sakti from the Divine Mother, Vishnu, Rudra, Isvara and Sadashiva also cannot perform their assigned tasks. 

Pancha or ‘the five’ referred to may also be indicative of five elements (Panch-Bhutas): Earth, Water, Fire, air and Space (Ether). The Divine Mother with Her pure Existence lives in this universe made of five elements. 

This Namam can be interpreted that, since all five murthies surrendered and are absorbed inside the Divine Mother, they become powerless during the pralaya. 

 

The Divine Mother in Sricakra with Five deities holding Her seat

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 29 September 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 Sahasranama Stostram 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.

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3EoRFDzDoU&t=7s