Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 439: Shri Kulesvari (ōṃ kulēśvaryai namaḥ)

In Namams 381 to 474, the Divine Mother’s Jnana Yoga worship methods are discussed in details. 

The Divine Mother is the ruler of the Kula. 

Kula identifies a triad (a group or set of three related people or things).Kulaguru means the teacher for a set of students. Kuladeivam is the special deity for the said triad. Kulapathy refers to the leader. All above are rising from this Namam Kulesvari.  In this universe, there are many triads as divided by the Divine Mother; the nature safeguards each triad. Butterfly has many thousands of varieties, yet they are in one kula. Similarly, universal creatures walking, flying and moving in the earth with their body are all saved by the nature. If there is mixing, then their beautifulness will be lost. The Divine Mother as Kulesvari is saving them all. 

Measuring instrument, measuring item and measurement are also called kula. Someone’s smaller knowledge is hidden in other’s bigger identifiable knowledge. The Divine Mother is in such knowledge big and small. 

Kula refers to triad which is also triputi; same as the knower, the known and knowledge. Upanisads declare the truth: “The light, which is the consciousness that shines when the triputi filling the three words to their limits finally breaks, is not visible to a false yogin”. The Divine Mother is the controller of that triad. 

Kulesvari can mean the Kundalini Shakti. Kulesvara is Shiva and Kulesvari is His consort. Another interpretation is that Kulesvari is the ruler or presiding deity of the Muladhara cakra. Kula refers to Muladhara because the earth element (Ku) is contained or dissolved (la) in that cakra.

 

The Divine Mother.

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 08 April 2021.

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 Chithbavandar.