Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 442: Shri Kumara Gananathamba (ōṃ kumāragaṇanāthāmbāyai namaḥ)

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

The seven Namams from 442 describes the Divine Mother’s Character. 

The Divine Mother is the mother of Kumara (Lord Subramania) and Gananatha (Lord Ganapathy). 

When we go into a Lord Shiva or Goddess temple, we see Ganapathy at the right side and Lord Muruga at the left side of main deity. Hindu religion has six paths of worship, of which Lord Muruga’s devotees follow the Kaumaram path. Those who worship Lord Ganapathy follow Ganapathyam path. The devotee’s birth and death are caused by one's own karma but the Divine Mother witness them; She takes on different worshipping methods under different deities’ names. Those who reach Liberation with no birth and death achieve through worshipping the Divine Mother. Those who wish to worship Lord Shiva or the Divine Mother ought to be knowledgeable as Ganapathy and skillful like Muruga. Ganapathy is knowledge or jnana based and Muruga is skills based. Ganapathy represents Omkaram. He speaks less. He is not moving but ever he is listening to devotee’s prayers seeking His help. Essentially this means that those who want knowledge should not talk much but must observe and listen to others. Listening and thinking help to grow one’s knowledge. Ganapathy represents such gaining of jnana or knowledge. 

In skills and handsomeness, Lord Muruga is unequalled. His vehicle is peacock. By moving fast, lord Muruga has earned the army commander status to safe guard Devas. There is nothing that is impossible to Him. He achieves well in doing anything that matters. The people seeking Liberation ought to have many skills. As such the devotees graduating towards Brahman ought to have the qualities of Lord Muruga and Lord Ganapathy. Generally, wisdom or knowledge is placed ahead of Skillfulness. These who understand these will use the wisdom and skills to easily reach the Brahman. 

Kumaran is ever young; He is more beautiful than Manmathan (the Lord of Kama). Murugan eliminates the evil forces or people. Ganapathy collects all bad people to a place and lead them out of devotees. He uses the yogashakti to help his devotees. 

Ahan-kara (egoism) comes from the union of Adipurusa (original man) and Shakti. Kumara is the deity for this. Kumaragana represents all the qualities arising from egoism. The Divine Mother binds and governs all the qualities due to ahan-kara. So She is called Kumaragananathamba. The word Kumara symbolizes the egoism and Amba is the one who blocks its forces. The Namam can be interpreted as that the Divine Mother blocks the path of egoism in Her devotees and opens the path to Liberation of the soul. 

Another way of interpretation is: Ku is bad; maragana is the aggregate of passions and amba is the one who blocks or restricts. So the Divine Mother restricts the power that lead to inferior passions for sensory pleasures.

 

       The Lords Ganapathy and Kumara are

        seated in front of the Divine Mother

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 11 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.