Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 460: Shri Nalini (ōṃ nalinyai namaḥ )

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

The Divine Mother’s body is soft and beautiful as lotus petals. 

The Divine Mother’s hands, feet, eyes and face are comparable to the beauty of the blossomed lotus flower. Her every part of complexion is softer to the level of lotus petals, She looks like a blossomed lotus flower, reddish in colour. To praise the lotus flower’s beauty is a form of worship to the Divine Mother. 

King Nala, a devotee of the Divine Mother merged with Brahman, that is Her; so She is called Nalini, according to Saubhagyabhaskara. 

From Lord Shiva’s head seven rivers originated; three of them including Ganga and its sub sect Nalini are flowing towards eastern side in India; three rivers are flowing towards western side of India and one river is going into earth as mentioned in Ramayana Bala 43. Nala means a stream much smaller than a river. 

Any stream of water where many lotus flowers growing and blossomed is called Nalini also. 

The Divine Mother’s complexion is softer as lotus.

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 29 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.