Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 467: Shri Sukshma rupini (ōṃ sūkṣmarūpiṇyai namaḥ)

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

The Divine Mother’s form is too subtle to be perceived by the human sensing organs. 

She is in fine subtle form. Nature and the Divine Mother are one and the same. Those gross things in the nature are reaching our sensory organs. But something in subtle or subtest level, such Her strength is much more than in gross form. In Narayana sktam and Vishnu Sahasranamam, Lord MahaVishnu’s subtle forms and His achievements are referred. 

Heat, electricity, and magnetic attraction are in gross form. Thinking and sensing are in Citshakti form, which is much stronger than the gross level shaktis. So, the Divine Mother is in subtle or Sukhsma rupam. 

Her subtle form is not fully understandable. In Muladhara Kundalini is the fire used in Homa form. Rahoyogam is the name for it. That subtle Divine Mother is in Homa, subtle mantra and Kundalini forms. 

There are three types of forms: gross, subtle, and subtlest (para). Here in this Namam the Divine Mother is called as having a subtle form. “Subtler than the subtle and greater than the great”. (Katha Upanisad, I.ii.20) and “Subtler than the subtle” (Kaivalya Upanisad 16). 

The word “Sukshma” means also a Homa (oblation). There are twelve kinds of oblations. The greatest oblation is the daily done in the fire in Muladhara cakra. This worship is a manasa puja performed silently in the mind. 

This Namam is telling us that the Divine Mother’s real form is not gross, but one that is subtle which is undivided Bramham.

The Divine Mother 

 C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 06 May 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.