Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 471: Shri Siddhesvari (ōṃ siddhēśvaryai namaḥ)

In Namams 381 to 474, the Divine Mother’s Jnana Yoga worship methods are discussed in detail. Nanams 471 to 473 the Divine Mother’s association with Saddars. 

The Divine Mother is the Goddess worshipped by spiritual adepts, who are very skilled in spiritual activities or called Siddhars. 

Those who have matured enough to reach Brahman are called Bakta yogins and Siddhas. They praise and worship the Divine Mother as Siddhesvari. These Siddhas have cleared their karma; they are not affected by aging due to changing time, like the Divine Mother Herself. In Varanasi (Kasi) the Goddess name in addition to Annapurana and Visahlaksi is famous deity Siddhesvari. The eight most powerful siddhis in the Hindu scripture are: Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Istiva, and Vasitva.


1.       Anima: This is the ability to shrink one's body size, even to the size of an atom. Becoming smaller than the smallest was described in Srimad Bhagavatam by Lord Krishna. A common example of anima is when Lord Hanuman reduced his size when searching for Sita in Sri Lanka.

2.       Mahima: The opposite of Anima, Mahima is becoming larger than the largest - as also described by Lord Krishna in Srimad Bhagavatam. Lord Hanuman also assumed this form to set Lanka ablaze, and to fight Kumbha Karna.

3.       Garima: This is the ability to become very heavy by will, that one is rendered immovable by anyone, or anything. This is documented when Lord Hanuman made his tail so heavy that even the extremely strong Bhima couldn't lift it.

4.       Laghima : Laghima originates from the root word "laghu", which means small, or light. This siddhi can make one's body also weightless. Levitation and flying are the extended powers of this siddhi.

5.       Prapti : This is the ability to obtain anything, anywhere. We might have read in the Hindu scriptures, or watched in mythical-themed shows, the Gods materialising things out of thin air - thanks to prapti siddhi.

6.       Prakamya: The ability to obtain anything desired and realising dreams. It is also the powers that enables one to live in water, and the power to enter the body of another person. For example, Sri Sankara entered the body of Raja Aamruka of Benares, and Tirumoolar entered the body of a sheperd using this siddhi.

7.       Isitva: Referring to the "power of lordliness", this siddhi is about power of absolute lordship over the entire creation. One of the greatest siddhis, Isitva enables crossing over the laws of nature, and it overlaps the other siddhis. For example, this capable enables one to separate their soul from their body at will.

8.       Vasitva : This is the ability to have anything under control, especially the physical manifestation of the five elements. This is the siddhi that can conquet and or all beings in the universe. 

The above-mentioned are the primary siddhis in the yoga tantric. Besides this, there 10 secondary siddhis, and thousands, and even millions of other siddhis according to Saivism and Vaishnavism. 

Those who have Anima and other seven siddhis are called as Siddhas. Although they are humans with becoming Siddhas, they are liberated. Normal universal things like body, structure, weight cannot affect them. Water will not wet them; wind cannot move them; fire cannot burn them; they can pervade across skylines; they can hear unlike the normal humans, unheard sounds. They are beyond normal human beings. In Sri cakra, they are situated in Servasiddhi centre triangle, four siddas. There are additional Siddhas. The Divine Mother provides the Shakti to these Siddhas; She is called Siddhesvari. 

The Divine Mother bestows all Siddhis and this Namam is apt for Her.

The Divine Mother as Siddhesvari

 C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 10 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.

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

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