Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 473: Shri Siddha Mata (ōṃ siddhamātrē namaḥ)

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

The Divine Mother is the Mother of all Siddhas, who are matured souls reaching the Brahman and who have renounced all worldly attachments. 

The ultimate Brahman through the Divine Mother takes various forms. If anyone worships any of those forms, it is equal to worshipping the ultimate Brahman. For the people who follow Bhakti and knowledge paths, there are many ways to do such worships. Siddhas always have worshipped the Divine Mother. Like a child dealing with its own biological mother, Siddhas consider themselves as the favourite children for the Divine Mother. On same approach, the Siddhas in their words, thinking and actions reach the Divine Mother for all their needs in their current birth and for the future needs on reaching the ultimate Brahman. So, the Divine Mother is called the Siddha Mata. 

The Divine Mother provides all supporting needs of the Siddhas. She is fully having all the attributes and abilities to be providing and supporting the Siddhas as their own Mother. She holds the Siddhas within Her and does not allow them to go beyond Her. She showers all the kindness meeting the Siddhas’ needs, as the Siddha Mata. 

The Divine Mother is the Mother to them all. She undertakes their care and protects like a mother. She hears their calls and gives whatever they need. She is Mother of all those who desire Liberation. She wants them to succeed in t all their efforts to get Liberation.

The Divine Mother as Siddha Mata

 

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 12 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.

 

4.       The eight most powerful siddhis in the Hindu scripture are: Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Istiva, and Vasitva.

 

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.

·         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.