Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 482: Shri Pasu loka bhayankari (ōṃ paśulōkabhayaṅkaryai namaḥ)

In Namams 475 to 534 represents the Divine Mother’s Yogini forms. 

The Divine Mother fills with fear in mortal beings bound by worldly existence. 

For the soul bound by worldly existence or the pasu, the Divine Mother creates the fear. For Shiva (Pasupathi) followers, Pasu means soul; for Vishnu (Govindan) followers, Go means soul. For the soul without Jana or knowledge, they are called pasu. For each soul, birth, growth, creating next generation to grow the family, eating, fearing, depreciating, and dying are the six actions needed in current life. Fearing is one of the attributes included in this list is to be noted. 

All souls afraid or fear about enemies or death which is caused by the Divine Mother Herself. All universal beings do things, mostly to avoid the fear. These souls by trying to avoid the fear go up the ladder towards Brahman. By overcoming the fear, the souls improve their maturity. Finally, the souls realize that they are from Brahman to be returned to the Brahman and their body is only temporary. He realizes that all his fears are due to his ignorance, and he tries to avoid such fears. There is only one Brahman; it has separated as pasu and the Divine Mother. There are many forms for the Divine Mother. To understand this concept, the soul must gain the knowledge. On getting such knowledge, the soul will have its fears reduced. To graduate the soul, to provide means the Divine Mother creates the fear in them and gives knowledge to avoid such fears. By the level or amount the soul overcomes such fears it matures towards the Brahman, which is again the Divine Mother’s scheme for the soul or pasu; it is the one who has not realized the oneness of the soul with the Supreme, the Pasupathi. 

“In physical enjoyment, there is always the fear of disease; in the family, there is fear of loss of humor; in  wealth there is fear from the government or thieves; in honors, there is a fear of dishonor, in fine physique of youth , there is fear of old age; in knowledge, there is fear of dispute; in goodness, there is fear of evil men; in the body, there is a fear of death; all things on earth cause fear without doubt; dispassion is the only refuse or freedom from fear.” Everything is a cause of fear for one bound in samsara cycle. The only refuse from fear is dispassion. 

The Divine Mother creates fears in souls covered by ignorance. Depending upon liking or disliking, when the soul sees things differently or looks at the divinity and himself as different, he is called pasu subjected to fear. The Divine Mother creates such fears to force the soul to improve towards the Brahman. Pasu is afraid of enemies and death. Under such circumstances, the Divine Mother who created the fear helps the soul or pasu to look towards Brahman. So, the Divine Mother is ‘Pasu loka bhayankari’.

                   The Divine Mother as Pasu loka bhayankari reducing the fear in souls.

 

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 21 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.