Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 577: Shri Matruka varna rupini (ōṃ mātṛkāvarṇa rūpiṇyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is in the form of letters or alphabets. 

The Divine Mother being in letters form leads us to light and sound, the key things used for understanding. We hear the sound though our ears. We see the light through our eyes. Nature’s sounds are represented as fifty-one syllables in Sanskrit language. The letters which cannot be destroyed are called Akshra. Brahman is also Nadabrahmam. Sound and light cannot be destroyed. So there is concept that light and sound are Brahman. 

Sanskrit is the divine language and considered a perfect language. A primordial sound of OHM karam has as A+U+M. A is the starting of the sound, U is the current holding and M is the ending. Sound is part of the universe; letters linked to sound are grouped. All things start at A and finishes at M. They are all forms of the Divine Mother. 

Sounds are all heard though our ears. Those who have learnt Sanskrit can learn other languages easily. All sounds and meanings are all covered in Sanskrit language. 

Varna means colour. Sun’s rays split into seven colours. Seven sound forms and seven colours are related. Yellow gold if boiled shines in whitish colour. Likewise, if the letters turn into colours, they become the Shakti form of the Divine Mother. When the sound varies a lot, different colour letters shine in whitish colour, which is the basis of Brahman. So Shiva and the Divine Mother are the same. 

The Divine Mother covers the body. Shiva covers the soul. So, Shiva-Shakti form has a planned basis. Shiva covers the universe, while the Divine Mother covers being’s body. What we have in the bodies is also available in the universe. Such universal form is in Sricakra. These are all in Bija syllables as present with Shiva and the Divine Mother’s presence. 

Yogins realized the universe in sound form. By changing the sound, the universal form can be changed is what the yogins leant. Likewise with sound, body defects can be rectified. Letters are called varnas. Yogins see the human mind through their meditations. This colour formation is applicable for the universe also. Shiva rupa letters, when they turn into different colours, they gain as the Divine Mother. 

The universe is Shiva form, beings’ body is the Divine Mother’s form is explained by this Namam “Matruka Varna rupini”. We ought to learn to understand the universe and body as Shiva-Shakti unison. 

Between A to Ksha there are fifty-one syllables, they are all Matruka syllables. Words get the colours, syllables or alphabets or letters are called varnas. Mata is mother, sound like syllables, so they are called Mtruka varnas. The Divine Mother is in fifty-one syllables form.  Each alphabet has a separate colour to go with it. Vishuddhi cakra has sixteen letters in smoke colour; Anahata cakra has three letters having red colour; Manipuraka has five letters whitish colour; Svadhistana cakra has four letters reddish colour; Muladhara cakra has two letters yellow gold colour; Ajna cakra has two letters like lightening white colour. So the Divine Mother represents these fifty-one letters and She is part of them. The Divine Mother holds A to Ksha fifty-one letters Akshamala within Her. For reciting a mantra like NamaShivaya, these fifty-one matrka letters are useful. Such Akshamala is used to pray in Sricakra triangles and floors in a special way of worshipping the Divine Mother. Such Sricakra is called KailasaPrastara. To pray to Divine Mother here is considered a blessing for the devotee. 

The Namam may be interpreted as “She who wears a garland of letter”; a garland of Aksa; A being the first and Ksha the last letter of the Sanskrit alphabets. One other interpretation is “She who created the letters of the alphabets.” In Tantra, Matrukavarnas (fifty-one) are the letters belonging to Sricakra. Meditation on letters and on Sricakra is the same, according to the sages. The technical term for this form of meditation is Kailasaprastara. It is the meditation on the Divine Mother in the form of letters. In Tantra, there are three types of Meditation known as Prastaras; Kailasastara as mentioned; Meruprastara is meditation on the sixteen daily deities and the Divine Mother as one and the same; Bhiprastara is meditation on eight vasini deities and the Divine Mother is one.

Some commentators consider this Namam as consisting of two names: Matruka and Varnarupini. Matruka means “one who cuts physical desires and shines as the light of Knowledge (Ma is that which cuts; tra is trasna is strong desire and ka is She who shines.)’. Varnarupini is one who is in the form of letter as described above.

                                The Divine Mother as Matruka varna rupini.

 

C N Nachiappun         

Singapore, 24 August 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 Sithbavandar