Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 583: Shri Atma vidya (ōṃ ōṃ ātmavidyāyai namaḥ)

The Goddess Divine Mother is the Knowledge of Self. She is the one who blesses devotees with Knowledge of the Self. 

The Divine Mother is in the form of Self Knowledge. Sarasvathi Devi, the Goddess of learning and sixty-four arts (Kalas, also known as Aparavidya) is still in learning mode, due to which knowledge keeps on increasing. She is said to have come out from Vedas. For those who cannot learn, the knowledge is hidden. For those who can learn, their sphere of knowledge keeps growing. What one has learned is much smaller than a grain of sand, but what he must learn is bigger than the world at large.  What is learned is skill or knowledge. When we analyze anyone art, many subbranches from that art are generated. 

Depending upon the skills level, this knowledge grows. For the surprise and suffering due to the learning of such knowledge and skills will be there for those learning them.  Those who have not learnt do not see that as a defect or weakness. Alternatively, if we point out the weakness in a learned person and say to him that he is fool, he will feel the sorrow very much. Due to education, knowledge grows. He may think about his body defect and feel sorry for it. 

A learned man once said that the people without education and knowledge are good people. In ancient days, the yogins were trying to find out what aspect of learning helps to overcome the death. They studied the human body structures. It is not just accepting the food for processing. Even the small creatures do not want to die. So through the body, one cannot get deathless status. So the yogins, searched the mind which causes the thinking, feeling and commonsense. The feeling can be love or hatred, good or bad judgment demises in golden age. The mind is not stable. 

For creation and destruction, the five senses are responsible. Humans reduce their desires and start looking inward. So, for him, the body, mind and five sensory objects are not his true self is becoming clearer. He starts understanding that Brahmam is where he belongs. So the soul is not destroyable but as the body is. For jana and ajanam, the soul or the Atma gives the jana light. For a soul happiness and sorrow are not affecting it. To understand this, the grace of the Divine Mother is needed, and She is in such a great Self Knowledge form to bless Her devotees. 

To understand the attributes of materials is through knowledge, which is also called Vidya. To understand the Self, knowledge is through Atmavidya (which is also known as Paravidya). The Goddess, the Divine Mother is in mantra form. 

There is a mantra known as, “Atmasakshatkra mantra” which is also called Atmavidya, which helps in providing Self Knowledge. The Divine Mother is the form of that Mantra.

       Sarasvati Devi, the Goddess of Learning and arts represents the Divine Mother 

C N Nachiappun        

Singapore, 30 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