Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 635: Shri Gauri (ōṃ gauryai namaḥ)

The Goddess Divine Mother has a fair complexion. 

The Divine Mother is said to have light golden yellow colour complexion and She is also called Gauri. 

Her father Daksan did not invite Her spouse Lord Shiva for the yagam he performed. Against Lord Shiva’s advice, the Divine Mother as Daksayani, went to Her father’s yagam and got humiliated by Her father Daksan. She with Her yoga Shakti, burnt Her body in yoga fire and was reborn as Parvati or Uma as daughter of Himavant and was remarried to Lord Shiva again. As Parvati, She is said to have whitish colour resembling Jasmine, full moon and sankus.  Gauri can also mean white colour. There is river called Gauri; a ten-year-old girl is considered as Gauri; Kanyakubja temple in Himalayas has a deity by the name Gauri. The Divine Mother is celebrated as Gauri. 

Devi Purana says, “Since the Divine Mother who burnt herself in the yaga fire of Daksan and was reborn as daughter of Himavant with the colour of conch, simlar to Jasmine or full moon.

Other references say that Varuna’s (rain god) spouse is known as Gauri; also, a ten-year-old girl is celebrated as Gauri.

 The Goddess Gauri as the Divine Mother.

C N Nachiiappun

Singapore, 21 October 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