Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 659: Shri Sarvadhara (ōṃ sarvādhārāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is the support for all in this universe. 

All universal creatures both living and non-living had come from the Divine Mother. She is providing support for all in the universe. From the Divine Mother in Brahman, this universe had originated. The five key elements are created by the Divine Mother; of these, the sky supports the other four elements. The Divine Mother in Chetana (consciousness itself) form functions as citshakti. Her usual form is beautiful without any ugliness. The Divine Mother is supporting all universal beings which had come from Her. 

In this earth, mountains, valleys, rivers, tanks, oceans and cloud all have their own form. These items are supported by the earth. Likewise, for all universal beings which originated from the Divine Mother, She is supporting them all. She is spreading all over the universe to provide support for them all. After every pralaya, the re-creation process is different, yet the types of souls in the newly created universe are not changed. So, the Divine Mother is Sarva Dhara or the support for all universal things which have come from Her. 

The type of support is not used here in normal sense support and supported. For example, if we say the money is in the box, or the book is on the shelf, the box and shelf are identified as supports. What is meant as support in this Nama is not this usual type of support. When we see “blueness in the sky” or snake in the rope or milk as white in colour, we cannot separate the sky from blue or snake from the rope or white from milk. In a similar way we cannot separate the Divine Mother from the universe. Such type of support is meant here in this Nama. Everything in this universe is part of the Divine Mother and nothing is separated from Her; She is the support for all universal beings. 

The Divine Mother’s three shaktis (Iccha, jnana and kriya) are minding their own business. As such, She is the supporter of all these shaktis and all other universal things. Alternatively, all universal beings are held within the Divine Mother and She is holding them; She is being such support, is controlling all the shaktis. From the first item, the next or second item manifests, like from cotton yarn coming out; Things and time are always continuously changing or happening. Within all these activities, She is providing the support for all universal beings.

The Divine Mother is supporting all in the universe.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 14 November 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