Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 782: Shri Parakasha (ōṃ parākāśāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is the transcendental ether; this is the main cause of the cosmic and individual beings in the universe.

Akasa, ether, or space indicates Brahman. The Divine Mother is the Supreme Brahman. The Chandogya Upanisad (I.9.1) says,“ He said Akasa (is the Essence). All these beings arise only from Akasa,” She who is called Akasa is the origin of the universe. The all-controlling and having no beginning power is also that Maheshvari,” according to the Kurma Purana.

The Divine Mother is in the incomparable chit, Akasa form. The basic five elements namely sky, air, water, earth, and fire, are the key in a maya based universe. All universal beings, planets, galaxies etc. are within these basic elements. In this chit, Akasa represents Para Brahman to a yogin. Akasa has its own brightness. All these are within the universe or the Divine Mother.

The Divine Mother is in the form of a wider Akasa/sky. The sky is spread all over. That is understood and felt; but not visualized. There is no division in the sky. The Brahman which created this Akasa, is itself infinite. The Divine Mother is in that form.

In our body Sahasrara Chakra is Parakasha, and the Divine Mother is in that form.

The Brahman is far away, not reachable, easily. In our heart, there is one gap called Daharakasha. The Divine Mother resides there. Since that gap in our heart is not reachable, it is also called Parakasha.

Even though we speak of the sky (Akasa in common parlance) as dark, clear, or red, those colours do not, in fact, touch the sky. Similarly. attributes of things of the universe, like any being’s form or smell do not touch the Divine Mother, even though they are part of Her essence. Her attributesless, untaintedless and all-pervasiveness are part of the Divine Mother.

 “He is established in Parakasha,” says Taittiriya Upanisad (III.6.1). Parakasha is the place of manifestation of Brahman. This may be understood as Akasa (space) to the heart, also called Daharakasha (see Nama 609 Daharakasha Rupini, with the meaning that the Divine Mother is the subtle Self in the heart). Thus, Parakasha is sometimes referred to as Daharakasha.

 The Cid-gagana Chandrika says, “There is no moving sun or moon in the Akasa. What exists is what resides in the heart, which is the energy that produces motion. That is the Supreme Akasa, also Parakasha.

In Svacchanda-Samgraha, it is said, “Above the forehead, there is a place called Dvadashanta. Next to it, next to the top front portion of the skull, inside within two fingers of the front, is Parakasha. Some say Parakasha is the space beyond the seven seas. The Divine Mother is the one residing there. These only serve to indicate the difficulty of reaching Her.

 This Nama can also be split as Paraka, which is hard, laborious plus Asha which means direction or region. The Divine Mother is the one to be reached through difficult paths. Or, splitting the Namam as Para which is great plus aka which is sin plus asha which is one who can eat, resulting in meaning that She eats (removes) even the most severe sins.

 Akasa, space can take definite forms, but the Divine Mother cannot be attributed to any such forms. As the Gita (IV,11) says, “Howsoever men approach Me, so do I reward them”.

 

The Divine Mother is the transcendental ether.    

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 17 March 2022; updated 31 May 2025.

 

 

References:

1.     The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamis AparnaSan 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