Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 783: Shri Pranada (ōṃ prāṇadāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is the giver of life to all universal beings.

She provides the vital air, the prana. So long as vital air is available, all beings have their life. This prana is of five different types and spread all over the human body. Five Jnana elements, five karma elements and the mind function well when this vital air is available to humans. A small fire fed with oil grows into a large fire. In bodily structure, the vital air is essential for living. The Divine Mother provides such vital air to them all. Since the Divine Mother provides all the needs of humans to live, She is called Pranada.

Vital air is in five forms, these are Prana air that is taken in, Apana air that is expelled, Vyana that is spread all over the body, Udana that moves upwards in our body, and Samana that spreads evenly.

Each part of all creations function well with vital energy. The basis for such vital energy is vital air or prana, which helps to function in five different ways in a body structure. Vital energy takes into the body, the vital air from outside and after its use inside the body it comes out as a waste of energy; also, all the bodily elements get such vital air to bodily structure through blood vessels. Then that vital air is used for balancing bodily needs. Due to this vital air, ten bodily elements and the mind function well. The Divine Mother is the one who provides such vital air for all universal beings; She is called the Pranada.

She controls the five pranas and eleven organs ( the meaning of da is to control). Prana (“vital air”) is Brahman. The Divine Mother is the giver of that knowledge of Brahman. Kausitaki Upanishad says, “I am prana, I am consciousness. Worship me as life and immorality”.

The Divine Mother is the giver of life to all universal beings.    

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 18 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