Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 941: Shri Manomayi (ōṃ manōmayyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is in mind form.

She takes the form of the mind. Through our five sensing elements we enjoy five effects such as taste, see, hear, smell and touching things. For all these actions the key is our mind. There are differences for various living beings in using their sensing elements. Micro living beings use sensing elements in understanding their joyfulness and sorrows in their surroundings. Each human has different mindset. It is common for humans to avoid food that is not sweet. There are people who avoid sweetened things for various reasons, like physical health conditions.

In darkness, at the side of the road, a thief can be seen as a policeman, or a police man is seen as a thief. Some fearful people can think of that figure as a ghost. It may be a deadwood standing in position, so each human can perceive things differently.

Body based Jiva(soul) uses the mind as a bridge to link with other worldly beings. Through sleep, the mind settles inside. The outside world is hidden for a sleeping person. This is the basis of the mind. Like the colour of glass we wear, outside worldly things appear to us. Likewise, type of mindset determines the type of a human.

By conditioning the mind, the worldly sights change for humans.

The external world shows the effects of a human’s 

mindset. Humans’ aim is to correct their mindsets.

The Manomayi Devi is the Divine Mother’s form. She provides is good example for this mind control process. A pure mind does not get attached to the external worldly life. There is no liking or hatred ness for such a pure mind. Laziness and sorrow cannot be seen with a pure mind. It is always clear like a well-maintained balance showing the weights; the pure mind shows the external things as they are, without fear. The Divine Mother is pure minded. She shows the path to Her devotees to get pure mind. She is celebrated as Manomayi.

Humans bodily happenings through five sensing elements and mind, are called Manomayiam. The Divine Mother is Parashakti, ruling the world. Mind is the key place to acquire knowledge.

The form of our mind is both manifested and unmanifested. Mind can be said to have and not to have a specific form.

“The Bhairava, Shiva’s form, is Cidakasa. His Spouse or Sakti is Manomayi” says Vasistha Ramayana. The first pulsation (a single beat or throb at vibration) of the cosmic elements (tattvas) from Earth to Siva is known as Manomayi. The Divine Mother is the primeval motion or pulsation of energy, adyasparda.

In view of earlier Nama 10 “Manoruopeksukodanda”, the Divine Mother is the one who holds a weapon that is Her mind. She conquers and subjugates everyone with that weapon. The mind may be used as another term for Brahman.

The Divine Mother is in mind form.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 22 August 2022; updated 21 October 2025.

References:

1.The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published by Mata Amritanandam in California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2, Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Tiruchirappalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3. The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamil Nadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Sith-Bavandar.