Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 732 Revision: Shri Nama parayana prita (ōṃ nāmapārāyaṇapritāyai namaḥ)

From Nama 684 to 741 the glories of the Divine Mother were discussed.

The Divine Mother is pleased to hear Her names recited by Her devotees.

It is found in ancient documents that the Divine Mother Herself had said that ‘the devotee need not pray using Sri Vidya mantra or Panchadasi mantra, but simple recitation of the Shri Lalitha Sahasranama names regularly is much pleasing to Her.’ I tend to follow the later view that regularly reciting the Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam is good for the devotee.

The Divine Mother is fond of Her devotees reciting Her names with understanding the meanings of such names. Naturally, for every sound we hear, there is a meaning. Any research on worldly sounds will expand the research and its reach and size to universal level.

The Divine Mother with all Her Kindness and Grace had chosen Vak Devis to organize or collect the most effective and powerful one thousand names; She had accepted Vak Devis’ submission of those one thousand names. It is said that those who cannot do Sri Chakra or Sri Vidya and Panchadasi mantra Poojas can just recite these thousand names regularly to please the Divine Mother.

There are six types of parayanams identified in ancient texts, namely, Nadaparayanam, Ghadikaparayanam, Tattvaparayanam, Nithyaparayanam, Namaparayanam and Mantraparayanam. The Namaparayanm in above list is not same as Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam recitation. This had been mentioned in Sri Vidya Nithyahnikam. The Divine Mother gets very pleased with Namaparayanam. In all, saying Her one thousand names regularly with understanding of the names pleases the Divine Mother very much. She is ‘Nama Parayana Prita’.

Divine Names can be for any deity. The Divine Mother likes them all. The Divine Mother once said, “God will respond to any divine name that the devotees utter. Calling the Divine Mother as Krishna or Shiva, all have the same result. Some young children address their mother as sister.  Here the mother understands that the child is calling her. ‘Just as all the water that falls as rain from the sky goes back to the ocean eventually, so does prostration to any deity goes to Kesava’; and Kesava is a form of Mahavishnu, who is also one form of the Divine Mother.

All the letters of alphabet, from A to Ksha are the Divine Mother names. According to Laghu Stuti (verse 12), there are 96874 names in all; verse18 in the same Stuti mentions an even larger number (195840) as the total. All these mantras or names are obtained through different combinations of the fifty-one letters of Sanskrit alphabet. The letters are known as

Matruka letters in this context. Please refer to earlier Namam 577: Matruka Varna Rupini with the meaning that the Divine Mother is in the form of letters of the alphabet. Since it is difficult to say such large number of mantras, one thousand names have been prescribed in their place, that is called Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stotram.

Bhaskaracarya, an authority in Shri Lalitha Sahasranama, saw 20736 as the total number of the Divine Mother’s names. The exact number of names is not the issue here. It is the result of direct vision obtained by different seers. It is enough to recognize that there are countless divine names for the Divine Mother, starting with monosyllabic Om. In the prologue to Sahasranama, the Divine Mother Herself says, whether a devotee worships me with Sri chakra or not, whether he repeats the Panchadasi mantra or not, if he only recites these thousand names regularly with the understanding of the names, I will be pleased with him’.

Out of many ways to worship the Almighty, Japam and Nama Paarayanam are two most important and effective ways 

Japam                                                                                       Nama                                                                                                                                 Paarayanam

Repetition of one Name or Mantra silently or in a                   Chanting or reading         low voice                                                                                  aloud of many divine                                                                                                         names

It is meditation, inward practice                                                  More of a vocal act                                                                                                          of devotion

                                                                                                  

Normally done using a Japa Mala with 108 beads                    Using a book or out of  

to keep the account                                                                     memory

                                                                  

Different commentators have varying views; for example, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa felt that focusing on one name to pray to the Divine Mother is ideal; Ramakrishna Paramahamsa gave an example of the devotees reciting the Divine Mother’s names. In a drinking bar or shop a small portion of the drink is enough to intoxicate a person. Then, why should the person consider all the total quantity of drinks available in that shop? Likewise, to get the grace of Para-Brahman or the Divine Mother, one single effective name prayer is enough. Then, why does one needs to study and consider thousands of names of divinity? He considers studying every name of divinity to be a waste of effort. He continues, that one who wants to eat a mango will not count every leaf in the mango tree. So, his advice is for the devotee to choose a favourite name of the divinity and focus his prayer with that name to attain the divinity. With such action, the Divine Mother will be pleased much.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says. ‘Just as clapping one’s hand drives the crows away, so does Japa of the holy names drive sins away’. There is no greater yajna (sacrifice) than Japa. Chanting holy names is the most powerful means of uniting the hearts and raising them to goal of attaining the Para-Brahman. There is no inappropriate time for Japa. Kerala poet and saint Ezhuttachan says firmly, ‘Chanting Lord Hari’s name is not forbidden anytime or to anyone (say a woman having her periods, to a beggar, to the one who burns the corpse, to the fallen, or to Brahmana who had performed the fire sacrifice’) Such is the universal accessibility of nama Japa. It is easy, simple, it yields joy and finally leads to Liberation. Hymns like Sahasranamas, have survived for thousands of years, attracting and giving refuge to millions of devotees.

The Puranas say that when Ajamila, in the thrones of death, called out in pain to his son ‘Narayana’, the single utterance of that divine name brought him forthwith to Vaikuntha, Lord Vishnu’s abode. One thing is to be particularly noted for the divine name to appear on the tongue at the final moment, it must be deep-rooted in the mind. The recollection will not otherwise be possible. Only prayer that comes from the depth of the heart will be effective.

 

The Divine Mother is pleased with reciting Her

names with understanding of their meanings.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 26 January 2022.; Updated 03 April 2025

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

 

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 741: Shri Rambhadi vandita (ōṃ rambhādivanditāyai namaḥ)

From Nama 684 to 741 the glories of the Divine Mother are discussed.

The Divine Mother is adored by celestial eternally youth women (apsaras).

The Divine Mother is worshipped by apsaras. Celestial beings do not age with time like Rambha, Urvasi, Menaka and Tilottama. These apsaras are there in heaven to entertain Indra and other celestial beings. Such yogis do not have bodily tiredness. They are ever calm and young They get the Divine Mother’s grace for such a blissful life. Often, Indra gives special assignments to these apsaras to distract devas. These young women seek the Divine Mother’s grace to complete these tasks as well.

The Divine Mother is worshipped by Rambha and other celestial women, who entertain other celestial beings in heaven. These young women seek the Divine Mother’s grace to complete their task of entertaining the celestial beings well.

In sum. the Divine Mother is adored by celestial apsaras (damsels) such as Rambha, Urvasi, Menaka and Tilottama. Beauty is a gift obtained by divine grace. Rambha and others have a place in Indra’s court as they are leading examples of feminine beauty.

The Divine Mother is adored by celestial young women.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 04 February 2022; Updated 20 April 2025.

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

  

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 740: Shri Lajja (ōṃ lajjāyai namaḥ)

From Nama 684 to 741 the glories of the Divine Mother are discussed.

The Divine Mother exists as modesty in living beings.

Lajja means modesty. ‘Salutations to the Divine Mother who dwells within all beings in the form of modesty,” says Devi Mahatmya.

The Divine Mother is in modesty form. For a human to show off achievements in small issues is a sign of ignorance or weakness. Deep sea is calm but at the surface the waves are showing up their existence. Waves are an indication of instability. The deep sea is showing its permanence. A female, she will not exhibit anything outwardly. She will hold back modestly to show her cultural maturity. For the wide universe, the Divine Mother is the prime cause of its existence. Yet, She is very modest and holds Her strength and modesty within Her. It is a sign of wisdom. Those who worship the Divine Mother should not promote or publish their worship of Divine Mother. If any person praises such devotees, they ought not to be pleased. In such instances, the devotees’ modesty should be with them.

The Divine Mother is in modesty (Lajja) form. To keep away from bad or evil things is a form of modesty. Family culture or background, education and surroundings prevent humans from doing or getting evil things due to their modesty. The Divine Mother is in such modesty form. ‘Hreem’ seed syllable has one meaning as Lajja. The Divine Mother is in that seed syllable (Bija Akshara) Hreem form.

Bashfulness (reluctance to draw attention to oneself or shyness) is the external sign of noble birth and modesty. It should not be taken as a sign of weakness. It is like an ornament to one’s character. In fact, Fear (accam in Tamil), Artlessness (Madam in Tamil), Modesty (Nanam, in Tamil) and Aversion (Pairppu in Tamil) are four important attributes of noble women.

The Divine Mother exists as modesty in living beings.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 03 February 2022; Updated 20 April 2025.

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

 

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 738: Shri Lasyapriya (ōṃ lāsyapriyāyai namaḥ)

From Nama 684 to 741 the glories of the Divine Mother are discussed.

The Divine Mother is fond of Lasya dance. Characteristic or attributes showing famine aspects in Bartha Natyam is Lasyam dance. Characteristic or attributes showing male aspects in Bartha Natyam  is Tandavam dance.

The Divine Mother likes dance. A child is jumping around its mother. The child is revealing its joy through such movements. All universal beings express their joy through their own body movements and their dances. Animals and birds are dancing in their own way to show their happiness. When we have happiness in our minds, we release such joy through our body movements. Such action is called dance, a form of art which is within sixty-four identified Kalas. When the females express their joy through their body movements or dance, it is termed as Lasyam. In this wider universe many planets and galaxies are moving according to the Divine Mother’s scheme of things. These universal movements reveal the Divine Mother’s abilities. We can call these as cosmic dance. The Divine Mother’s happy forms are reflected in such systematic movements and functioning of the universe. To express happy feelings through body movements is one such universal action.

The Dance by Shiva is called ‘tandavam’. The Dance by the Divine Mother is Lasya. They are not confined to poetic concepts. Modern scientists are studying in detail the molecules of matter to understand the continuity without interruption of energy flow in their movements. Scientists are eyeing with wonder the visions of ancient Hindu sages. Such visions of the Risisi are scientific and eternal in nature.

(Lasyam and Tandavam dances are known to all males and female dancers. When they to show feminine attributes, they use Lasyam and when show the masculine attributes they use Tandavam).

The Divine Mother is fond of Lasya dance.

 

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 01 February 2022; Updated 20 April 2025.

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

  

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 737: Shri Mukti rupini (ōṃ muktirūpiṇyai namaḥ)

From Nama 684 to 741 the glories of the Divine Mother were discussed.

The Divine Mother is in the form of Liberation or Bliss.

The Divine Mother is in the form of Mukti or liberation or bliss. With time and place constrains, She, takes the universal nature form. She is visible to Her devotee. Souls are under nature’s hold. The Divine Mother releases such holdings to liberate them. This is one of her Lasya (sport) plays.

A newborn child identifies its mother and lay happily in its mother’s hold. Later, it learns to move to get the item it wants. How the child overcomes its blockage in getting the item it wants is an indication of it seeking Mukti or Liberation. As the child grows, it faces many blockages to get its desired items. Likewise, how the souls face blockages, overcomes them is a sign of them seeking Liberation. Getting Liberation is the goal of all souls.

All souls on various maturity levels, due to their ignorance, create attachments to worldly things. When the ignorance is removed, the attachments also are removed for humans. Souls keep taking on a new body in samsara cycle due to ignorance. Once humans realize that the soul was part of the Para-Brahman or the Divine Mother, the soul gains strength to release itself to get Liberation. Since this is the scheme of the universe, the Divine Mother is praised and worshipped as ‘Mukti Rupini’.

Mukti is not separate new status for the soul. The souls have departed from the Para-Brahman. Their reaching back to Para-Brahman is the Liberation or salvation or attaining bliss. The Divine Mother is Para-Brahman. She is Mukti Rupini.

Mukti is bliss. Hence, ‘She is in the form of bliss’. In Saurasamhita (chapter 14), this state of salvation is described. ‘This state is obtained by the removal of ignorance or by reaching turiya’. Turiya is ultimate fourth state after waking, dreaming and deep sleep. It is a blissful experience beyond that. Many matured souls (for example late Kanchi Periyava, Ramana maharishi, and Ramakrishna had been living in this turiya state while in their life in this world before their physical body died.

The Divine Mother in the form of Liberation.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 31 January 2025; Updated 03 April 2025

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

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 736: Shri Muktida (ōṃ muktidāyai namaḥ)

From Nama 684 to 741 the glories of the Divine Mother were discussed.

The Divine Mother Grants Liberation or salvation from Samsara cycle to Her devotees.

Liberation for the souls is gaining Moksha or getting salvation and or bliss at the Para-Brahman. Every universal being has some attachment to nature in some form. It is trying to escape from these attachments. As soon as a child is born, its crying shows to the world, its hunger for food and thirst for water. This is the process of attaching it to others. It gets temporary relief from hunger and thirst attachments which are not permanent. Lying flat on the ground for a human is a form of attachment. By shaking hands and legs, the flat human is trying to release his attachment. He succeeds a bit. Likewise, the soul is trying to get out of such attachments all through its life. Such actions are termed as seeking Mukti. In many previous births, the souls tried to get out of attachments. Through the Divine Mother’s grace, the souls get the strength to leave such attachments. Along the way, new troubles come up for the soul. Their efforts to handle new troubles is a process of seeking Mukti. In this Maya controlled universe, for souls to get out of attachments is not an easy task. Souls have learnt through many previous births. The Divine Mother with Her grace and kindness, through Her scheme of things, shows the path to Mukti for each soul having varying maturity level. By surrendering to the Divine Mother each soul tries to get Liberation from samsara cycle.

Due to ignorance, the souls assume that the current body is their permanent place. When they realize they were part of the Para-Brahman or the Divine Mother, they seek Liberation. Even before getting Mukti, the soul was part of the Divine Mother and the ultimate Par-Brahman. The souls have attachments to worldly things. On getting the Divine Mother’s grace, the soul gets out of samsara cycle. So, the soul in effect has not achieved any new state for itself on getting Mukti. The Divine Mother releases Her devotees from their ignorance and the related attachments to grant them Liberation or bliss.

According to the Kumara Purana, ‘Anyone desiring salvation should take refuge in Parvathi or Paramesvari, who is the soul of all beings and the essence of Shiva.’ Also, Brahmanda purana says, ‘Those who worship the Parashkati, whether according to the rules or not, do not get entangled in samsara (birth and death) cycle. They are liberated; there is no doubt.’

Mukit is not just Liberation after death. It can be experienced while being alive. One who welcomes life as it comes and goes forward and having overcome desire and anxiety with a mind attached to nothing and not dwelling on the fruit while doing any action, is a liberated soul. There are many such liberated souls or persons in India and elsewhere even today. They are known as Jivan Muktas-liberated while still alive in their current life.

The Divine Mother grants Liberation to Her devotees.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 30 January 2022; Updated 03 April 2025

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

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 735: Shri Mithya jagad adhishtana (ōṃ mithyājagadadhiṣṭhānāyai namaḥ)

From Nama 684 to 741 the glories of the Divine Mother were discussed.

The Divine Mother is the basis or support of the illusory universe.

Mithya is illusory, not constant, ever changing; jagad is constantly changing; adhisthana can mean foundation. There is a Mahavakyam namely, Brahmah Sathyam, jagad mithya. The Divine Mother is the Supreme Brahman, and the entire universe is Her creation.

The universe is created, sustained and dissolved. The Divine Mother is the ultimate deity for this ever-changing universe. The zero space with total emptiness can be said to be a lie. It is not correct to say an item is non-existent when it is available or seen. Nature is constantly functioning and changing.

An item seen is true; however, when we analysis through a universal approach, it cannot be alone, and it will become not true. For such a universe, the Divine Mother is supporting or basis of it.

The Divine Mother is the one who appears as the whole universe. When we see the universe, we do not see the Divine Mother who is the support for it. At that stage, the universe holds the truth. When we analyze, the universe is not in our sight, but we realize the support for the universe, who is the Divine Mother.

A mud pot, from its name and shape is understood as an independent item. When we consider the base mud, which gives the shape and name to the pot, the pot and shape become immaterial or untrue. Likewise, a gold ring is independently recognized in name and shape. However, when gold is the base for such a ring, it loses its ring status but only looked at as gold. Here, the pot and the ring were real and in name in one time. But when their supporting base mud and gold were considered, they lost their status and became immaterial. This is a form of Mithya. Similarly, looking at a shell as silver and as a shell is also Mithya. Same identified silver initially, turns out to be a shell only. Shell is true; Silver is untrue which had come in between. Likewise, within everlasting or eternal Divine Mother, the universe is created and dissolved. She is true to have created the universe. Then we can realize the Divine Mother is true. The universe is Mithya state, The Divine Mother is in ultimate true state without any illusion.

When we consider the universe is created by the Divine Mother, the universe created by Her becomes true. The assumption that the universe is different than the Divine Mother is Mithya. When we understand the ultimate Divine Mother, the universe has the same sense. Like gold and the ring, the Divine Mother is the base for the universe.

The basis or support for the illusory universe is Para-Brahman.The Nama can also mean that the Divine Mother is that Para-Brahman.

Mithya is illusory, not constant, and ever changing. Everything that is changing is Mithya or illusory. Truth is what is constant. There is only one such truth which is Para-Brahman.

The ‘sages’ of India recognized thousands of years ago that every soul is Para-Brahman, having parted from it and trying to reach it for Liberation. The universe manifests in the essence of that Para-Brahman. This manifestation persists until one realizes the Para-Brahman. Until then, this world is indeed the reality for the soul. It is relative reality. If the sense of Samsara (birth and death cycle) exists, the world looks real to the soul. Only for the one who has reached the ultimate (truth) realization of the Self, does the world become an illusion.

The Divine Mother is the support for this illusory universe.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 29 January 2022; Updated 03 April 2025

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