Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 271: Shri Isvari (OM Ishvaryai namaH)

 In Namams 249 to 274, the Divine Mother’s  Five functions and Her Five Isvara forms are described. 

The Divine Mother protects and rules over everything in this universe. 

The Divine Mother is the Empress or leader for all universal creatures. Embodied souls are unaware of their true self hidden within their self and they seek a leader and or a Goddess to confide their sufferings and problems; they pray and seek help from the Divine Mother, who hears their grievances and removes them but only based on their merit of papa and punyna. The Divine Mother is fulfilling such leadership role well and thereby maintains the smooth functioning of the universe. Based on its merit of each soul is benefitting from Her grace. So the souls in their Triodhana state praise and worship the Divine Mother, who is the Isvari. 

Brahma, Visnu and Rudra have respectively their rajasic, sattvic and tamasic attributes. When anyone of the attributes is predominant, the other two gunas assist in the universal process. Isvara is beyond all these. From Sun rays, seven colours appear. Similarly from the Supreme Being, all three gunas appear. Lord Isvara is doing the fourth task of hiding in Triodhana. Due to their unison, the Divine Mother is part of this action also.

Sadashiva is beyond all four murthies to grant liberation to the souls. The Divine Mother, who is Supreme and infinite, is beyond all these murthies. 

Supreme Individuality (Pramanta) is the quality of Isvara. Lordship, doer ship, independence and being consciousness itself are the qualities referred to Isvara. By Her unison with Isvara, all these qualities are applicable to the Divine Mother also. 

Soul is consciousness that is based on mind or ego. Isvara is consciousness based on the universe. This Namam tells us that the Divine Mother is consciousness based on the universe, same as Isvara. 

With smooth running of the universe and giving Her grace supporting the souls at various levels, the Divine Mother assumes the role of Isvara; So She is called Isvari. 

 

  The Divine Mother as Thiruvanaikaval Goddess Akhilandeshvari

(Akilam means Universe; Anda means Ruler; Eshwari means Goddesss).

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 22 October 2020.

 

 

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.