Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 273: Shri Anugrahada (OM anugrahadAyai namaH)

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

The Divine Mother confers blessings on souls. 

Action that avoids blockage is form of anugrahaga. Devotees’ maturity level is based on the devotion and worship up on the Divine Mother. Maturity gives clarity to the soul. The Divine mother is not changing a small bit even for an eye blinking time from Her Supreme State. She holds everything within Her which is auspicious. Devotees start to understand the Divine Mother more and reach a state that they can merge with the Supreme Being. During this process, their ignorance and karma are getting cleared. On merging with Brahman, no other action will be needed. Since all these are leading to liberation of the soul happening under the Divine Mother’s watch, She is praised as Anugrahada. 

Anugraha is happening in Brahman. Anu means created universe and related actions; graham means holding all things. This Namam can be considered as that the Divine Mother is holding the universe and embodied souls for providing the needs of Her devotees. 

During pralaya, the universe is dissolved by Sadashiva. Later the recreation process starts. Basically the recreation is to settle issues not squared off in the universe before the said pralaya. Sadashiva is the major force in this recreation process. The Divine Mother is Sadashiva rupa to do this anugraha. 

Tirodhana and anugraha refer to bondage and liberation of the souls. Depending on one soul’s merit and or karma, its rebirth is determined by Isvara. He does this determination externally like an unfair ruler weighing only the papa (sin) and punya associated with the soul at that time; whereas Sadashiva through his inner means and with all his immense compassion finds ways to grant liberation to the soul. The Divine mother looks like a strict Empress but She shows Her motherly kindness to the souls in granting them the ultimate freedom which is liberation; so She is anugrahada. 

As Tirodhana and anugraha are bondages and liberation respectively, the Isvara fully manifested externally causes the bondage; Sadashiva manifested internally helps in liberation of the souls. Isvara gives ego and the sense of possession in souls leading to bondage; Sadashiva with his infinite compassion grants liberation to souls. Isvara creates awareness of the world and makes the soul to manifest in the external world. Sadashiva dissolves the sense of external world back into internal awareness and grants liberation to the souls.

The Divine Mother as Goddess Lalithambigai

at Thirumeeyachur, near Kumbakonam in Tamilnadu, India.

 

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 24 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.