Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 315: Shri Rati rupa (OM ratirUpAyai namaH)

In Namams 275 to365, the Divine Mother’s  many forms providing benefits to Her devotees in great details are discussed. 

The Divine Mother is in the form of Rati, the wife of Kama’s form. 

Lord Kamesvara and Goddess Kamesvari in their unison are creating the desire in humans to reach the Brahman. Kama or Rati create the human’s five sensual organs’ desires. Most humans consider only their present bodily needs. They improve from lower level bodily desires to higher mature desire to reach the Brahman by worshipping the Divine Mother or the Rati rupa. The Divine Mother is in many various forms of Rati in this universe; Devotee’s such a realization helps to overcome his sensual organs’ kama. 

This Namam interpretation is that the Divine Mother takes the Kama’s wife Rati’s form; Rati is the extreme desire to have something without which there is no satisfaction to oneself. Rati, the Kama’s wife creates in human minds desire and involvements in universal things; these are all actions by the Divine Mother. So the Divine Mother acts in Rati’s form. The Divine Mother takes a pure joyful form; She imparts maximum bliss to everyone. 

Rati can be interpreted to mean as attachment oriented; that is organs desires for pleasures. Vrati is non attachment to such organs pleasures. 

The Gita (V11.11) says,” Of the strong, I am the strength devoid of passion and attachment; and in all beings, I am the Kama (desire), that is unopposed to the dharma, O Arjuna!”

 

The Goddess Madurai Meenakshi.

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 05 December 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