Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 433: Shri Mada patala ganda bhuh (ōṃ madapāṭalagaṇḍabhuve namaḥ)

In Namams 381 to 474, the Divine Mother’s Jnana Yoga worship methods are discussed in details. 

The Divine Mother has rosy rupturing cheeks. 

Due to ‘Mada’ which also means musk, the Divine Mother’s cheeks are rosy in colour. For all persons due to blood flow, rosy colour will appear in those cheeks. If there is internal love fleeing, the cheeks become rosy as well. This is happening in common people in this universe. This common people’s example has been taken to explain the affectionate happiness of the Divine Mother in this Namam. Due to drunkenness, the people’s cheeks turn red which again had been exampled here in this Namam. 

Patala is a Sanskrit word which refers to rosy coloured flower of the same name. To express their internal happiness, the ancient girls usually wore this patala flower in their ears; again this simple action is referenced in the Namam to record the supreme happiness due to the Divine Mother’s love for Lord Kamesvara. 

With musk and patala flower, the girls drew images on their cheeks to show their happiness; such a simple incident has been used to showcase the Divine Mother’s happiness with Lord Kamesvara. Her cheeks become rosy in colour similar to patala flower due to rush of love for Lord Kamesvara. The Divine Mother’s rosy appearance may become even more beautiful due to her beloved Kamesvara’s constant presence nearby. Using musk and patala flowers to draw images on the cheeks, the Divine Mother is much beautiful. 

Great poet Kalidasa in his work on ‘Sakuntala’ describes the forest breeze carrying the fragrance of patala flowers. This Namam can also be interpreted that the Divine Mother’s cheeks are rendered fragrance by musk and the patala flowers She wears in Her ears.

 

The Divine Mother uses patala flowers,which resembles Her rosy coloured cheeks.

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 02 April 2021.

 

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.

The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Chithbavandar