Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 697: Shri Sarva loka vashankari (ōṃ sarvalōkavaṃśakaryai namaḥ)

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

The Divine Mother keeps all worlds in this universe under Her auspicious attraction.

Movements of machinery are controlled by outside mechanisms, and they cannot move on their own. All beings in this universe do not have the freedom to act on their own. Humans have created rules to control themselves which have certain divine aspects. For example, a human can wear a full dress or be naked in private as he desires. However, in dealing with communities, he has responsibilities and rules to follow.

Birth and death do not happen as per human’s desire; also, one cannot get the relations with other humans as one desires. Relations such as father and mother happen through divinity. Likewise, nature encourages things to make use of the available natural things. It is wrong not to follow the path laid out by the Divine Mother for the souls. When they deviate from such paths given by the Divine Mother, they go through sorrow and are prompted to turn to the Dharma path. Likewise, all the universal beings mature to a higher level.

Yogis have Iccha or desires which are like the Divine Mother’s scheme of things. Ahankara and Maya must completely be removed for the humans to get the Divine Mother’s blessings. So, what the Divine Mother desires, appears in yogin’s’ minds; to live under the scheme of things by the Divine Mother is ideal worship to Her.

The Divine Mother is the Iccha shakti; She controls all things in this universe as She desires. What She had created, stays and the humans submit to Her. She manages the whole universe for Her devotee’s benefit.

Bhagavata Purana (ll.V.42) gives two definitions of the world or Loka. From the feet to the waist is bhuloka (earth, the first of three worlds.); from waist to the neck is bhuvarloka and from the neck to the crown is svarloka (heaven, the highest of three worlds). All these three are contained within us also. Recall the nama Trikota.

Another more detailed picture contains fourteen worlds. The waist is bhuloka; the navel, bhuvarloka; the heart,svarloka; the chest, maharloka; the neck is janaloka; the lips form tapolaka, and the crown is satyaloka. The areas below waist are the hip is atala; the thighs, vitala; the knees sutala; the forelegs, talatala; the heels, the mahatala, the toes of the feet, rasatala and the soles of the feet, patala. (Bhagavata Purana ll.V.88.41).

The Divine Mother is the one who keeps all these worlds under Her auspicious attraction

The Divine Mother keeps all the worlds under Her control.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 22 December 2021.; updated 12 February 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