Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 703: Shri Sarva mohini (ōṃ sarvamōhinyai namaḥ)

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

The Divine Mother covers all creations within Her, but She also deludes all. Deluding is to be deceived by false belief or believing something is not true. Mohini is the enchantress, a female avatar of Lord Mahavishnu.

The Divine Mother deludes all in this universe through Maya. At night a curled rope may be seen as a snake, an example of delusion. Brahman is shown as many creatures in the universe is another form of delusion. The souls are deluded that happiness and sorrow coming from their desire or ignorance are real. These are the Lila (sport) by the Divine Mother to make all universal creatures think as above; souls must surmount such Maya to attain permanent happiness (Internal Bliss), Even in sleep, Maya lets humans think of higher or lower status for them. They forget about ultimate happiness in Brahman and struggle and chase short term happiness which ends in sorrow. The soul starts to realize that there is something more than that and seeks through the Divine Mother’s grace to reach the ultimate happiness, Brahman. The Divine Mother keeps the souls under Maya and release them to attain Brahman. The Divine Mother is celebrated as Sarva Mohini.

The Divine Mother is spreading all over the universe. Yet, why we are not able to understand Her well. Ignorance or Maya interferes. The Divine Mother is deluding in Maya form to attract the universal beings to Her. As Trailokya Mohana Chakra Devi, the Divine Mother is attracting and saving all three Lokas (lower, middle and higher).

There are many famous stories in the Puranas showing that even sages such as Narada, well established in Self, have found the pull of Maya irresistible. Not only the common man, but even the wisest ones often with long and hard practice, lead a life rooted in plurality and not in unity with the Self or the Brahman. The sense of plurality is created by Maya’s power of illusion. Katha Upanishad (ll.IV. l) offers an explanation: ‘The self-existing Supreme has created all the sense with outgoing tendencies; therefore, man beholds the external universe, and not the inner Self.’ Everyone tends to look outwards; most people do not wish to see the inner self.

Basically, looking outward leads to plurality; looking inward leads to unity with Brahman. The natural tendency is to look outward. This urge is all a needed ingredient in the make of universe. That is why the Gita (Vll.3) says, ‘Among thousands of men, one perchance strives perfection; even among the most successful stickers, only one perchance knows Me in essence.’

One may have doubts and ask how opposites like eternal and ephemeral, inert and alive can arise from the Divine Mother. The answer is simple that She deludes everyone and created the sense of duality, hiding the unity.

In truth, the difference between Brahman and the universe is merely an illusion. Lord Shiva in Kurma Purana says: ‘This Parashakti who is none other than Brahman exists in Me. She, who as Maya, deludes the whole world, is dear to me.’ In another place, the Divine Mother says to Himavat (lord of mountains and father of the Divine Mother in one incarnation): ‘The sastras such as Kaula, Bhairava, Sakala and Gautama which affirm duality in opposition to the Sruti and the Smrti, were all created by Me to bewilder the world.’ Suta Samhita says, ‘Deluded by Maya, the sinful ones suffer births and deaths without knowing the Lord. The Divine Mother thus deludes all three worlds. There is a mantra and yantra by the name ‘Trailokyamohana’ which has the meaning ‘bewildering all three worlds. This Namam ‘Sarvamohini’ is thus interpreted as the Divine Mother who is the form of that ‘Trailokyamohana’ mantra and that yantra.

The Divine Mother deludes all creatures in the universe.

 

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 28 December 2021.; update 23 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