Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 714: Shri Kulottirna (ōṃ kulōttīrṇāyai namaḥ)

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

The Divine Mother transcends the senses of universal beings.

The Divine Mother is beyond Kulas; Objects, enjoyments and sorrow experienced through human senses are termed as Kulas. Such worldly things cannot help the soul to reach the Brahman. The Divine Mother is beyond such senses and their effects; yet such human senses help to meditate and to pray to know the Divine Mother’s physical forms in temples and places of worship. The five senses are used for Divine Mother worship and to improve the functioning of the senses, to visualize all universal things seen as the deity to be worshipped, especially the Divine Mother. The senses get cleansed. When all the hurdles are overcome, then the Divine Mother’s realization is the final stage. The Divine Mother is praised as Kulottirna.

Kuals are senses based, as we have discussed as above. The Divine Mother is beyond kulas. The knowledge gained through the senses will be the knower, knowing and the known. This is small wisdom, in comparison to the total wisdom of the Divine Mother. We cross over the kula level knowledge to reach the Divine Mother who causes such wisdom. In Sri Chakra fifth fort/level, Devi Kulottirna is to be visualized.. She is the yogini, sustaining the ever-increasing Guru lineage.

The Divine Mother is the one who transcends the inner and outer senses (kulas). She is not the object of the senses and can be reached only through meditation. Likewise, since She is beyond the senses, She is not involved in worldly joys and sorrows.

This is the line of separation between humans and Goddess. We go through happiness and sorrow through our senses; divinity is beyond the entire family of senses.

The Divine Mother transcends the senses of Her devotees.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 08 January 2022; Updated 16 March 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