Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 727: Shri Shiva jnana pradayini (ōṃ śivajJṇānapradāyinyai namaḥ)

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

The Divine Mother bestows or provides Supreme Knowledge which is Shiva.

The Divine Mother imparts the Supreme Knowledge of Shiva. Without anybody teaching, the newborn knows its mother. Likewise, for those who surrender to the Divine Mother, She grants all the boons. Kali Devi has four sets of hands. With Her left arms, She Kills evil people and lets them into birth and death cycle; those with their many births gradually mature. She removes their fear. What is below her leg is a form of Shiva murti and one of her hands is pointing to that. It means that those who have fully matured through Her grace reach the Para-Brahman. There is no other boon than reaching Shiva, for the devotee to gain Shiva jnana or Supreme Knowledge. Since She is kindly providing such grace, She is called ‘Shiva jnana Pradayini’.

Shiva is auspicious and Supreme knowledge; The Divine Mother grants such knowledge to Her devotees.

Shiva provided the Tantras about the Divine Mother; The Divine Mother takes Shiva as jnana teacher. Shiva is providing knowledge on the Divine Mother. In turn the Divine Mother provides the jnana knowledge on Shiva to everyone.

Knowledge of Shiva can also be taken as the Supreme Knowledge of the Self. The Divine Mother is the one who confers that knowledge. Vasista Ramanaya says. ‘wind is known by touch; fire by heat; Shiva, who is pure Consciousness, is known only through Shakti, the Divine Mother. She is the energy that makes Him move’.

Conversely, the Divine Mother is one whose truth (Sva rupa) is imparted by Shiva. He knows Her essence. In this case, Sva rupa translates as ‘the truth of knowledge of the Divine Mother’, rather than as the literal meaning of ‘form’.

 

The Divine Mother bestows Supreme Knowledge of Shiva.

 C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 21 January 2022; updated 26 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