Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 739: Shri Laya kari (ōṃ layakaryai namaḥ)

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

The Divine Mother creates and maintains the rhythms of the cosmic dance of the entire universe. She causes absorption and the dissolution of the mind to eliminate duality.

The Divine Mother creates the dissolution of the mind. Widely spread universe is called ‘Andam’ and the human structure is called ‘Pindam’. Both have matching linkages. To the level, humans can control their minds, maturity comes in. In true understanding of Para-Brahman, one’s mind getting absorbed is called Layam. Those who wish to reach Para-Brahman, must dissolve their minds through meditation.

When there is a proper linkage between Ragam, Talam, Bhavam and Niruttam, it becomes Lalita Kala. This Layam can take the soul to ultimate Para-Brahman. We see the universal movements and the sounds created by them are perfectly matched. If a human is good at understanding this perfect match in the universal movement and created sound, it is the Divine Mother’s grace to him. He enjoys the Divine Mother’s Lasya and Shiva’s Tandava dances. The universal movements as understood by matured souls is called the Divine Mother’s Lasya dance. All the universal souls’ knowledge and joyful movements are forms of Shiva’s Tandava. The Divine Mother’s and Shiva’s dances are interlinked. Yogis and devotees enjoy such effects within and outside. When there is discipline, we see that there is bliss or ultimate joy for the souls. The Divine Mother as ‘Layakari’ creates such discipline within and outside for Her devotees. Such happy action is happening always for Her devotees, with Her grace.

Layam can be described in many ways:

1.   Attracting someone with different views and feelings and to make him accept our mindset approach

2.   Making Tala (beat) for the dance and music

3.   One form disappearing in another form

4.   Someone in Mukti or Liberation stage merging with Para-Brahman.

The Divine Mother creates all such Layams for Her devotees. It is said that an ancient sage Bharthar through the Divine Mother’s grace, saw singing and dancing as separate forms of art or kala. He used these to reach the Para-Brahman or get Liberation. The Divine Mother is celebrated as Lasya Priya and Layakari.

Laya is a special state of the mind. It is the absorption or dissolution of the mind in the object of meditation, forgetting all surrounding objects.

The melting of the mind experienced with the mutual dissolution of pitch and rhythm in music is known as Laya. ‘Sruti (pitch) is the mother and Laya (rhythm) is the father’s is a well-known saying in musical parlance. It is believed that Laya state in music arises from the Divine Mother grace. It is noteworthy that many of the celebrated musicians are the Divine Mother’s devotees. Worship of Brahman-as-sound is an important form of worship/Upasana, which is still practiced in India.

The Divine Mother causes the absorption of the mind.

 

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 02 February 2022; updated 20 April 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