Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 761: Shri subhaga (ōṃ subhagāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is the seat for all prosperity.

The Divine Mother has all Bhagas (Vedic God of wealth and prosperity), power and fortune. There are many meanings for the Word Bhaga as earlier seen in Namas 277,279, and 715 articles. The Divine Mother holds all these treasures. She is the treasure house.

Some other meanings of Subhaga are desire, strength, greatness, merit, Sun, the womb, and liberation. When we take the meaning of the womb, it implies that children are a gift from the grace of the Divine Mother.

Subhaga is also the beautiful wife who awakens desire in her husband. In universal concept consisting of Purusha and Prakrti, the female arouses the indifferent male by her presence and turns him towards creation. Where there is a captivating feminine aspect in the universe, the Divine Mother is present as Subhaga.

When we take the meaning of Subhaga as the Sun, the Shruti says that Sun is minimized by a small part of the Divine Mother’s radiance. The Sun is also referred to as a manifestation of Vishnu. The Vishnu Purana says that Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas are down midway due to the Sun. In this interpretation the Sun becomes Brahma Vishnu and Shiva, the trinity. The seven rays of Sun represent Devas (gods). Rishis (sages),Ggandharvas (celestial musicians), Apsearas (celestial ladies), Yakshas (demons), Sandhyas (celestial beings), and Raksasas (other demons). The Divine Mother is the basis and support of all these seven groups.

Subhaga may refer to Ashtamangalya, a collection of eight things offered during auspicious occasions or to the Divine Mother Herself as a seat of all auspiciousness. The list of these eight things varies according to source.

One list given by Padma Purana is the tala (palin tree), nispava (a type of bean), jitra (cumin), cow’s milk in all its forms, kusumbha flower and salt, gold kamandalam (the water pot of an ascetic) and saffron.

Knowledge, determination, willpower, wealth, and fame are the divine aspects held by the Divine Mother. The Divine Mother is called Bhagavati. She has sweetness, greatness, and discipline to be called Subhaga.

The Sun is called Bhaga with all the brightness within him. Such Sun with its brightness gives glories to the Divine Mother, Sankara, and Narayana. All universal glories are called ksharam and aksharam which come from the Divine Mother.

 A five-year-old girl is called Bhaga. In young age she has all the divinity aspects within her to be called Subhaga. Such a five-year-old girl is considered a form of the Divine Mother.

Wealth. pride, willpower, masculinity, unfailing determination, fame, beauty and generosity give beauty or bhagas. The Divine Mother has all of them auspiciously. Bhaga is auspicious. Some materials such as sugar cane, cow’s milk and turmeric are used by married women. The Divine Mother is in married women and has all within Her auspicious beauty. Bhaga or Sun gets greatness by worshipping the Divine Mother.

 
The Divine Mother is the seat of all auspiciousness

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 24 February 2022; updated 14 May 2025.

References:

1.   The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamis AparnaSan 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