The Divine Mother resides in Meru Mountain.
Meru has three different meanings, as mentioned in Tantra sastra. The backbone (more properly, is called spinal cord) is called ‘Meru Danda’. Meruprastara is one of the three modes of Srichakra worship. The other two are Bhuprastara and Kailasaprastara (as discussed in Nama 577, Matruka Varna Rupini, with the meaning that the Divine Mother is in the form of letters or alphabets).
Meru Mountain is the Divine Mother’s abode. In the human body, there are seven key places (Chakras) starting from Mula Dhara and ending in Sahasrara, which is in the head; There Shiva and the Divine Mother stay in Meru.
Beyond Kailasha in Himalaya Mountain range, in northern direction, the Meru Mountain is there in golden shining colour. On top three peaks of Meru are located. In them Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra are residing there. On fourth peak above these three, the Divine Mother is residing. This is the ideology in Sri Chakram.
Sri Nagaram is in Meru Mountain. In Meru form, there are triangle structures with square yantra. Meru Danda is a human spinal cord backbone, through which the Kundalini goes through the chakras in the human body.
Rudra-Akshamala is used for Japa. The central bead of the akshamala Is called Meru. Between A to ksha there are fifty-one syllables. Akshamala is used to count these fifty-one syllables during any reciting.
Meru is also the name of nine syllabled mantra. The Divine Mother is the deity of the said mantra. So, She is called Meru nilaya. There are many possible interpretations of the nine syllabled mantra one of them is given below.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
ऐं (Aim):
Represents Shailaputri, associated with the Sun and Muladhara chakra.
ह्रीं (Hreem):
Represents Brahmacharini, associated with the Moon and Swadhishthan chakra.
क्लीं (Kleem):
Represents Chandraghanta, associated with Mars and Manipura chakra.
चा (Cha):
Represents Kushmanda, associated with Mercury and Anahata chakra.
मुं (Mum):
Represents Skandamata, associated with Jupiter and Vishuddha chakra.
डा (Da):
Represents Katyayani, associated with Venus and Ajna chakra.
यै (Yei):
Represents Kalaratri, associated with Saturn and Sahasrara chakra.
वि (Vi):
Represents Mahagauri, associated with Rahu and Sahasrara chakra.
च्चै (Chhai):
Represents Siddhidatri, associated with Ketu and Ashta Siddhi.
We can find the third explanation
in Tantra rajya, Chapter 18. It is said that there are sixteen daily deities
and oceans surrounding them, with Meru at the centre; the Divine Mother is
residing in it. Surrounding the Meru are fourteen worlds, their presiding devatas
and above all these, Brahman as akasha. This is part of a description of the
Srichakra and the human body.
The Bhuprastara has Vishnu and eight other yogins, Kailasprastara with the daily (nitya) deities are all modes of the Srichakra worship. As the Divine Mother has made the Meruprastara Her abode, She is called ‘Meru nilaya’.
C N Nachiappan
Singapore, 10 March 2022;
updated 24 May 2025.
References:
The Thousand Names of the
Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamis AparnaSan Ramon,
California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon
1.
Shri Lalitha
Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’
societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.
2.
The Lalitha
Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam,
Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by
Shrimath Swami Sithbavandar
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