Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 790: Shri Parapara (ōṃ parāparāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is both Para and Apara.

The Divine Mother is in Brahman as para and in universe as Apara. Anything can be big or small at any time. The ice in Himalayan Mountain range during the winter becomes useful water for food creation during summer. However, the same ice is not useful during winter for mankind. The lower portion of the mountain area is useful for food crops cultivation all through winter and summer. So, three portions of the mountain and basic water have three different applications.

Similarly, the Divine Mother as Brahman is called as Nirguna-Brahman and at guna based universe, She is called Sganu-Brahman. When She shows Her three gunas, due to Maya, She is celebrated as Brahman, root Brakruti and Eswari. When She fully displays Her three gunas, She is in Universal form. From a seed, we have the bottom of the tree and branches bearing fruits are coming up. Similarly, from the Divine Mother, Her Brahman which is far away form, and the universal forms are manifested and nearby. Water can turn toxic and as steam turn nontoxic. Those reachable to our senses are Apara which are near to us; those not reachable through our senses are para, which are far away from us.

In mantra Japa also, there are two types namely, Para-japa and Apara-japa. Silently meditating on the mantra is Para-japa. when we chant the same mantra, it is called Apara-japa. Since the Divine Mother is Brahman and the universe, all these various glories are happening due to the Divine Mother.

Please see nama 572 Parasakrih. The Divine Mother is in opposite areas at the same time. While She is Apara to the samsara human, She is Para to the yogin.

Para is far, Apara is near. The Divine Mother is far and near at the same time. Everyone points to their heart and says,” I, I”. This consciousness is very nearby. But when we want to realize it directly, then it becomes very far.

Para is knowledge of the Self (jnana); Apara is the knowledge of the physical universe (vijnana). Please see Namam 651: Vijnana with the meaning that the Divine Mother knows the truth of the physical universe. All knowledge is, however, Brahman, thus the Divine Mother is both jnana and vijnana.

The Divine Mother’s worship is of three types, namely para, apara, and parapara. Meditation rooted in non-duality is parapuja. Worship of the Sri Chakra is aparapuja. Paraparapuja is worship of various divine forms.

Consciousness is also grouped into two kinds, para and apara. The consciousness in the form of para, pasyanti and Madhyama is known as parabodha. The Consciousnesses in the form vaikhari of the waking, dreaming state and in deep sleep state is known as aparabodha.

Homa, the sacrifice to the fire is also of two kinds, para and apara. Parahoma is that which is performed in the mind in the blaze of the power of yoga, without external fire or other materials of sacrifice. Aparahoma is done externally with an actual fire. This itself is of two types, gross and subtle, the former aimed at the fire in the muladhara and later at the fire of prana.

The Divine Mother is in the form of parapara. A four syllabled mantra. The mantra is often chanted together with the fifteen-syllabled Panchadasakshari and sixteen-syllabled Shodasakshari mantras.

The Divine Mother is para and apara rupini; their distinctions are listed in the table below, for some Para and Apara forms of the Divine Mother.

S No	Param	Aparam
1	Different in nature	Self-dependent
2	Enemy	Friend
3	Far away	Nearer
4	Great	Little
5	Shakti	Shivam
6	Para sky	Physical far away sky
7	Brahma Vidya	Other types of Vidya
8	Homa implicitly done	Homa explicitly done
9	Brahman	Universe
10	Para in sound	Pasyanthi, Mathyama, and Vaikari types
11	Pure consciousness	Three gunas
12	Mantra rupa	Subtle form
13	Parashakti	Individual soul/body form

  

The Divine Mother is both Para and Apara.    

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 25 March 2022; Updated 05 June 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