The Divine Mother has multitude of forms.
She is formless or in many forms. In this universe, we cannot see two identical or the same things. Even two sand particles are not same in shape and size. Even living things such as turmeric tree leaves have different shapes from one another, thereby having separate identity. So, each being has a special effect within it. Even moving animals (which have hair on their bodies) do not have exactly same type of hair in their bodies.
The Divine Mother is in very many forms. She has a different name for each such form. Plants of both spreading and non-spreading types, green grass. insects, animals, and humans all have differences in them. Of these the humans have reached the highest maturity level to seek the Brahman. Their body structures can be differentiated in three ways, considering only outwardly appearing structures, leaving out that are inside the bodies. The inner body parts have many countless shapes and forms. From outward appearance, we can probably guess their social community groupings. But we cannot ever find two identically same humans. To understand such differences in all beings is a form of the Divine Mother worship.
She is far beyond such many forms as always. From this when She shows up Her three attributes such as tamasic. rajasic and sattvic tattvas, She is called Bahurupa.
She is in many forms. To create all universal beings, She takes many motherly roles or forms. Avidya, Mahat and Ahankara. Then Mantras are some of differing types of motherly forms. She takes the forms of devas, humans, animals, grass, trees and Her a few of the other worshipping forms such as Lalitha and Durgha.
The Divine Mother is in manifold forms; from micro level being or atom to a tall mountain; from the glowworm to the sun. Devi Bhagavata says, “As She is the Supreme Reality, She is formless; because her nature is one of activity, She is also one who has many forms,” Similarly, “Since She is everything moveable and immoveable, She has countless forms,” according to Devi Purana.
This name is also interpreted as, “One who becomes one, two, sixteen and thirty-two “. One is Brahman; two means Purusha and Prakrti, sixteen stands for the vowels and thirty-two for the consonants (a basic speech sound in which the breath is at least partially obstructed, and which can be combined with a vowel to form a syllable for arrangement with) both these are, of course, essential in all affairs of the world. The number sixteen here may also refer to the sixteen daily deities.
Varaha Purana says, “Raudri, the tamasic Shakti is known as Chamunda. The rajasic Shakti, Vaishnavi, who represents the universe, is in eighteen (180 million) crores form. The sattvic Shakti, Brahma has an infinite number of forms. All these Shaktis are creations of Shiva; He is the Lord of all and spouse of the Divine Mother. Shiva is pleased with anyone who worships these Shaktis and with Him, the Shaktis are also pleased.
The Divine Mother is celebrated as many forms as possible because, She appeared in eleven versions of Rudra that please each of them. Devi Bhagavata Purana celebrates the Divine Mother who is of many names and forms as the Lakshmi, who through the manifestation of speech, shines like a dancer.’
Bhaskaracarya also quotes Varaha Purana to explain the meaning of this Namam. “The universe is seen to be manifested, and She is everywhere. Thus, because of the multiplicity of Her forms, She and Shiva are known as Bahurupa.
The Divine Mother has multitude of forms.
C N Nachiappan
Singapore, 27 April 2022;
updated 10 August 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
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