Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 831: Shri Praneshvari (ōṃ prāṇēśvaryai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother rules over the pranas. Prana means vital breaths. Five vital breaths Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana, and Shama are important.

She is the Empress of all pranas. Based on the life tattva, each universal being is using the resources available to it. For them to function well, the Divine Mother’s energy is given as breath or prana. Each living being gets food from the earth, drinks the water, gets heat from fire, breath or pranas from vayu or air. The Divine Mother is the presiding deity for three kinds of pranas, namely, Mukhya (important) prana, Pancha prana and sub-Pancha prana. Without Her grace, no universal being can establish its life. So, She is called as Praneshvari, the provider of the prana to the universal beings.

The Sruti says, “He, meaning the Brahman or the Divine Mother is the prana of prana (breath of breath).”

   The Divine Mother rules over the pranas  

 

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 04 May 2022; updated 13 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