Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 845: Shri Shastra sara (ōṃ śāstrasārāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is the essence of all scriptures; Scripture means the sacred writing of a religion.

The concepts held by the yogis reaching the Brahman are terms as Shastra. The Divine Mother holds the inner meanings of the Shastra. They state the correct things to do and not to do the incorrect things by individuals; Shastra are the stated principles for humans to follow.  By doing the correct things, humans (souls) mature.  By avoiding non-correct things, also the humans’ maturity improves. The Divine Mother is the essence of such Shastra. For those surrendering to the Divine Mother, understand the inner meanings of the Shastra.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says, “the Divine Mother, to understand your glories, I will not go to the Shastra or others world. Please explain to me your glories. If I am fully surrendering to you, please do not discord me.” Due to his prayers to the Divine Mother, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa gained the essence of the Shastra knowledge and the blessings of the Divine Mother. What he said and did became the Shastra for others to follow. To surrender to the Divine Mother is equivalent to understanding the Shastras.

Shastra is the Divine Mother’s strength. Do correct things and not do incorrect things are the practical instructions given out by Shastra. Vedas and their explanations are Shastra as well. They teach these Shastra principles to humans to reach Brahman. The Divine Mother is residing in Shastra essence and within its many hidden Tattva (“principle, reality," or truth") forms.

Shastra (Scriptures) are the Vedas and Vedanga (means "limb of the Veda" and refers to the six auxiliary disciplines (Shiksha, Chandah, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Jyotisha, and Kalpa) that provide a framework for the proper study, preservation, and interpretation of the ancient Indian spiritual texts). Bhagavan Vyasa (the codifier of the Vedas) says, “Gita is the essence of Shastra and all the Upanishads. Upanishads contain the seeds of all Shastra; Manu is the essence of all the Vedas; Ganga is the source of all holy waters; and Hari is the essence of all ‘Divine Beings”.

“Shastra instructs the mankind to act or refrain from action.” as said by sage Vacaspati Misra.

The Divine Mother is the essence of all scriptures. 

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 18 May 2022; updated on 14 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