Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 865: Shri Lila vigraha dharini (ōṃ lilavigrahadhāriṇyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother assumes various glorious forms at ease as a matter of sport.

All universal beings are derived from the Divine Mother; they all have Her forms. Earth has about three fourth of it is water. From sea, water moves up in akasha as steam. It takes the forms ice, pond, rivers and pond to reach the sea. For water element taking many forms and reaching back the sea is similar to souls taking many births and reaching back the Divine Mother. For the Divine Mother, the originator of this universe, has many number of forms, from micro being to Brahman.  It is not problem for the Divine Mother to have many forms. She is doing all these as a matter of easy sports. Those who understand this truth, treat all universal forms as the Divine Mother’s forms. They praise the Divine Mother’s many forms. This helps the devotee to mature faster to reach Brahman.

This Namam is an answer to those who would ask, “Does the Divine Mother, who is pure Brahman, need golden ear rings and love play with Kameshvara? These actions by the Divine Mother are only a sport or easy thing for Her. Lila can be thought of divine play, night, beauty, or dark beauty. One needs to focus on the effortless or playful relations between the Absolute (Brahman) and the universe (the Divine Mother)

Humans’ life is never a matter-of- fact thing. If it were it would be uninteresting and dry. Even the heart of Saint Valmiki, the sage rooted in restraint melted, when member of a pair of love birds fell, killed by a hunter’s arrow. Sage Valmiki later produced greatest Epic Ramayana.

A flower blossoms for its pollination. The fragrances, the softness, the dazzling colours, the honey, all these rare fabrications which cover the truth of pollination through blossoming.  Pure sport – the Lila of the Divine Mother, is to cover many of Her forms and activities in supporting Her devotees.

The Divine Mother’s different forms (Vigahas) through incarnations are for this Lila. Yogavasistha says, that the divinity (Vigraha) installed in temple of Padmaraja is called Lila Devi. She is Lilavigrahadharini.

         The Divine Mother assumes various

           forms as a matter of sport. 

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 07 June 2022; updated 21 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