Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 907: Shri Tattva mayi (ōṃ tatvamayyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is Reality Itself or She is Shiva Himself.

We have seen in earlier Namam that the Divine Mother is in tattvas form. Universal tattvas are in Jada or in fixed states. Shivan and Shakti are two namesake tattvas, but they are one.

She is in Atma tattva, chit is Vidya tattva and Anandham is Shiva tattva. The Divine Mother is in all three tattvas. Earth to maya level tattvas are called Atma tattva, up to Sadashivan Vidya tattva and Shakti and Shivan are Shiva tattva. Brahman is Sat-Chit-Anandham. In these Shiva tattva is Shiva Shakti Anandha aspect; Sadashivan is Eswaran aspect; and pure vidya in Vidya tattva chit aspect; maya to earth in Atma tattva sat aspect are well recognized. In Shiva tattva, Ananda comes out more compared to other tattva effects. In Vidya tattva, chit aspect comes out with less sat is seen, and Anada aspect will be hiding. In maya or Atma tattva only the sat aspect will be visible. The two other aspects will be hiding.

The Divine Mother is Para Brahman. She is full of Sat-Chit-Ananda aspect. Tattvas stay until pralaya happens as intact in Brahman form. This Namam can be split as tat + tvam+ayi to give above all explanations.

Tattva is reality; it is of three kinds. Atma tattva, Vidya tattva and Shiva tattva. The Divine Mother is the essence of all three. Some consider Turiya (the fourth level after waking, dreaming, and deep sleep) tattva as the fourth one. Tattva can be understood as Brahman, who is Sat-Chit-Ananda (existence-consciousness-bliss). Atma tattva is Sat; vidya tattva is Chit and Shiva tattva is Ananda. Thus, Tattva Mayi is the Divine Mother. She is Sat-Chit-Ananda.

Atma tattva is related to Maya; Vidya tattva to Shiva and Shiva tattva to Shakti. Turiya tattva is the fourth one of the above three.

This Namam is also interpreted in terms of the states of Samadhi. There are two kinds of Samadhi. Samprejanta and asamprajanta. The first kind is intense and quick in pace, whereas the second type is quiet and slow. Jnanarnava describes these two types. The indication of Samprejanata samadhi are laughter, crying, hairs standing on ends, trembling (shaking or quivering, typically because of anxiety or excitement) and preparation. Those of asamprajnata samadhi are fixity of eyes and the body caused by the abidance of the mind in Brahman.

 The Divine Mother is Reality Itself or She is Shiva Himself. 

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 19 July 2022; updated 07 October 2025.

References:

1.The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published by Mata Amritanandam in California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2, Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Tiruchirappalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3. The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamil Nadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Sith-bavandar.