Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 991: Shri Sadadhvatta rupini (ōṃ ṣaḍadhvātītarūpiṇyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother’s form transcends six paths of worship.

She is beyond six paths of worships.  Six paths are, namely, Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Baskara (Sun), Ganapathi, and Indu (Moon). They have come from the base of the Vedas. To get to the next place from where we are, we use a transport vehicle. Once we reach our destination, we do not need that transport vehicle anymore. Likewise, once, we attain the Divine Mother or Brahman, there is no need for these six paths of worship. She is beyond all these six paths of worship.

The paths can be listed as: padadha, bhuvanandhva , varnadhva, ttatvadhva, kaladhva and mantradhva.

A to Sha letters refer to Shakti, they are vaarnaattva. To combine the letters to get meaning is called the padam. To explain that Shakti is called Padadha.

Such letters are grouped into mantra form is called mantradhva. Those relating to kala is kalashva. Shiva’s thirty–six tattvas are called ttatvashva. Five Bhuvanams related to Bhuvanadhva.

Six paths Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Baskara (Sun), Ganapathi, and Indu (Moon) are the six deities of worship made to reach the Divine Mother.

By praying to these deities regularly to clean the human mind and body systems, one leads to Sri Vidya / Sri Chakra worship.

The six paths are, namely, words (padadha). Worlds (bhuvanahva), letters (varnadhva), the art such as music (kaldhva), the system of philosophy (ttatvadhva) and mantras like the Pancadasi and Gayatri (mantradhva). But the Divine Mother’s real form is not what is invoked in any of these; it is beyond all these. After installing Bhavatarini Devi in Ashram, temple, the Divine Mother said to Her children: “Today we have installed an image here. But, my children, you should not be seeing just this image, but must see the essential truth behind it,” That essential truth is what is referred to as “beyond the six paths.” The paths mentioned here are to be used for knowing the Divine Mother, but Her real nature is beyond all these six paths.

The devotional paths are also said to be six in number; the paths are Shiva, Vishnu, Durga, Bhaskara, the Sun, Ganapathi and Indu, the Moon. Kular Nava says that one who purifies the mind with the mantras belonging to these paths, obtains the knowledge of the Kula (the Divine Mother). However, this Nama implies that the Divine Mother’s real essence lies beyond the reach of the devotional paths.

The six systems of philosophy are also in paths to perceive the truth. Again, these systems form only the path which is to understand that the Divine Mother. Her essential nature (Sarupa) is beyond all these paths.

The Divine Mother’s form transcends

the six paths of worship.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 11 October 2022; updated 07 November 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.