Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 368 Shri Pashyanti (OM pashyantyai namaH)

In Namams 366 to380, the Divine Mother’s sound rupas are discussed in details.  

The Divine Mother is Pashyanti, the level of sound after Para in the Svdhhisthana (the chakra in the path followed by Kundalini from Muladhara). 

The Divine Mother is Pashyanti, in nada rupa. During creation, when the sound has not crystallized or stabilized, it is Pashyanti, which also means that one who sees. The humans by meditation can visualize internally what is happening at the back. Nothing happens to him without his experience to realize his inward self. The Divine Mother sees all universal happenings; nothing can be hidden from Her. All the universal souls’ thinking and actions are under Her watch. So She is called Pashyanti (one who sees). 

She can be said to the one, who sees where the sound comes out in creation process. Souls from Muladhara rise as Para sound to reach Sahasrasa. It is like the seed getting ready to grow into large tree with many branches. Normally dormant soul merges the bindu and Nada (sound) as bijam and rises from Muladhara. Like a seed ready for growing, the Pashyanti looks inside to verify if the soul is ready to rise. The Divine Mother is in Para sound form looking after the soul. She helps the soul to check and verify within itself if it is ready for the changes. So the Divine Mother is called Pashyanti, the one who helps the soul to look within itself for advancement to higher levels. 

The Divine Mother is nadarupa (Namam 299, the nature of sound). She is all in Herself; She is Pashyanti (one who sees). She rises above the path of karma and shines in the path of knowledge. She is also known as Uttirna (one who has risen).

 

Goddess of intelligence Sarawathi Devi

 

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 27 January 2021.

 

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San 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 Chithbavandar

  

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 367 Shri Paratyak chiti rupa (OM pratyak chitIrUpAyai namaH)

In Namams 366 to380, the Divine Mother’s sound rupas are discussed in details. 

The Divine Mother is in the nature of un-manifested consciousness or Brahman. 

The Divine Mother is in supreme intelligence form. All lower level souls trying to get maturity to higher level is the Divine Mother’s scheme of things. The humans’ five organs help to study and understand the worldly external things. Controlling these five sensing organs and looking inside is possible for the humans which will lead to great advancement of the embodied souls. With the help of the Divine Mother, if one looks inside him, he will be able to improve his intelligence. The Divine Mother is such great intelligence. 

Para is a saying that the Brahman is in great intelligence form. This is understood by looking at things externally and internally within oneself. Looking externally is much easier than looking within oneself. Through meditation, one can control the five sensing organs to look inside him to visualize the superior intelligence. Para or Parashakti does not differentiate any material, Shakti and Guna. The Divine Mother is such formless Supreme intelligence. 

A consciousness is looking at itself by facing opposite direction to the usual is called Pratyakchit. It is involved in looking at Atman. All sensing organs are outward looking, prevented from reaching inner self. The seeker starts his understanding of the self by turning extroverted senses in introvert or introspect direction, which is inward. Once the five sensing organs are closed or shot down, then the inner knowledge comes out by itself. Thus, Pratyakchit is un-manifested Brahman that shows up when the senses are directed inward. The Divine Mother is such Supreme intelligence.

 

Goddess of intelligence Sarawathi Devi

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 26 January 2021.

 

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San 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 Chithbavandar

  

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 366 Shri Para (OM parAyai namaH)

In Namams 366 to380, the Divine Mother’s sound rupas are discussed in details. 

The Divine Mother is the Supreme; She transcends all. 

Para is Primrdial, This becomes manifested as Brahman-as-sound. The Divine Mother is in visible and non-visible forms. The humans take rest in sleep to refresh their strengths. Likewise, when the universe is dissolved, the Divine Mother is in unseen form; at that pralaya time, She is called “Para”. Pralaya extends until the time the re-creation  starts again. The souls merged in Her, gain enough strength themselves, to be recreated. 

The Divine Mother changes from unseen to seen state. In human Muladhara the sound starts to grow into an audible form. This is happening in total universe which is called Brahma Kundalini; also known as Parasakti. 

She is Para, the root of the sound (nada). In universal creation, first ether (sky) comes out, from there Ether to wind, from wind to Agni (fire), from Agni to water and from water to earth are created by Brahman. Sky is Param. Sky has the sound form.

In humans, male bindu merges with female nadham to give pregnancy to the female. Shiva and the Divine Mother merge to form Shivasakti or bija form. It is like the seeds are kept in water before being planted; the Divine Mother is in such Para state. The Divine Mother explained this to Paramanada Guru, who called Her as “Para”. 

There are three forms of Brahman-as-sound originating from Para.. They are, namely: Pashyani, Madhyama and Vaikhari. These will be dealt with in details, in this and immediately in Namams 366 to 372; these are the nada rupa of the Divine Mother explanations. 

During Pralaya dissolution, the universe is merged in Brahman; the souls are unaware and become action less; they are contained in Brahman. The state in which Brahman is bound by Maya is itself in the form of their un-ripe actions, the concealed state, where it is not clear when and how creation is to re-start. When the creation re-starts, Para, supreme nada or sound which is subtle and bija, gross form starts from Muladhara. Para is intelligent chit, nada (subtle) is a combination of intelligence and non-intelligence (chit-achit) and the bija (gross) is pure non-intelligence (achit). The souls get ability to think and words form in their thoughts formation.

In universal creation process, the sound or nada is the first to come out. Bhaskararaya in Nitya Tantra refers: “Sound is born in Muladhara as Para; it rises and manifest as Pasyanti; later as Madhyama (intelligence plus sound) followed by Vikhari endowed with audible syllables”. 

The word Para means supreme. Tripurasiddhanta interprets Para as the Divine Mother; She is Para because She was pleased with the Guru known as Prarmandanatha. She is the Supreme source of grace. 

Goddess Abirami Ambal at Thirukadaiyur, Where

Abhirama Bhatter sung Abhirami Andathi 100 songs  

 

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 25 January 2021.

 

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San 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 Chithbavandar 

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 365 Shri Svatmanandalavi bhuta brahmadyananda santati (OM svAtmAnandalavIbhUtabrahmAdyAnandasantatyai namaH)

In Namams 275 to365, the Divine Mother’s  many forms providing benefits to Her devotees in great details are discussed. 

The Divine Mother is Infinite Ocean of bliss; one drop of Her bliss is good for all the Brahma and other Devas for their total lineage (sciom). 

An ant went to sea thinking that it would drink all the sea water but only could drink a drop on the shore. The humans can understand a very small fraction of the ananda rupa of the Divine Mother. No one can measure that bliss.

We never know the deepness of the ocean; likewise the Divine Mother’s anandam is very large and is not known to us. The anandam released by Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra and Indra cannot even be compared to the superficial waves of the sea, while the Divine Mother’s anandam is like a deep ocean; which cannot be fully understood by humans. Shri Ramakrishna Brahmahamsar had explained this. 

She is in “satcit ananda” form. She is ever in Brahmanda form. The Divine Mother’s anandam is like much bigger than an ocean. The anandha levels of the humans, deva, Indra, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra can be estimated while the Divine Mother’s anandham size cannot be established. Manusha gandravar anandam is 100 times bigger than the humans. Deva’s amandam is 100 time bigger tha Manusha gradravars. If we go up the ladder Brahma and others, the Divine Mother’s anandam will be infinite She is the ocean of pure and immeasurable Brahmanandam. 

The total bliss of everyone from human beings to Lord Brahma pales very much before the bliss of the Divine Mother. Malayala Poet Ezhuttacchan signs “what good is gaining even Indra’s state, it is so empty”. 

The Spiritual bliss, the solid immortal bliss of oneness with the Self is the highest; this makes the yogins persistent in searching for it, leaving the pleasures of the physical world. Even a single moment of that bliss makes life immortal and invaluable. The Divine Mother is the pure manifestation of that amritanandam or immortal bliss. 

   The Divine Mother 

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 24 January 2021.

 

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San 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 Chithbavandar

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 364 Shri Chid eka rasa rupini (OM chidekarasarUpiNyai namaH)

In Namams 275 to365, the Divine Mother’s  many forms providing benefits to Her devotees in great details are discussed. 

The Divine Mother is in pure intelligence form; She is the cause of knowledge. 

Brahman has many explanations. Since it is there always, it is eternal. Chit and embodiment of truth are same. Brahman is anantham and also embodiment of truth. Chit is Parasakti. All these are the implications in this Namam. 

Meditation is helping to reach the Brahman. 

The Divine Mother has many forms. All these are in Chit, the Jnanasakti form. A toy made of sugar paste can be in many forms but the fundamental is sugar or the taste is sugar. Likewise, the Divine Mother is in many forms, yet She is always in Chit state. There is no difference to Chit and the Divine Mother’s rupa. 

Chit which is pure intelligence is the attribute of the in conditioned Brahman. The conditioned and unconditioned (saguna and nirguna) Brahman are not really different. They are indicated as different due to conditioning. In essence, both are same. The Divine Mother is that single essence as this Namam implies.

   The Divine Mother in Chit rupa.

 

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 23 January 2021.

 

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San 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 Chithbavandar

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 363 Shri Tat pada lakshyartha (OM tatpadalakShyArthAyai namaH)

In Namams 275 to365, the Divine Mother’s  many forms providing benefits to Her devotees in great details are discussed. 

The Divine Mother is the embodiment of truth; tat means truth or Brahman. 

Tattvam asi is That thou art; this is one of the four important statements (Maha Vakya). Tattvam asi can be interpreted in three ways. 

·         “You live for it” with the meaning that the embodied soul surrenders to Brahman, to get liberation from Samsara cycle.

·         “You are for it and part of it” with the meaning that the soul is part of the Brahman. Human body is just a storing place for the embodied soul.

·         “You are Brahman itself” with the meaning that the soul is same as Brahman.

 

The Divine Mother is “tat” the Brahman. This is the understanding of this Namam.

 

Tattvam asi means that the embodied soul and Brahman are the same. The soul due to its karmic effects will face ignorance, maya, lower knowledge etc. But the Brahman is true self with ultimate knowledge. It may seem that the embodied soul and the Brahman do not match. This can be interpreted other way; the soul due to its dharma and adharma ways is dharmi. Brahman due to its true knowledge and immense actions is dharma. As both are dharmi there by equating Brahman with the soul can be considered right. The Divine Mother will help the embodied soul to mature to reach the Brahman, as She is the “tat” or Brahman Herself.

 

If someone says that he is living in Teppakulam which we take to understand that he is not literally living in Teppakulam but near to it. Likewise, we discard the literal meaning of external appearance but take the inner meaning that the true form of the Divine Mother is total truth or She is Brahman Herself.

 

Tat being Brahman is described as conditioned (sakala) or unconditioned (niskala). The terms saguna and nirguna convey the same distinction.

 

The desires and Knowledge needed for creation of the universe occur in the conditioned (sakala) Brahman.” He desired to become manifold”. The unconditioned Brahman (niskala) is beyond the powers of will, knowledge and actions of the humans.

 

Bhaskararaya interpreted that the literal meaning of “tat” is the conditioned Brahman; it indicates indirectly (laksya) the unconditioned Brahman also. So “tat” is absolute Brahman with imaginable form.

 

The formless and un-manifested Divine Mother is imagined here again.

The Divine Mother is the embodiment of truth.

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 22 January 2021.

 

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San 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 Chithbavandar 

Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 362 Shri Chit (OM chityai namaH)

In Namams 275 to365, the Divine Mother’s  many forms providing benefits to Her devotees in great details are discussed. 

The Divine Mother is in pure intelligence form. 

She is in Jnana shakti form, removing the ahankara; by improving the jnana or intelligence, all embodied souls mature towards Brahman. She provides jnana to such souls who seek to better themselves and reach the Brahman. Jnana shakti helps people to live better life without others’ assistance. It is helping being within oneself. Jnana shakti plays a part in the universal creation and the Divine Mother is in such chit form. 

Bhaskararaya interpreted that chit is the total wisdom opposed to ignorance (avidya). Chit represents Iccha and Jnana shaktis of will and knowledge. The independent Jnana shakti (knowledge) is needed in universal creation process. The Kriyashakti or the power of action happens only when Jnana and Icca shaktis are present. The awareness of something should be there; there must be desire and only then action or kriya can happen. The Shaktis Icca, Jnana and Kriya are complementary. We will discuss in Namam 658 (Icca shakti, Jnna shakti, Kriyashakti svarupini with the meaning that the Divine Mother is in forms of will, knowledge and power actions.)

The Goddess Shyamala Devi providing knowledge

 

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 21 January 2021.

 

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San 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 Chithbavandar