Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Mother's Names 801 to 825

 800) Vyaapini  व्यापिनी- All pervading. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 400


She is called all-pervading, because She assumes all the different forms of the creations.

801) Vyaahritih व्याह्रतीः - Utterance. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 421

Mother is so named because She appears before Her devotees, on hearing the utterance of Her name. Vyaahritih literally may be taken to mean, a calling.

802) Vyoma-keshi व्योमकेशी -  With hair as black as the cloudy sky, decorated with flowers as twinkling stars. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक  942  


803) Shakti-kutaika-taapanaa-katyadho-bhaaga-dhaarini 

शक्तिकूटैकतापन्नकट्यधोभागधारिणी - The lower portion from the waist downwards represents Shaktikuta.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 87

This is a group of four syllables, viz., sa, ka, la, hrim.( , , , ह्रीं )


Thus the first group of Mantras represents - Mother's portion from head to chin, the face and knowledge, and is called Vaag-Bhava-Kuta and contains five letters, viz. ka, e, i, la, hrim.

The second group represents Mother's portion from throat to waist and heart and desire, and is called Kaam-Raaja-Kuta or Madhya-Kuta and consists six letters, viz., ha,sa, ka, ha, la, hrim. 

The third group represents Mother's portion from waist to toe, Lotus Feet and action, and is called Shakti-Kuta. The group contains four letters, viz., sa, ka, la, hrim.


Please note that, Vaagabhava Kuta is connected with Mantra repetitionKaam-Raaja-Kuta with devotion and Shakti-Kuta with service,love and self-surrender to the Lotus Feet.

The first is connected with knowledge, the second with devotion and the third with Yoga ( Supernatural powers- Shakti) and complete self-surrender or love. The first with head, the second with heart and the third with Mulaadhaar Chakra and Lotus Feet.

Thus Mother's Grace flows prominently along the paths of Knowledge, Devotion, Yoga and Love.No aspirant is purely of one type. Generally there is simultaneous progress, more or less on all allied planes of spiritual evolution, though sometimes knowledge and devotion are alternately in preponderance and though some are natural achievements and some acquired ones.

So often there have been strong disputes as to the superiority of one to another, and I have been so often questioned that I would record my views here, though  this is not the right place.In the first place although some are called Devotees भक्त , some Jnaanis ज्ञानी some Yogis योगी and some God-lovers प्रेमी , it is seldom that any one is the only achievement.We fancifully give exclusive names after the most prominent achievement.

The simplest view is to have very clear definitions, and very appropriate diagnosis. To explain by an illustration, in the case of a father fondling a child and the mother neglecting the child, one should not commit the blunder of arriving at a universal conclusion that every father loves a child more than the mother. It should however be clearly seen that a particular father is rather a mother and a particular mother is rather a fatherThe error should be located correctly.

Going by essence and not by conclusions wrongly made from wrong premises about the lives, names and achievements of certain personalities, these distinctions should be viewed thus. A Jnaani ज्ञानी is one who knows the smallest detail everything including how to attain God and salvation. A devotee is extremely desirous of being in accompaniment with God. A yogi is practitioner of visualising

God with Glory and Power. Finally the lover is the enjoyer and desirous of being one with God.

In a word jnanin tells you how to get, an inferior devotee (Guana Bhakta -गौण भक्त ) desires to get, a yogi gets a stealthy glimpse by effort,  a superior devotee or a God-lover

(Paraa-Bhakta परा भक्त) is happy extremely with believing God to be as it were in his possession. The God-lover first swallows up God and then gets himself swallowed up by God. The Founder often prays " Oh, Mother, I have first imprisoned thee in my heart and then handed over myself to Thee  as Thy prisoner to be done with as Thou desirest."


804) Shamaatmikaa शमात्मिका  - She that gives Her devotees the power of so developing the mind as to keep their souls in a position of full undisturbable equilibrium with an equimindedness against the opposite pairs of happiness and misery, richness and poverty, heat and cold, repute and ill-fame, healthiness and illness, etc. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 963


805) Shambhu-mohini शंभुमोहिनी -Bewildering Shambhoo, who is above infatuation.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 954 

 806) Sharat-chandra-nibhaa-nanaa शरच्चन्द्रनिभानना - Having the face as charming as the moon of the most gladdening Full-moon day of Sharad शरद Purnimaa पूर्णिमा   ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 129


807) Sharmadaa शर्मदा - She that is the giver of happiness. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 953

We have now come by these names and following several forms in which Mother is approached. The first and most common form in which She is restored to is, that which is conceived as achieving our general good and happiness.


808) Sharma-daayini शर्मदायिनी  - Conferring happiness. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 125


809)Sharvaani शर्वाणी - Mother earth. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 124

Taking Shiva to be soul of Earth or rather Shiva's body to be Earth, Sharvaani is his beloved, and so it means, Mother Earth.

An average man has seldom thought of his indebtedness to the Earth. He is rich because of the gold from earth, he is a king, because he has a large dominion over earth. He is white skinned or black-skinned because of a particular earth. He is the owner of mines, owner of lands and palaces, made of materials from earth. He is created out of food and lives on food , which comes from earth,lives  and finally lies on earth, and is in due course, reduced to earth. Dust he is and to dust he returns.

810) Shaankari शांकरी - The maker of happiness.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 126

The difference between the giver of happiness and the maker of happiness, is that in the former case happiness is directly given whereas in the latter case She gives the power of turning every miser

811) Shaambhavi शांभवी - Mother of the devotees of Shambhu.ललित सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 122


There are so many names allied to Maheshvari, i.e., having the popular meaning of "Wife of Shiva". The Mai-istic meaning is "The Shakti or Power and Energy of Mahaadev," some of these names are here given below. Maheshvari has been described as the door-keeper to the South and is the controller of wrathfulness or wrathlessness.

A eight year old girl for Kumaari-Poojaa is called Shaambhavi.


812) Saakinyambaasvarupini साकिन्यम्बास्वरूपिणी - Assuming the form of Saakini.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 520

813) Shaatodari शातोदरी- Having a slender belly. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 130

Udar means 'belly' and this name reminds one of the popular expression"Mother swallows the faults, and hides the crimes and sins of children in Her belly",  Shaatodari also means having hundreds of caves, i.e., the softest corners to shelter and give a safe refuge to the devotees.

814) Shaantaa शांता - Mother is Shantaa, i.e., peaceful while She appears before Her devotees. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 141

815) Shaantih शांतीः - Peace. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 447

Mother is peace itself. Peace or peacefulness is nothing of man's making, Best balanced brains will get agitated in no time. Hence peace is Mother Herself. Peace is an effect and not a cause.

That which gives peace to a man struggling with the flood of his impurities, illusions and tossing to and fro, as a result of his actions , is something which proceeds from Mother, as Her Grace. This is Shaantikalaa, the art of peacefulness and mainly consists of realising one's inability to remedy any matters anyway, and renouncing oneself to Her, with unconditional self-surrender to Her Divine Will.


She that quiets down the soul. The disquietude is due to the agitation on account of the mental confusion. Duality is the cause of fear and loss of peacefulness.

816) Shaantimati शांतीमती  - Mother is Shaantimati because She confers on Her devotees a mentality which leads to, and is creative of , peacefulness.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 131 


817) Shaantyatitakalaatmikaa शान्त्यतीतकलात्मिका - Mother is the giver of the art of of attaining peacefulness and going , beyond it, into the ecstatic bliss. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र ,नाम क्रमांक 853

818) Shaaradaaraadhyaa शारदाराध्या - Worshipped by the deity of learning and great souls of learning.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 123


819) Shaashvati शाश्वती - Eternal. She that is worshipped by Her devotees continuously, i.e. with every breath of theirs. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 951


820) Shaashvataishvaryaa शाश्वतैश्वर्या - Giving eternal dominion, and supremacy.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 952

821) Shaastramayi शास्त्रमयी - She, that is one with scriptures. or She whose different limbs are scriptures.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 705 

From Her breath, often through Her realised devotees, mantras and truths are recorded in the scriptures originate, though often understood or misunderstood. from Her words, flow poetry and dramatic speech. From Her throat proceed medicine and archery and from her heart, love and devotion deluge. 

What is meant is that scriptures or scriptural portions which refer to mantras and truths , poetry and dramatic speech, love and devotion, are all from Her and by Her Grace.

822) Shaastra-saaraa शास्त्रसारा - Essence of scriptures. Scriptures are instructions by texts, revealed or otherwise, for the guidance of the followers regarding what should be done and what should not be done, when, why and how, etc. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 845


823) Shirasthaa शिरस्थिता - She, whose Lotus Feet are put by all deities and devotees on their heads. The name in the original is Shirasthitaa but it has been altered to rhyme with the next name.ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 591


Further She is Shirasthaa whenever they think of Her in their brains as the highest destroyer of difficulties as Power.The fortunate first know about Her and thoughts about Her first begin to fill their brain.


824) Shiva-kaameshvaraankasthaa शिवकामेश्वरांकास्था - ललितासहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 21  

Mother says to the devotee," I have been the worshipped and Mother for innumerable lives to thee. Now let me be the worshipper and the daughter to serve thee after so many endless and indescribable miseries that you have suffered for me."

She as daughter is the sitter in the lap of Her devotee at this stage.

This idea I got at the worshipping place of my most revered old friend Kaushikarambhai V Mehta.


When I went to him, he offered me with great love the best dish of almonds, sugar-candy etc.I would not eat though he repeatedly asked me to eat. The fact was that I do not eat or drink anything without dedication to Mother and I was too shy. My throat was chocked. In a piteous voice I sang two lines by way of an answer. " Mother, tell me whether you are  Mother and I am son, or I am an old Father and you are my darling lovely daughter! " Generally, whenever parents gets best dainties to eat, children's remembrance stops the morsel going down the throat. It was this experience which made joyful and dancing and I said to myself, I have found the meaning of Shiva-kaameshvaraankasthaa.


That Mother takes a fancy and delight to be the devotee's daughter is not an inappropriate idea. It is only fools who always prefer to be the worshipped and never the worshippers. 


There was a living instance in Bengal, the Blessed home of Mother Worship and the birth province of  Her Blessed son, Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.


A devotee extremely poor once desired to celebrate Durga Pooja festival and went to fetch his daughter for the purpose from her husband's house. The husband's family was extremely rich and the members of the family drove out the devotee stating that he was a fool to expect that his daughter who was the queen of the family, which would be celebrating the festival gloriously with grand dinners, would be rolling half-starving at her father's house.


The devotee returned and on the road journey wept under a tree at the first half of the journey. At the second half he found his daughter shouting out to him to stop. The daughter stated weeping that after his departure there was an exchange of harsh words and she was turned out to her father. The daughter said," Father, do not worry. You have been old. My husband has given me immeasurable wealth. We shall live together and I will serve you for your life." The father was still more miserable. Not only he was spurned but his daughter was turned out. The daughter served him shampooing and with most delicate love actually fondling old father- Durga Poojaa was celebrated with devotion gloriousness and lavish spending, in a manner which surprised the whole province. On the ninth night she sat in the devote's lap in full ecstasy and asked him," father , tell me honestly, don't you repent, having taken this idiosyncrasy of devotion to Mother." The devotee said," My darling, you are yet too young to have any idea of my love for Mother."  Next morning the daughter was missing. 


On inquiry it was learnt that his real daughter had not left her husband's house.


Mother often desires the fanciful pleasure of being the devotee's daughter. She feels joy of sitting in his lap.


Reader, I am free with thee as we are soon to part, after a few pages. Weep and weep out of love for Mother, if you are a devotee. If you are a heartless learned one , laugh at my folly of wasting my breath in wilderness. Mother has been given Her right status by few devotees. Most of the devotees have understood Her to be stern and awful. Some have exploited Her Grace and Mercy. Very few have loved Mother as Mother.But here the love has been of such an immeasurable intensity that unlike the most universal truth that the Mother fondles the child , the devotee fondles the old Mother, who has been neglected and discarded  by the ungrateful universe.


In love when there is monotony due to the climax of loving in a particular relationship, there is still greater pleasure in inverting the relationship, just as when you have read a book for times without number, you like to read it from last chapter to the first. It is this idea which gives clue to the inversion of the letters of a Mantra.


It is higher than the highest stage of natural love. The natural relationship is one of the schools of the devotees is for woman devotee to consider herself as beloved of Lord Krishna, and some male devotees too as in the Raadhaa-Vallabha school , consider themselves to be Gopis i.e., the beloved of Lord Krishna. On the above lines there is higher than the highest, and it is when the devotee considers God as his beloved.

825) Shivajnaanapradaayini शिवज्ञानप्रदायिनी  -Bestowing the knowledge about how to be a perfect soul. ललिता सहस्रनाम स्तोत्र, नाम क्रमांक 727


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