LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM
सर्व-यन्त्रात्मिका सर्व-तन्त्ररूपा मनोन्मनी ।
माहेश्वरी महादेवी महालक्ष्मीर् मृडप्रिया ॥ ५३॥
Sarva Yantratmika Sarva Tantrarupa Manonmani Maheshvari Mahadevi Mahalakshmir Mridapriya – 53
मृडप्रिया (211)
Mridapriya (211)
Meaning :
Devi expresses her fondness for Mrida, one of the many names of Lord Shiva.
Interpretation:
The Namah contains two terms Mrida referring to Lord Shiva and Priya referring to fondness. Devi is extremely fond of her consort Lord Shiva.
Reference to Lord Shiva being addressed as Mrida appears at several places in Siva Puranam as well as in Yajur Veda.
Mrida in Sri Rudram
In Anuvaka 10 of Sri Rudram, द्रापे अन्धसस्पते we find mention of Mrida at least three times:
(1)शिवा रुद्रस्य भेषजी तया नोमृड जीवसे
(2)मृडा नोरुद्रोतनोमयस्कृधि क्षयद्वीराय नमसा विधेम ते
(3)म्रुडा जरित्रेरुद्र स्तवानोअन्यन्ते
अस्मन्निवपन्तुसेनाः
Mrida literally means one who is merciful, gracious.
Mrida in Siva Puranam
In Siva Puranam we find mention about the word Mrida. This is when Vishnu requests Shiva to marry his sister Parvati, he praises Lord Shiva and addresses him as Mrida.
तारकासुरतो दुःखं संभूतं विविधं मृड ।
सर्वेषां नस्तदर्थं हि प्रसन्नोऽकारि वै सुरैः ॥
Quote from Mahabharata:
In Mahabharata, after Pitamah Bheeshma recites the one thousand names of Lord Vishnu, Yudhishtira requests the grandsire to preach the thousand names of Lord Shiva to which Bheeshma says - this only Lord Krishna can do. Krishna then narrates the one thousand names of Shiva one amongst them is:
जनसुखकृते सत्त्वोद्रिक्तौ मृडाय नमो नमः
Devi as Mridani:
Being the consort of Shiva, Devi gets the name Mridani. Very interestingly, Shiva, in turn, gets referred to as Mridani Pathi (husband of Mridani) in the following Shloka (source not exactly known) :
शङ्के सुन्दर कालकूटमपिबत् मूढो मृडानीपतिः
However, in the Garga-samhita a Vaishnava scripture composed by Sage Garga, narrating incidents in the life of Lord Krishna, there is a clear reference to Devi being addressed as Mridani and Shiva as Mridaneesha.
प्रमथेशह् पशु-पतिर् मृडानीशो मृडो वृषह्
कृतान्त-काल-सङ्घारिह् कूटह् कल्पान्त-भैरवह्
He is Lord Shiva who is the master of the Pramathas, the leader of the Pashus, the husband of Parvati (Mridanisha), gentle (He is himself Mrida), powerful, the killer of His enemies, most exalted and who appears as Bhairava at the end of time.
Author's Notes:
This Namah in LSN, Mrida Priya is of extreme significance. Apart from the surface meaning it also conveys an inner, more important message.
In various names discussed so far, we have come across Devi being equated with Shiva. This Namah brings out a new aspect of Devi, her deep love (not romantic love but love of sheer affection, love of profound devotion) towards her Lord.
Mrida also means happiness, a quality of Sattva Guna showing compassion or mercy, graciousness. Priya of course means one who is dear. This Namah means that Shiva caresses this entire universe and as His wife, Devi loves this act of Shiva. After all, She is the Supreme Mother.
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