LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM
महारूपा महापूज्या महापातक-नाशिनी ।
महामाया महासत्त्वा महाशक्तिर् महारतिः ॥ ५४॥
Maharupa Mahapujya Mahapataka nashini Mahamaya Magasatva Mahashaktir Maharatih – 54
महारूपा (212)
Maharupa (212)
Meaning:
Devi is described in this Namah as the Mighty one.
Interpretation:
The Namah consists of two parts Maha and Rupa.
Maha refers to Large and Rupam refers to Form. Thus the Namah refers to Devi as the one who is capable of expanding to a large, an enormous size.
Large means how large? According to some scholars it should be as large as the Universe. Then, how large is the Universe? While Science puts the diameter of the observable Universe at 93 billion Light years, in the Vedic description it is mentioned as 500 crores Yojanas. But, let's not assign any numerical value - let's understand that Devi's size is too large, too mammoth, too enormous.
The process of expanding / shrinking one's actual physical size is called Siddhi. They are eight in number collectively called Ashta Siddhi such as Anima, Mahima, Lahima, Garima etc. In Ramayana we find mentions of Hanuman deploying different siddhis at various times. Mahima is the siddhi that deals with expanding one's body to a huge size.
Certain scholars differ in defining Maharupa as Mahat + Rupa in which the term Mahat stands for the first evolute of Prakriti and Devi is both the cause and form (Rupam) of it. The word Mahat derives it's origin from Mahat-tattva which is a concept in the Sankhya Philosophy of Hinduism.
It may be noted that the term Mahat-tattva refers to Lord Shiva and can be found mentioned in the Shadakshara Slokam. In the sloka for the letter म Ma it is mentioned as:
महत-तत्वम् महादेवम् प्रियम् ज्ञान परम् शुभम्
महा पाप हरम् तस्मात् म-काराय नमोः नमः
Therefore, it is quite logical to associate the term with Devi also, she being the consort of the Lord.
Lord Vishnu as Maha Rupa:
The Brihad-Bhagavatamrita, in the following verse, describes Lord Maha Vishnu as Maha Rupa
महा-रूप-धरैर् वारि-तेजो-वाय्व्-अम्बरैस् तथा ।
अहङ्कार-महद्भ्यां च स्व-स्वावरणतोऽर्चितम् ॥
क्रमेण मत्स्यं सुर्यं च प्रद्युम्नम् अनिरुद्धकम् ।
सङ्कर्षणं वासुदेवं भगवन्तम् अलोकयम् ॥
The presiding deities of water, fire, air, ether, ego, and the total material energy had assumed gigantic forms and were worshiping Bhagavan’s (Shriman Narayanan's) respective manifestations as Matsya, Surya, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Sankarshana and Vasudeva.
Author's Notes:
The Ananga Trayodashi
No write-up on Maha Rupa would be complete without the mention of Ananga Trayodashi. Trayodashi is the day meant for Lord Shiva and for each trayodashi the Lord is assigned a specific name. For Ananga Trayodashi, falling in the month of Margashirsha, (Dec-Jan), the name is Maha Rupu.
Saura Purana, one of the various Upapuranas depicting Shaivism, lists out the procedures to be followed for observing the Ananga Trayodashi Vrat in honor of Lord Shiva.
Accordingly, the devotee observing Ananga Trayodashi should use a tooth-brush made of udumbara-wood, the deity to be worshiped is Maharupa,the flowers to be used during worship are mandra and the naivedya offerings is to be made of yavaka (barley).The food taken by the devotee is jatiphala. The results accrued from observing this vrat would be equal to the gift of a thousand cows mentions the holy text.
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