LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM
@ S. Subramaniam
भवानी (112)
Bhavani (112)
Meaning:
Devi, being the consort of Lord Shiva, who is also known as Bhava, gets the name Bhavani. Devi infuses life into all organisms.
Interpretation:
One of the names of Lord Shiva is Bhava. Lord Shiva represents all the five basic elements such as air, fire, water, earth and sky and this namah is associated with the water form of the Lord.
According to few other scholars, Bhava is related to one of the five faces of Lord Shiva, the Sadyojatam.
भवे भवे नाति भवे भवस्व मां भवोद्भवाय नमः॥
Bhave Bhave nati Bhave Bhavasva Mam Bhavod bhavaya Namah: Quote from the Yajur Veda.
Bhava therefore means Shiva and Ana means to infuse life. Devi Bhavani, the feminine gender of Bhava, gives life to all.
The earliest mention of and perhaps the origin of the word Bhava is from Rig Veda.
यद् भव आपस् तेन।
Yad Bhava Aapas tena |
(Salutations to) Lord Bhava, the water form of Lord Shiva.
Quote from Soundarya Lahari:
भवानि त्वं दासे मयि वितर दृष्टि सकरुणां
Bhavani Tvam daase mayi vitara drishtim sakarunam
Adi Shankara prays to Devi : O Bhavani, please shower your grace upon this servant of yours.
Author's Notes
It is very important to note here that Adi Shankara has composed two different hymns in the name of Devi Bhavani - (1) The Bhavani Ashtakam and (2) The Bhavani Bhujangam.
1.Bhavani Ashtakam is an interesting composition by Adi Shankara. It is full of negative presentations like I do not worship, I do not chant holy hymns, my tongue always speaks bad words, I cherish bad thoughts, I perform bad deeds etc. But each of the eight stanzas conclude by proclaiming that I take refuge in you O Devi, I take refuge in you.
By saying गतिस्त्वं गतिस्त्वं त्वमेका भवानि (Gatistvam Gatistvam tvameka Bhavani), perhaps Shankara wants to emphasize the importance of complete, whole-hearted surrender to Devi by a devotee that will absolve him of all his sins - small, big and enormous, as mentioned in the previous paragraph.
2. In Bhavani Bhujanga Slokam, a 17 stanza hymn, Adi Shankara praises the beauty of Devi from head to toe. It's a Sarva anga Varnana Sthuthi. He concludes the slokam with a note that whoever repeats the name of Bhavani three times daily is assured of Salvation.
It won't be out of place to mention here that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a great devotee of Maa Bhavani.
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