LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM
@ S. Subramaniam
शर्वाणी (124)
Sharvani (124)
Meaning:
Devi is the female version of Lord Shiva who is in the form of Sharva.
Interpretation:
Lord Shiva manifests himself in eight different forms - the five elements such as Air, Water, Earth, Fire and Sky and three more forms as the Sun, the Moon and the Soul. These eight manifestations have eight different names like Bhava, Bhima, Rudra, Ugra, Sharva, Isa etc.
For the manifestation in the form of Earth, the name is Sharva. Being the consort of Lord Shiva, Devi gets the name Sharvani, the female form of Sharva.
These eight names are used during the Panchayatana Pooja of Lord Shiva, when he is addressed as Bhavasya Devasya, Ugrasya Devasya, Bhimasya Devasya, Ishanasya Devasya, Sharvasya Devasya, Mahato Devasya etc. And Devi is, addressed as Bhavasya Devasya Patni, Sarvasya Devasya Patni etc..
Adi Shankara & Soundarya Lahari
सरस्वत्याः सूक्तीरमृतलहरीकौशलहरीः
पिबन्त्याः शर्वाणि श्रवणचुलुकाभ्यामविरलम्
Sarasvatyah Sukti Amruta LaharI Kausha Laharih: Pibantyah Sharvani Shravana Chulukabhyam Aviralam.
Adi Shankara addresses Devi as Sharvani in verse # 60 of Soundarya Lahari.
O Mother, the spouse of Sarva (Shiva), Your melodious song is being heard and enjoyed by Goddess Saraswathi. In appreciation she nods her head in total enjoyment of Your music describes the holy sage.
Strange and amazing are the poetic imagination of Shankara. He says that waves of sweetness in Devi's song beat the waves of Divine nectar. In his vision he sees Goddess Saraswathi drinking deep the beauty of Devi's song continuously.
Author's Notes:
It's Rig veda where in the Lord has been referred to as Sarveshwara or simply Sarva. In Yajur Veda also at several places the name of the Lord is mentioned as Sarveshwara most notably in the concluding lines of Chapter 1 of Sri Rudram. Namasteyastu Bhagavan Vishweshwaraya Mahadevaya Triyambakaya etc…
It may be noted that several of the Devi's names mentioned in LHS are the female version of the names of Lord Shiva. What we learn from it is that the two are inseparable and need to be always worshiped together.
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