LalithA SahasranAma [633] UmA

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U, Siva, mA, Laksmi or U, Siva, mA limits. Or umA rose colour, also

saffron colour, fame, brightness. For it is said {MArk. Pr.], "Devi

who resides as brightness in all creatures." The Visva, "UmA, means

china rose, daughter of Himavat mountains, saffron, fame and

brightness"

 

Or U, note of interrogation, mA negation : when the Devi was

performing penance she was forbidden by her mother. The Kalika Pr.

says, "Because when she was forbidden to go to the forest to perform

penance she was called UmA [ not to go]" The same story is repeated in

the BrahmA. Pr. an din Puskara Khanda of the PAdma Pr.

 

Or U. Superior, mA, a certain mental modification. The SU .Sam [iV.

1.20] says, "I adore the supreme experience which destroys the noose

of earthly existence, which purifies even SadAsiva, called UmA, which

produces the bright state and manifests in many kinds of worlds"

 

Or UmA : U, MA and A which form Pranava meaning respectively, BrahmA,

Rudra and Visnu; and many other meanings of Pranava also are to be

taken here. Therefore those who know the secret call this [umA] devi

Pranava. In LingA Pr. Svia says to Devi, "In my Pranava there are A-U-

MA, and U-MA and A are in the order in your Pranava, with the three

notes [mAtrAs] and with the highest pluta"

 

The MahAvAsistha says, "UmA is so called because it contains the

essence of the Pranava"; again "IMA is the IndukalA which ever

inspires the hearts of all beings in the three worlds asleep and

awake". In the commentary it is explained thus; "In the heart of all

beings, whether asleep or awake there is a cavity whence arises the

sound being produced without contrast which is Sabdabrahman, the

Pravana, without the letters A, etc. The cavity is Siva, and in his

head there is an IndukalA, which is the form of bindu." The VAyavIya

sam, also, "Om is the mono-syllabled Brahman.... in the head of linga

is to be heard the sound that has half-an-accent."

 

The Hansa. Up [v.8] describing the different things situated in the

petals of the lotus of the heart, says, "In the linga sleep [arises];

when the lotus is left the turiya state [arises]; and when the hamsa

[jiva] is absorbed in the nAda which is at the head of linga, the

state beyond the fourth arises" [ see foot note ]

 

According to the Siva-Sutra [i. 13] UmA means the IcchA-sakti of

Yoginis. "The Young UmA is called the IcchA-Sakti" The commentator,

KrsnadAsa explains thus :"The energy of the Yogin who grasps the

Parabhairava, as described above, which is the eternal energy of

desire, which the wise call UmA"

 

According to PAdma Pr. UmA is the deity worshipped at the VinAyaka and

at the Sindhuvana. or, according to Dhaumya, a girl of six years is

called UmA.

 

 

BhAskararAya's Commentary

Translated into English by R. Ananthakrishna Sastry