35. Lakṣya-romalatā-dhāratā-samunneya-madhyamā
Lakṣya-romalatā-dhāratā-samunneya-madhyamā reveals the hidden support underlying all manifestation, teaching that the most fundamental reality is not directly perceived but recognized through the existence of everything it sustains. Just as the delicate waist is inferred from the vine it supports, pure Consciousness is known as the silent, unseen foundation upon which all experiences, worlds, and forms arise and rest.
Lakṣya-romalatā-dhāratā-samunneya-madhyamā (लक्ष्यरोमलताधारतासमुन्नेयमध्यमा)
This is the 35th name of the Lalitā Sahasranāma.
It follows naturally from the previous name. The Sahasranāma continues the imagery of the delicate vine (romalatā) and now describes the Divine Mother's slender waist (madhyamā).
1. Literal Meaning
Word-by-word
Lakṣya – inferred, perceived, recognized
Roma-latā – the vine-like line of fine hair
Dhāratā – support, sustaining function
Samunneya – inferred, understood, deduced
Madhyamā – the middle portion, waist
Literal translation
"She whose slender waist is known only by the fact that it supports the vine-like line of fine hair."
or
"Her waist is so delicate that its existence is inferred from its supporting the fine line of hair."
2. Traditional Meaning
The imagery is extremely refined.
The waist is described as so slender that it is almost imperceptible.
One knows it exists only because:
the delicate line of hair above the navel must be resting upon something.
Thus the waist is not directly seen.
It is inferred.
This is a classical Sanskrit expression of extraordinary delicacy and grace.
3. Devotional Meaning
The name emphasizes:
elegance
refinement
subtle beauty
But beyond physical description, it suggests that the Divine often reveals itself indirectly.
Not everything of greatest value is immediately obvious.
Some realities are known through their effects.
4. Symbolic Meaning
The key word here is:
Samunneya - "inferred"
This is unusual.
Most names describe something directly.
This one speaks about something known indirectly.
The implication is profound:
Some truths are not seen as objects.
They are recognized through what they support.
5. Śrīvidyā Meaning
The vine imagery from the previous name continues.
The waist is the supporting center.
In Śrīvidyā, the Divine Mother is often contemplated as:
the hidden support of all manifestation.
Just as the waist silently supports the upper body,
the Divine silently supports:
the universe
life
mind
experience
without drawing attention to itself.
6. Advaita Vedāntic Meaning
Now the deepest layer.
Why "inferred"?
This word invites philosophical contemplation.
In ordinary experience:
thoughts are known
emotions are known
perceptions are known
But what supports them?
Awareness.
Can Awareness be seen as an object?
No.
Yet its presence is undeniable.
Just as the waist is inferred from what it supports,
Awareness is recognized because:
thoughts appear
sensations appear
experiences appear
Something must be present for them to be known.
The hidden Advaitic teaching
The name beautifully echoes a central Vedāntic insight:
The Self is not an object of perception.
It is the basis of all perception.
You never "see" Awareness as you see an object.
You recognize it as the ever-present foundation of experience.
The vine and the support
The previous name described:
vine (romalatā)
fruits (kuca-dvayī)
This name focuses on the unseen support.
Likewise:
People often focus on:
the world
experiences
achievements
while overlooking the Consciousness that makes all experience possible.
This name gently directs attention back to the support.
A deeper contemplation
Imagine seeing a lamp illuminating a room.
You notice:
furniture
walls
objects
Then you realize:
All of them are visible because of the light.
The light itself was overlooked.
Similarly:
The world is obvious.
Consciousness is subtle.
Yet Consciousness is the support.
That is the hidden wisdom of this name.
Hidden progression
Nābhy-ālavāla-romāli-latā-phala-kuca-dvayī
The breasts are described as fruits of a vine.
Lakṣya-romalatā-dhāratā-samunneya-madhyamā
The waist is recognized as the subtle support of that vine.
The movement is:
Manifestation → Support
Visible → Invisible
Effect → Cause
One-line Essence
Lakṣya-romalatā-dhāratā-samunneya-madhyamā reveals the subtle truth that the most fundamental reality is often not directly perceived, but recognized as the silent support of everything that appears.
