572. Parāśaktiḥ
Parāśaktiḥ reveals the Divine Mother as the Supreme Divine Power, the transcendent energy underlying all creation, preservation, dissolution, knowledge, and liberation. The name teaches that every form of power in the universe arises from her and that she is the dynamic aspect of Consciousness through which the Absolute expresses itself as the cosmos
Parāśaktiḥ (पराशक्तिः)
This is the 572nd name of the Lalitā Sahasranāma.
After revealing the Divine Mother as Mahā-pralaya-sākṣiṇī, the eternal witness even of the Great Cosmic Dissolution, the Sahasranāma now identifies her with the highest principle of divine power:
Parāśaktiḥ – The Supreme Power; the Transcendent Divine Energy.
This is one of the most important names in the entire Sahasranāma, for it directly expresses the Goddess's essential nature in Śākta and Śrīvidyā philosophy.
1. Literal Meaning
Word-by-word
Parā – supreme, highest, transcendent, beyond
Śaktiḥ – power, energy, potency, divine force
Literal translation
"The Supreme Power."
or
"The Transcendent Divine Energy."
or
"The Highest Śakti."
2. What is Śakti?
The word Śakti literally means:
power,
energy,
capacity,
ability to act.
In spiritual philosophy, Śakti is the dynamic aspect of the Absolute.
It is through Śakti that:
creation occurs,
preservation occurs,
dissolution occurs,
knowledge arises,
liberation becomes possible.
Without Śakti, nothing can manifest.
3. Why "Parā" Śakti?
There are countless forms of power in the universe:
physical power,
intellectual power,
emotional power,
cosmic powers,
divine powers.
The Mother is not merely one power among many.
She is:
Parā Śakti
The source from which all powers arise.
4. Traditional Meaning
The commentators explain that the Divine Mother is called Parāśaktiḥ because she is the ultimate power behind:
Brahmā's creation,
Viṣṇu's preservation,
Śiva's dissolution,
all gods,
all worlds,
all beings.
Every form of energy is an expression of her.
5. The Foundation of the Universe
Nothing in the universe is static.
Everything is dynamic.
Movement, growth, thought, life, and transformation all require power.
The Mother is that fundamental power.
Thus she is not merely associated with the universe.
She is its dynamic essence.
6. Devotional Meaning
For a devotee, Parāśaktiḥ signifies that every blessing and every strength ultimately come from the Divine Mother.
Whenever one experiences:
courage,
wisdom,
love,
devotion,
inspiration,
her power is operating.
She is the source of all empowerment.
7. Śrīvidyā Meaning
In Śrīvidyā, the Supreme Reality is understood through the inseparable unity of:
Prakāśa (pure consciousness)
Vimarśa (self-awareness and power)
Parāśaktiḥ is that supreme Vimarśa, the dynamic aspect of Consciousness through which the Absolute manifests and knows itself.
This connects directly with the earlier name:
Vimarśa-rūpiṇī.
8. Why Does This Name Follow Mahā-pralaya-sākṣiṇī?
The sequence is profound.
Mahā-pralaya-sākṣiṇī
The Mother is the eternal witness beyond creation and dissolution.
Parāśaktiḥ
The same reality is also the supreme power through which creation and dissolution occur.
Thus the Mother is both:
the transcendent witness,
and the dynamic power.
9. Advaita Vedāntic Meaning
Now the deeper layer.
A profound insight
How can the Absolute be both changeless and active?
The hidden teaching
The Absolute in itself is pure Consciousness.
Its power of manifestation is Śakti.
These are not two separate realities.
They are two aspects of one reality.
Fire and Heat
A traditional analogy is:
Fire and its heat.
Sun and its light.
They can be conceptually distinguished but not actually separated.
Similarly:
Consciousness is Śiva.
Power is Śakti.
Parāśaktiḥ is that inseparable power.
The Source of Manifestation
The universe appears because of Śakti.
Without her, there would be no:
space,
time,
mind,
matter,
experience.
She is the principle of manifestation itself.
Beyond All Powers
Even cosmic powers are limited.
The Mother as Parāśaktiḥ transcends them all.
She is infinite power because she is infinite reality.
The Power of Self-Revelation
The greatest power is not the ability to create worlds.
It is the ability to reveal truth.
The Mother as Parāśaktiḥ grants liberation by revealing the Self.
Relation to Earlier Names
Observe the progression:
Mahā-pralaya-sākṣiṇī – The eternal witness beyond all change.
Now:
Parāśaktiḥ
The supreme power through which all change appears.
The transcendent and the dynamic are revealed as one.
The Non-Dual Meaning
At the highest level, Parāśaktiḥ is the infinite power of Consciousness to manifest, know, and delight in itself.
The universe is not separate from this power.
It is its expression.
The Mother is both the source and substance of all existence.
A Deeper Contemplation
The name Parāśaktiḥ stands at the heart of Śākta philosophy.
It declares that the ultimate reality is not merely a passive absolute but an infinitely creative and conscious power.
Everything that exists bears witness to this power.
The movement of galaxies, the growth of living beings, the functioning of the mind, and the awakening of spiritual insight all arise through Śakti.
Yet the name does not refer to ordinary power.
The adjective Parā elevates the meaning.
The Mother is the highest power, beyond every finite expression of energy.
All forms of strength, intelligence, beauty, and vitality are reflections of her.
This name also resolves a philosophical mystery.
How does the changeless Absolute give rise to a changing universe?
The answer is Śakti.
The Absolute remains unchanged while expressing itself through its own power.
Thus the Mother is simultaneously beyond creation and active within creation.
From a spiritual perspective, Parāśaktiḥ reminds the seeker that the power sought externally already exists within.
The capacity for wisdom, devotion, courage, and realization is the Mother's presence in the heart.
Ultimately, Parāśaktiḥ teaches that the Divine Mother is the Supreme Power underlying all existence, the dynamic aspect of the Absolute through which the universe is manifested, sustained, transformed, and ultimately transcended. She is the infinite energy of Consciousness itself.
To contemplate Parāśaktiḥ is to recognize the Divine Mother as the supreme and all-pervading power that animates the cosmos, illumines the mind, and leads every soul toward the realization of its own divine nature.
One-line Essence
Parāśaktiḥ reveals the Divine Mother as the Supreme Power, the infinite divine energy through which the entire universe is manifested and sustained.
