673. Bṛhatī
Bṛhatī reveals the Divine Mother as the infinite and all-pervading reality beyond every limitation of space, time, and form. The name symbolizes her nature as the vast Consciousness described by the Upaniṣads, teaching that she is the boundless Brahman whose greatness encompasses all worlds while remaining the eternal Self of all beings.
Bṛhatī (बृहती)
This is the 673rd name of the Lalitā Sahasranāma.
After the majestic declaration Brahmātmaikya-svarūpiṇī, which reveals the Divine Mother as the very identity of Brahman and Ātman, the Sahasranāma naturally continues with:
Bṛhatī – She who is Vast; She who is Infinite; She who is the Great One beyond all limitations.
This name is closely related to the very meaning of Brahman, for the word Brahman itself derives from the Sanskrit root √bṛh — "to expand, to grow, to become great."
1. Literal Meaning
Word-by-word
Bṛhat means:
great,
vast,
immense,
expansive,
infinite.
Bṛhatī is the feminine form.
Literal translation
"The Vast One."
or
"She who is Infinite Greatness."
or
"She who is boundlessly expansive."
2. Traditional Meaning
The commentators explain:
The Goddess is called Bṛhatī because she transcends all limitations of space, time, and objectivity and exists as the infinitely vast reality.
Nothing can contain her.
Nothing lies outside her.
3. Relation to Brahman
The word Brahman comes from the same root:
√bṛh — to expand, to grow, to become great.
Thus:
Brahman = the Infinite.
Bṛhatī = the Great Infinite Reality.
The Mother is therefore identified directly with Brahman.
4. Devotional Meaning
For devotees, Bṛhatī reveals the immeasurable grandeur of the Divine Mother.
She is:
greater than the universe,
greater than the gods,
greater than all concepts.
Yet she lovingly dwells in the devotee's heart.
5. Why Does This Name Follow Brahmātmaikya-svarūpiṇī?
The sequence is perfect.
Brahmātmaikya-svarūpiṇī
The Self and Brahman are one.
Bṛhatī
What is the nature of that Brahman?
It is Infinite Vastness.
The Sahasranāma now describes the reality whose identity with the Self was just proclaimed.
6. The Meaning of Vastness
The Mother's vastness is not merely physical.
It includes:
infinite existence,
infinite consciousness,
infinite bliss,
infinite freedom.
She is unlimited in every respect.
7. Śākta Meaning
In Śrīvidyā, Lalitā is both:
transcendent,
immanent.
As Bṛhatī she exceeds all worlds.
As the indwelling Self she pervades all worlds.
Thus she is simultaneously beyond and within everything.
8. Connection with the Vedas
Bṛhatī is also the name of a celebrated Vedic metre (chandas).
Some commentators note:
The Mother is called Bṛhatī because she is praised by the Vedas and because she is the source of the Vedic revelation.
Thus the name carries both metaphysical and scriptural significance.
9. Advaita Vedāntic Meaning
Now the deeper layer.
A profound insight
What makes something finite?
The hidden teaching
Limitation.
Three Forms of Limitation
Ordinary objects are limited by:
Space
They occupy one location.
Time
They arise and perish.
Objecthood
They are distinct from other things.
The Mother Is Free from All Three
She is:
all-pervasive,
eternal,
non-dual.
Therefore she is Bṛhatī.
Infinite Consciousness
Awareness has no measurable boundary.
The body appears within awareness.
The mind appears within awareness.
The world appears within awareness.
The Mother is that limitless awareness.
The Meaning of Greatness
The greatness of the Mother is not quantitative.
It is qualitative.
She is great because:
Nothing is outside her.
Expansion Without Movement
The root √bṛh means expansion.
Yet the Mother does not expand by moving outward.
She is already infinite.
Her "expansion" signifies limitless being.
Relation to Earlier Names
Observe the magnificent sequence:
Bhūmarūpā – Infinite Fullness.
Nirdvaitā – Non-dual.
Brahmātmaikya-svarūpiṇī – Identity of Self and Brahman.
Bṛhatī – The Infinite Vastness that is Brahman.
The Sahasranāma continues its direct exposition of the highest Vedāntic truth.
The Non-Dual Meaning
At the highest level, Bṛhatī signifies the infinite, all-pervading Consciousness that is Brahman itself. The Divine Mother is the limitless reality beyond every form of restriction, the vast Self in which all worlds arise and dissolve.
A Deeper Contemplation
The name Bṛhatī invites the seeker to contemplate the true nature of greatness.
Ordinarily, greatness is measured by size, power, wealth, or influence.
The Sahasranāma points toward a different kind of greatness.
The Mother is great because she is limitless.
She cannot be confined by:
space,
time,
thought,
form.
The sequence after Brahmātmaikya-svarūpiṇī is especially revealing.
The identity of the Self and Brahman has just been declared.
Now the nature of that Brahman is described.
It is infinite vastness.
The Mother is Bṛhatī.
From a devotional perspective, this name inspires awe and reverence.
From a philosophical perspective, it identifies the Goddess with the Infinite described by the Upaniṣads.
From an Advaitic perspective, it points directly to the limitless Consciousness that is one's own true Self.
The Mother is that Self.
Ultimately, Bṛhatī teaches that the Divine Mother is the infinitely vast and boundless reality beyond all limitation. She is the greatness underlying the universe, the all-pervading Consciousness that transcends every boundary, and the Brahman whose nature is infinite existence, awareness, and bliss.
To contemplate Bṛhatī is to recognize the Divine Mother as the limitless expanse of being, the infinite Self beyond all restriction, and the supreme reality whose greatness can never be measured or exhausted.
One-line Essence
Bṛhatī reveals the Divine Mother as the infinitely vast and boundless reality that is Brahman itself.
