774. Mahatī
Mahatī reveals the Divine Mother as the supremely great and limitless reality beyond all measure and comparison. The name symbolizes her infinite power, wisdom, compassion, and transcendence, teaching that all forms of greatness arise from her and that her true nature is the boundless Consciousness that pervades and sustains the entire universe.
Mahatī (महती)
This is the 774th name of the Lalitā Sahasranāma.
After revealing the Divine Mother as Pāṭalī-kusuma-priyā, who delights in the simple flower of devotion, the Sahasranāma once again turns to her immeasurable greatness:
Mahatī: She who is Great; She who is vast beyond measure; She who surpasses all limitations, all beings, all worlds, and all concepts; She who is the Infinite Grandeur underlying existence.
This is one of the simplest names in the Sahasranāma, yet one of the most profound.
1. Literal Meaning
Word-by-word
Mahatī – great, vast, exalted, supreme, magnificent
Literal translation
"The Great One."
or
"She who is supremely vast."
or
"The Infinite and Exalted One."
2. Traditional Meaning
The commentators explain:
The Goddess is called Mahatī because she is greater than everything that exists and because her glory, power, knowledge, and being are limitless.
Nothing can equal or exceed her.
3. Great in What Sense?
The Mother is great in every possible way:
great in power,
great in wisdom,
great in compassion,
great in beauty,
great in sovereignty,
great in transcendence.
The name intentionally leaves the greatness undefined because it encompasses all greatness.
4. Relation to the Principle of Mahat
Some commentators connect this name with Mahat, the cosmic intelligence described in Sāṅkhya philosophy.
Mahat is the first manifestation arising from Prakṛti and is the source of cosmic order and intelligence.
The Mother is called Mahatī because:
she is the source of Mahat,
she transcends Mahat,
she manifests as Mahat.
5. Devotional Meaning
For devotees, Mahatī evokes awe and reverence.
The Mother is:
infinitely compassionate,
infinitely powerful,
infinitely glorious.
Every attribute reaches perfection in her.
6. Why Does This Name Follow Pāṭalī-kusuma-priyā?
The sequence is beautiful.
Pāṭalī-kusuma-priyā
The Mother delights in a simple flower offered with devotion.
Mahatī
Yet this tender and approachable Mother is also infinitely great.
The Sahasranāma constantly balances intimacy and transcendence.
7. Śākta Meaning
In Śākta philosophy, the Goddess is the source of:
all gods,
all worlds,
all powers,
all knowledge.
Therefore she alone is truly Mahatī.
Everything else derives its greatness from her.
8. The Infinite Cannot Be Measured
Ordinary greatness can be compared.
One thing may be greater than another.
But the Mother's greatness is beyond comparison.
There is nothing outside her against which she can be measured.
Thus Mahatī ultimately signifies infinitude.
9. Advaita Vedāntic Meaning
Now the deeper layer.
A profound insight
What is truly great?
The hidden teaching
That which is limitless.
Limited Greatness
Worldly greatness depends upon:
achievement,
status,
power,
recognition.
All these are temporary.
Infinite Greatness
The scriptures define true greatness as freedom from limitation.
The Mother is great because:
she is not confined by space,
she is not confined by time,
she is not confined by causation.
She is infinite.
The Greatness of Consciousness
Everything known appears within Consciousness.
Nothing exists outside it.
Therefore Consciousness alone is truly great.
The Mother is that Consciousness.
Mahatī and the Self
The seeker's true nature is not small or limited.
It is the same infinite Consciousness that the Mother embodies.
Realization is the recognition of this greatness.
Beyond All Concepts
Even the word "great" eventually fails.
The Mother is beyond:
size,
quantity,
comparison,
description.
Mahatī points toward the indescribable.
Relation to Earlier Names
Observe the progression:
Pāṭalī-kusuma-priyā: The Mother who delights in a simple flower.
Mahatī: The infinitely great and immeasurable reality.
The Sahasranāma beautifully unites loving accessibility with absolute transcendence.
The Non-Dual Meaning
At the highest level, Mahatī signifies the infinite, all-pervading Consciousness that transcends every limitation. She is the boundless reality in which all worlds arise and into which all distinctions dissolve.
A Deeper Contemplation
The name Mahatī appears simple, but its depth is immense.
The Mother is great not because she possesses great qualities.
She is great because she is limitless.
Every form of greatness found anywhere in creation is merely a reflection of her infinite perfection.
The sequence after Pāṭalī-kusuma-priyā is especially beautiful.
The Mother accepts a simple flower from a devotee.
Yet she remains the immeasurable reality beyond all worlds.
This reveals a central truth of the Sahasranāma:
The infinitely great is also intimately near.
From a devotional perspective, Mahatī is the glorious and exalted Mother worthy of all reverence.
From a cosmological perspective, she is greater than the universe she sustains.
From a Śākta perspective, she is the source of all power, wisdom, and existence.
From an Advaitic perspective, she is the limitless Consciousness beyond every form of limitation and distinction.
The Mother is great because she alone is truly infinite.
Ultimately, Mahatī teaches that the Divine Mother is the immeasurably great reality underlying all existence. Her greatness is not relative but absolute, arising from her infinite nature as the source, sustainer, and essence of all that exists.
To contemplate Mahatī is to stand before the vastness of the Divine Mother and recognize that the same infinite Consciousness shines as the innermost Self of all beings.
One-line Essence
Mahatī reveals the Divine Mother as the infinitely great, boundless, and all-pervading reality.
