928. Stutimatī
Stutimatī reveals the Divine Mother as the one who is richly glorified through innumerable hymns, prayers, and sacred scriptures. Praised by gods, sages, and devotees across the ages, she is the inexhaustible source of devotion and wonder. The name teaches that while her greatness transcends all words, every sincere act of praise becomes a means of drawing closer to her infinite beauty, wisdom, and grace.
Stutimatī (स्तुतिमती)
This is the 928th name of the Lalitā Sahasranāma.
After revealing the Divine Mother as Stotra-priyā, the one who delights in hymns of praise, the Sahasranāma naturally proceeds to another closely related name:
Stutimatī: She who is possessed of countless praises; She who is the subject of innumerable hymns; She who is richly glorified by sages, gods, scriptures, and devotees.
While Stotra-priyā emphasized her love for praise, Stutimatī emphasizes her infinite worthiness of praise.
1. Literal Meaning
Word-by-word
Stuti (स्तुति)
praise,
glorification,
eulogy,
devotional adoration.
Matī / Mat (मती / मत्)
In this context:
possessed of,
endowed with,
characterized by.
Literal translation
"She who is possessed of praises."
or
"She who is abundantly glorified."
or
"The Goddess celebrated by countless hymns."
2. Traditional Meaning
The commentators explain:
The Goddess is called Stutimatī because she is praised by innumerable hymns composed by gods, sages, seers, devotees, and scriptures.
Her greatness naturally gives rise to endless glorification.
3. Why Does This Name Follow Stotra-priyā?
The sequence is elegant.
Stotra-priyā
The Mother delights in hymns.
Stutimatī
Because she possesses infinite excellences worthy of those hymns.
First comes her love of praise.
Then comes the reason for that praise.
4. The Infinite Subject of Praise
Throughout the scriptures, the Divine Mother is praised as:
creator,
sustainer,
dissolver,
wisdom,
compassion,
beauty,
bliss,
liberation.
No single hymn can fully describe her.
Therefore countless stutis arise.
5. Śākta Meaning
The entire body of Śākta literature can be viewed as an expression of this name.
From the hymns of:
the Vedas,
the Upaniṣads,
the Devī Māhātmya,
the Tantras,
the saints and sages,
all are attempts to celebrate her glory.
6. Devotional Meaning
For devotees, this name inspires humility.
Even the greatest poets and sages struggle to describe the Mother adequately.
Every hymn is beautiful.
Yet every hymn remains incomplete before her infinitude.
7. Praise as an Endless Stream
The Mother's qualities are limitless.
Therefore praise never reaches a final conclusion.
The more one contemplates her,
the more reasons for praise appear.
Thus she is Stutimatī.
8. The Living Meaning of Stuti
Stuti is not merely verbal praise.
A life lived in:
devotion,
virtue,
remembrance,
becomes a living stuti.
Thus the Mother is praised not only through words but through transformed lives.
9. Advaita Vedāntic Meaning
Now the deepest layer.
A profound question
Can the Infinite truly be praised?
The hidden teaching
Not completely.
Yet praise itself becomes a means of approaching the Infinite.
The Limits of Language
Words describe finite objects.
The Absolute transcends language.
No description can fully capture the Mother.
Therefore scriptures often conclude:
She is beyond speech and mind.
Why Praise Then?
Because praise purifies the mind.
Though words cannot contain the Infinite,
they can point toward it.
Every stuti becomes a finger pointing toward the moon.
The Silence Beyond Praise
At first:
praise is verbal.
Later:
praise becomes contemplation.
Finally:
praise becomes silence.
The highest stuti is the silent recognition of the Divine Mother as one's own Self.
Stutimatī and Kevalā
Earlier the Mother was revealed as:
Kevalā – the non-dual Absolute.
Now she is:
Stutimatī – praised through countless names.
This reveals a beautiful paradox:
The indescribable becomes the subject of endless description.
Relation to Earlier Names
Observe the progression:
Stotra-priyā – Delights in hymns.
Stutimatī – Richly glorified through innumerable praises.
The Sahasranāma now celebrates both the devotee's act of praise and the Mother's infinite worthiness of praise.
The Non-Dual Meaning
At the highest level, Stutimatī signifies that Supreme Consciousness appears as the object of all praise while remaining beyond all verbal description. Every hymn ultimately points toward the one reality that transcends speech and thought.
A Deeper Contemplation
The name Stutimatī reveals the Divine Mother as the inexhaustible source of sacred praise.
The sages praise her.
The gods praise her.
The scriptures praise her.
The devotees praise her.
Yet her greatness remains beyond all praise.
The sequence after Stotra-priyā is especially beautiful.
The Mother first delights in hymns.
Then we learn why hymns arise endlessly in her honor.
From a devotional perspective, Stutimatī is the Goddess celebrated by countless prayers and songs across ages.
From a spiritual perspective, every genuine expression of devotion becomes part of her eternal glorification.
From a Śākta perspective, all sacred literature praising the Divine Mother reflects this name.
From an Advaitic perspective, she is the ineffable reality toward which all praise ultimately points.
Words praise her.
Silence praises her.
Existence praises her.
Ultimately, Stutimatī teaches that the Divine Mother is infinitely worthy of praise and is glorified through countless hymns, scriptures, and acts of devotion. Though no words can fully capture her greatness, every sincere expression of reverence becomes a sacred offering. Through this name, the seeker learns that praise is not merely description but a transformative path leading from words to contemplation and finally to direct realization.
One-line Essence
Stutimatī reveals the Divine Mother as the infinitely glorified and ever-praiseworthy reality celebrated by countless hymns and devotees.
