Shloka 62
Umā-caritra-prārthanā: Ṛṣayaḥ Sūtaṃ Pṛcchanti
Request for the Account of Umā
विष्णु माया त्वमेवाम्ब त्वमेव चेतना मता । त्वं शक्तिः परमा प्रोक्ता लज्जा तृष्णा त्वमेव च
viṣṇu māyā tvamevāmba tvameva cetanā matā | tvaṃ śaktiḥ paramā proktā lajjā tṛṣṇā tvameva ca
O Mother, You alone are the māyā that even Viṣṇu wields; You alone are regarded as pure consciousness. You are proclaimed the Supreme Power (Śakti), and You alone also appear as modesty and as desire.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Significance: Clarifies bondage and liberation mechanics: Devī as māyā (pāśa) and as cetanā/parama-śakti indicates that the same power both veils (tirodhāna) and, when turned as grace, liberates—central to Siddhānta’s analysis of pāśa.
Mantra: विष्णु माया त्वमेवाम्ब त्वमेव चेतना मता । त्वं शक्तिः परमा प्रोक्ता लज्जा तृष्णा त्वमेव च
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Durgā
Role: teaching
FAQs
It identifies Devī (Umā/Śakti) as the Supreme Power behind cosmic māyā and as the very principle of consciousness, teaching that all mental states—from restraint (lajjā) to craving (tṛṣṇā)—are her manifestations and must be understood and transcended through Shiva–Shakti devotion.
In Linga and Saguna Shiva worship, Shiva is Pati (the Lord) and Devī is his Śakti; this verse supports the Shaiva Purana emphasis that approaching Shiva is inseparable from honoring Śakti, since the worshipper’s mind, power, and experience of māyā operate through her.
A practical takeaway is to do japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with bhāvanā of Shiva–Shakti, observing inner movements of modesty and desire as forms of Śakti and offering them into awareness during meditation.