Ādiśaktiḥ आदिशक्तिः (615)

She is the primordial energy of creation.  Śiva has no creator.  Śiva’s only creation is Śaktī who in turn created the universe.  Hence She is called as Ādi (first) Śaktī (energy).  In fact, Śaktī is the creative pulsation of Śiva.  It is only because of Śaktī, empiric individual realises his essential divine nature. 

{Further reading: Śaktī asks many questions to Śiva.  The questions of Śaktī and answers of Śiva are in the form of various tantra śāstra-s.  There are three positions from which Śaktī seeks answers from Śiva.  The first position is Śaktī sitting by the side of Śiva.  The questions asked from this position are only preliminaries.  The next position is Śaktī sitting on the lap of Śiva.  Questions asked from this position are towards attaining Śiva.  When She gets clarifications from Śiva and through the knowledge gained during the question answer sessions, She merges with Śiva and becomes a part of Śiva – the Ardhanārīśvara form.  This form leads to Liṅga form, the Ultimate Reality.  This is a typical example of realisation.  When one is at the beginning stage of spirituality there is a gap between the Brahman and the seeker.  When he acquires knowledge of advaita, he moves closer to Him.  When He realizes the Brahman, he merges with Him and his consciousness loses duality.  Finally he transforms into “I am That”.}

Ameyā अमेया (616)

She is immeasurable.  Mortals are measureable and eternal is not measureable.  Kaṭha Upaniṣad explains this phenomenon.  It says “smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest” (I.ii.20).  This is a popular verse among all the Upaniṣad.  The original Sanskrit version goes like this “aṇoraṇīyānmahato mahīyānātmā......”  This is the unique nature of the Brahman. 

Ātmā आत्मा (617)

Like Self and self ātma is also known by Ātma and ātma.  self or ātma indicates the soul and Self or Ātma indicates the Brahman.  When one realizes self as the Self, it is known as Self-realization.  This nāma means soul (ātma as the next nāma makes a reference to the Brahman.  ātma is also known as jīva.  When jīva is covered by body, it is known as jīvan. 

Soul is also known as puruṣa.  Soul worships Ātma by means of meditation.  The soul within a shape and form is known as yajamāna or the master.  The object of meditation is Ātma and meditation is a process by which ātma seeks the Ātma by modification of his mind.  The fact remains that Ātma remains in ātma right from the primeval stage, but due to illusion and ignorance, It is not realised.  The fruit of mediation is the bliss leading to the merger of ātma with Ātma.  Ātma means Śiva and ātma refers to Śaktī and the merger between the two is known as Śiva- Śaktī aikya.  (aikya – union. Refer nāma 999).  This process happens at sahasrāra. 

Paramā परमा (618)

The previous nāma addresses Her as ātma and this nāma addresses Her as Ātma also known as the Brahman.  From these two nāma-s one can understand that She is both saguṇa Brahman (Brahman with attributes) and nirguṇa Brahman (Brahman without attributes), confirming Her Superior status. 

Para + asya + ma make paramā.  Para means Universal soul or the Brahman; asya means of this; ma means me. Therefore paramā means ‘I am this Universal soul”, the concept of Self-realisation.  This can also be interpreted as parasya + ma meaning that She is the wife of Śiva (paras memans beyond).  Being the wife of Śiva, She helps spiritual seekers in realising Śiva. 

Liṅga Purāṇa (Chapter 86. Verses 97 – 99) says “Ātman is neither having intellectual awareness within nor having intellectual awareness without, nor is He in both ways.  He is neither perfect knowledge nor wise nor having ignorance.  Brahman is neither the one that is known, nor the one to be known.  In fact He is extinction, devoid of ailments, immortal, imperishable, Parama-Ātman, (Parama means most excellent) Brahman, parātpara (greater than the greatest), devoid of doubtful alternatives, devoid of fallacious appearances, knowledge.  All these are synonyms.”   She is in this form.

Para-Brahman (the Supreme Brahman, Śiva and Śaktī combine) has four forms. They are the puruṣa (soul), un-manifested, manifested and time.  She has transcended all these four forms to remain as the Supreme.