Yoni-mudrā योनि-मुद्रा (982)

Yoni-mudra is the ninth mudra of ten mudra-s discussed in nāma 977. Yoni is the typical symbol of the divine procreative energy. Worshipping Her through yoni mudra means seeking Her authorisation to the divine procreative energy.  Procreation here means the transformation of the practitioner after understanding the significations of the nāma-s so far discussed, and in particular, nāmas 978 onwards (attaining knowledge).

Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad Gīta (XIV.3) “mama yoni mahad brahmā मम योनि महद् ब्रह्मा” which means ‘my primordial nature known as the great Brahma is the yoni of all creatures.  Yoni is the name attributed to prakṛti, as prakṛti is the material cause of creation. 

Śiva says to Pārvatī (Todala tantra II.25) “My dear, this yoni mudra removes all illness. Oh! Goddess, without elaborating I can just say that it destroys great diseases and Oh! Goddess, without exaggerating I can say that this mudra causes the realisation of the mantra, brings about direct perception of one ’s self and bestows on the practitioner the great liberation.”

Yoni mudra is the secret communication between the practitioner and the Divine Mother where the former seeks to access knowledge and consequent liberation.  Yoni mudra should never be used publicly. 

There are three types of yoni mudra-s. The first one is used during navāvaraṇa pūja.  The second one is used during preliminary meditative practices. Five fingers of both the hands are used to plug the sensory organs in the head to listen to the subtle sound within. The third is a tougher one with the combination of breath control, posture and mantra and more to do with the movement of kuṇḍalinī. 

This nāma says that She is in the form of yoni mudra. 

Trikhaṇḍeśī त्रिखण्डेशी (983)

Trikhanṇḍa is the tenth mudra.  This mudra is used to invoke Her during rituals. Trikhanṇḍa mudra also means the union of various triads into single entity.  For example, practitioner, his Guru and Devi or the knower, the known and the path of knowing are triads.  Merger of triads into a single entity is the supreme knowledge that the practitioner has asked for in the previous nāma using yoni mudra. 

It is also said that this mudra refers to the three kūṭa-s of Pañcadaśī mantra.  From the broader perspective, this mudra can be termed as the Brahma mudra.  The extended pair of fingers point out to creation, sustenance and dissolution.

Tri-guṇā त्रि-गुणा (984)

She is in the form of three guṇa-s or qualities viz sattvic, rajas and tamas. Sattva guṇa means the quality of purity and knowledge. The presence of other two guṇa-s is not very prominent in sattva guṇa as this guṇa is endowed with the highest purity. Rajo guṇa is the activity of passion. Tamo guṇa is inertia or ignorance. These two guṇa-s have higher trace of other guṇa-s. Guṇa-s are the inherent qualities of prakṛti. Ego and intellect originate from guṇa-s that are present in all the evolutes of prakṛti at once, but distributed in unequal proportions in each individual.  The predominant guṇa that prevails in an individual is reflected through his thoughts and actions. 

Kṛṣṇa explains guṇa-s in Bhagavad Gīta (IV.6 - 9) “Sattva, rajas and tamas - these three qualities born of prakṛti (Nature) tie down the imperishable soul to the body.  Of these, sattva being immaculate, is illuminating and flawless; it binds through identification with joy and wisdom.  The quality of rajas, with is of the nature of passion, as born of avariciousness and attachment.  It binds the soul through attachment to actions and their fruits.  Tamas, the deluder of all those who look upon the body as their own self, are born of ignorance.  It binds the soul through error, sloth and sleep.  Sattva drives one to joy, and rajas to action, while tamas clouding the wisdom incites one to err as well as sleep and sloth.”  Chapter of Bhagavad Gīta XIV extensively deals with guṇa-s.  Kṛṣṇa again says (Bhagavad Gīta XIV.20) “Having transcended the aforesaid guṇa-s, which have caused the body, and freed from birth, death, old age and all kinds of sorrow, this soul attains the supreme bliss.”

Nāma 139 nir-guṇa said that She is devoid of guṇa-s and this nāma says that She is the embodiment of guṇa-s. This is not a contradiction. Nāma 139 refers to Her nirguṇa Brahman (without attributes) status and this nāma refers to Her saguṇa Brahman (with attributes) status.  Please also refer nāma 397 mūla-prakṛti.

This nāma says that the three guṇa-s arise from Her.  Creation cannot happen without guṇa-s.  From this point of view, this nāma confirms Her Śrī Mātā status. 

Ambā अम्बा (985)

This is an interjectory statement.  The practitioner gets excited here and reaches a stage that is very close to ecstasy.  Ambā means mother.  It can be said that Vāc Devi-s while narrating Her various forms and qualities, overwhelmed with emotions, called Her as Ambā.  This can be experienced, while reciting this Sahasranāma with intent devotion. 

There is a very rarely used term called guṇa dharma, the linguistic representation of the Brahman. Guṇa dharma means the mental and linguistic attribution, whose ontological content, however is nothing but the one undivided reality of the Brahman expressible by various attributions.  Since She is the cause of such attributions in terms of the previous nāma, She is addressed as Ambā.