Śivasvādhīnavallabhā

 "The concept of Śivasvādhīnavallabhā" 

शिवस्वाधीनवल्लभा तत्त्व 

Introduction:— 

The Lalitā Sahasranāma (hymn of the thousand names of Goddess Lalitāsundarī) mentioned a name — Śivasvādhīnavallabhā (शिवस्वाधीनवल्लभा). 

But now-a-days, some "extreme feminist" or male-hater; Śākta masked Smārta, Vaiṣṇava; Khecarānnavādins are misusing this term. Omitting the "Śiva" term, they only use "Svādhīnavallabhā" term. A few years ago, a so called jagatguru of Jaḍabrahmavāda sect claimed Ādyāśakti to be the wife of all Masculine deities. By using his quotation or concept, some Khecarānnavādins are inputting their sectarian Goddess-fanatics in the Śāktadharma. As a result, their valueless posts have made Ādyāparāśakti as Nagaravadhū or prostitute. Svādhīnavallabhā doesn't mean about the polygamy. Let's see through our honourable Śākta Ācāryas, Śākta texts and other historical evidences . 

Etymology:— 

The term Śivasvādhīnavallabhā (शिवस्वाधीनवल्लभा) can be splitted into three parts. 

1) Śiva (शिव), 2) Svādhīna (स्वाधीन) and 3) Vallabhā (वल्लभा). 

Who's Śiva ? 

Kālīkulasamrāṭ Ācārya Abhinavagupta on his Tantraloka text, "He whose power is Svātantrya (absolute freedom or sovereignty) — He is Śiva."

Hence, Pārvatī, Lalitā or Ādyāśakti is known as "Śivasvādhīnavallabhā".  

Here's about the explanation of Svādhīna (Independence)— 

Svādhīna (स्वाधीन) can also be addressed as Svātantrya (स्वातन्त्र्य). 

एवमस्य स्वतन्त्रस्य निजशक्त्युपभेदिनः ।

स्वात्मगाः सृष्टिसंहाराः स्वरूपत्वेन संस्थिताः ॥९॥

[[ Reference:— Bodhapañcadaśikā: verse 9]]

Meaning :— This way, due to His(Śiva) Freedom , Which subdivides through His own Śakti, exist the Manifestation and Withdrawal of the world , which rest in His own Self through His Essential Nature. 

Vallabhā (वल्लभा) means wife . Goddess Tripurasundarī is solely the wife of Śiva— 

The Anvaya (अन्वय) of "Śivasvādhīnavallabhā" can be defined through this— 

"शिवस्य स्वाधीनः वल्लभा या सा शिवस्वाधीनवल्लभा प्रकीर्तिता" 

“She whose beloved (Śiva) is under her own control is called Śiva-svādhīna-vallabhā.”

Annotation :— 

Honourable Śākta Ācārya Śrīpāda Bhāskarā composed a beautiful annotation on the Lalitā Sahasranāma. There he explained the meaning of "Śivasvādhīnavallabhā". 

He said, 

स्वस्यात्मनोऽधीन आयत्तो वल्लभो भर्ता कामेश्वरो यस्याः । शिवस्य शक्त्यधीनात्मलाभकत्वाद्धर्म्येव धर्माधीन इत्यर्थः ॥ 

तदुक्तं कालिकापुराणे "नित्यं वसति तत्रापि पार्वत्या सह नर्मकृत् । मध्ये देवीगृहं तत्र तदधीनस्तु शंकरः॥" इति ॥ 

आगमेऽपि "शक्तो यया स शंभुर्भुक्तौ मुक्तौ च पशुगणस्यास्य । तामेनां चिद्रूपामाद्यां सर्वात्मनास्मि नतः॥" इति ॥ 

स्कान्देऽपि "जगत्कारणमापन्नः शिवो यो मुनिसत्तमाः । तस्यापि साभवच्छक्तिस्तया हीनो निरर्थकः॥" इति ॥ 

स्वाधीनीकृतो वल्लभो ययेति वा । शर्यातिकन्यायाः सुकन्यायाः पतिरश्विभ्यां स्वसमानरूपः कृत इति तं विशिष्याजानत्या तया भगवतीमाराध्यैव स्वाधीनीकृत इति देवीभागवते सप्तमस्कन्धे कथा स्मर्यते "शरणं ते जगन्मातः प्राप्तास्मि भृशदुःखिता । रक्ष मेऽद्य सतीधर्मं नमामि चरणौ तव" इत्यादिप्रार्थनोत्तरम् "एवं स्तुता तदा देवी तया त्रिपुरसुन्दरी । हृदि तस्या ददौ ज्ञानं येनाधीनः पतिर्भवे'दित्याद्युक्तेः । एवं शच्या इन्द्रप्राप्तिरपि षष्ठस्कन्धोक्तेहोदाहर्तव्या ॥ ७२ ॥

Meaning:— 

"He whose beloved husband, Kāmeśvara (Śiva), is completely dependent on her own Self — such is the Goddess. Because even Śiva attains his own Self only through his union with Śakti, therefore, Dharma (Śiva) is said to be dependent on Dharmā (Śakti) — that is the meaning.

As it is said in the Kālika Purāṇa (कालिका पुराण) :

“He (Śiva) always resides there playfully with Pārvatī;

In the center is the house of the Goddess, and there Śaṅkara himself is dependent upon her.”

Likewise, in the Āgama it is stated:

 “By whom Śambhu becomes capable of enjoyment and liberation,

By whom the hosts of beings are bound or freed —To that Primordial Conscious One, I bow with all my being.”

And in the Skanda Purāṇa:

“O best of sages! Śiva, who has assumed the form of the cause of the universe,

Possesses that Śakti as his own; without her, he is powerless, of no effect.”

Or, alternatively, she is called so because her beloved is made subservient to her will.

As in the Devī Bhāgavata Purāṇa (7th Skandha), the story is remembered of Śaryāti’s daughter Sukanyā, whose husband Cyavana was made equal in beauty to the twin Aśvins — by her devotion to the Goddess, she made her husband subservient to her will.

In that story, when the Goddess was praised with the prayer: “O Mother of the Universe! I have taken refuge in you, greatly afflicted with sorrow.

Protect me today, O Upholder of Truth, I bow to your feet.” 

Then it is said:

“Thus praised, the Goddess Tripurasundarī bestowed wisdom upon her heart,

By which her husband became subject to her control.”

Similarly, the episode of Śacī obtaining Indra (by her devotion to the Goddess) told in the sixth Skandha may also be cited here as an example."

We can clearly see that Śrīpāda Bhāskara stated Goddess Pārvatī as Svādhīnavallabhā by quoting Kālikā Purāṇa. 

Other NonŚākta sources — 

"Śaṅkara Vijaya" is a biographical text of "Smārta-jagatguru" Ādi Śaṅkara . In pursuance of Śaṅkara Vijaya, when Ādi Śaṅkara went to Bhavānīpura or Tulajāpura to defeat/ refute Śaktism, the Sādhakas of Bhavānī or Pārvatī addressed her as "Svādhīnavallabhā". —

"तदुद्वोधरूपिणी स्वाधीनवल्लभेति प्रसिद्धा सैव भवानीति" 

Meaning :— Goddess Pārvatī, the form of pure Bodha, is Svādhīnavallabhā (the independent wife). 

Lastly, would conclude this by stating, 

स्वर्णमालात्मभासस्था साध्वी स्वाधीनवल्लभा ॥ 

~ Mīnākṣī Sahasranāma