My name is Uma. Since becoming an author, though, I have extensively used my pen name, Sri Devi Om. Sri is a term that frequented my dreams and is what I consider my spiritual name. As a result, I also utilize this moniker for Life Coaching, Spiritual Coaching, and Social Entrepreneurship.
What is the meaning of Sri? Why did it keep appearing in my dreams? In this post, I will delve into these questions for the curious.
Sri or Divine Energy
In Sanatana Dharma, Om is a special symbol and sound. It represents The Source, which I refer to as Divine Energy. Feeling the presence of this gender-neutral Source is the ultimate goal of everyone who practices this faith.
Nonetheless, depending on their sentiments, sages often glorified Om as a mother or father. When they sang hymns about Om as a mother, they used the term Sri. Hari or Hara was used to honor Om as a father.
In other words, Sri, Harihara, Hari, and Hara are all synonyms for Om.
Sages also used Om to honor other divine forms such as Surya, Ganesha, Skanda, and so on. That is because all forms in Sanatana Dharma ultimately represent The Source or Divine Energy.
Sri Vidya
A systematic and sophisticated framework of chants is termed Sri Vidya. This sub-faith of Sanatana Dharma encourages a practitioner to experience Om as a mother, which we noted is Sri. This is what Sri Lalita Sahasranamam reveres as Sri Mata or Divine Mother.
Vidya are chants that invoke feminine energies. Mantra denotes masculine chants.
Despite its name, the Sri Vidya system incorporates feminine and masculine chants. This is because, to reach the Source, each person must invoke both feminine and masculine energies.
A Sri Chakra, the fundamental tool used in this sub-faith, represents all of the deities (energies) mentioned in Sri Vidya chants.
Sri Devi
Sri is another name for Om, or Divine Energy. Devi refers to Goddess in any form. Thus, Sri Devi means Divine Energy personified as a Goddess.
The term Sri Devi refers to all feminine forms, including Lakshmi, Sarasvati, and Parvati. Sri Lalita Devi—which means Sri Devi who is highly playful—is a significant form in the Sri Vidya system. The presiding deity of the Vedas, Sri Gayatri Devi, is also revered as Sri Devi, as noted in Sri Lalita Sahasranamam.
My heart sought the supreme as Divine Mother, and I experienced peace in the feminine forms. So, my Ishta, or favorite deity, became Sri Devi, a collective name for all goddesses. Perhaps this is why nature led me on a simplified path of Sri Vidya, guided by my dreams.
Sri Devi Om
Sri Devi is my spiritual truth, but the reason for including Om in my pen name is unusual. The late Bollywood star Sri Devi and her fans had taken over all related domain names. When I wondered what to do, I remembered that “Sri Devi Om” had previously appeared in my meditations. By divine grace, this domain name was available.
Nevertheless, I hesitated to use the name Sri Devi Om for some odd reason. So, I emailed my website to my friend and mentor, Om Swami. He responded with a beautiful blessing, imploring me to write more. After that, I felt at ease with the name Sri Devi Om.
As a result, my legal name, Uma, is now only used by a small circle of family and friends. For everyone else, my name is Sri Devi Om since it more accurately describes who I am.
Hope that quenches your curiosity about Sri and Sri Devi Om! 😊
Love,
Sri Devi Om, aka Uma
Featured Image: Modified version of an online image. My friend and mentor, Om Swami, blessed the Sri Chakra embedded in it. I actively used it for my Sri Vidya Sadhana, which I give away for free. Whenever someone downloads the Sri Chakra from this website, I share part of my spiritual merits with them. This is my way of giving back love to my readers.
