Meaning and elaboration
Meaning: Salutations To The one who is pervaded by multiplicity and has become many.
Elaboration
The name Bahumāya, composed of Bahu (many, much, numerous) and Māyā (illusion, cosmic power, creative force), signifies a profound aspect of the Divine, particularly Shiva as Kalabhairava.
Cosmic Multiplicity and Manifestation Bahu refers to the immense diversity and multiplicity of the universe—the countless forms, beings, phenomena, and dimensions that exist. Māyā, in this context, is not merely illusion but the divine power of manifestation, the inherent creative energy of the Supreme Being that brings forth the entire phenomenal world. Thus, Bahumāya implies that the Divine, through its own inherent power of creation (Māyā), has assumed myriad forms and pervades this vast multiplicity. He is the one who, while being singular and transcendent, has "become many" in the immanent world.
The Divine as the Source of All Forms This name underscores the concept that all the diverse forms and experiences in the cosmos originate from and are expressions of a single, ultimate reality. Kalabhairava, as Bahumāya, is the underlying essence that animates and constitutes this entire multiplicity. He is not separate from creation but is the very fabric of it, manifesting in countless ways.
Beyond Dualities This attribute also points to a philosophical understanding where the distinctions between the One and the many, the transcendent and the immanent, are ultimately overcome. The "multiplicity" is not a departure from his singularity but an extension of it, an outward expression of his boundless nature. He is the one who appears as many, pervading all aspects of existence without losing his singular identity.
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