Sahasranama position 494 of the 1,000 names

Mattaya

मत्ताय

Mattāya

What Mattaya means

Mattaya is name 494 in the Kalabhairava Sahasranama, the 1,000-name devotional text to Kalabhairava. Salutations To The one who is intoxicated with divine bliss and cosmic energy.

Also spelled

  • Matta
  • Source transliteration: MATTAAYA

Sanskrit names travel into English in several romanizations. This page keeps the common spelling, the IAST form, and the source transliteration together so the same name is discoverable under each spelling readers use.

Meaning and elaboration

Meaning: Salutations To The one who is intoxicated with divine bliss and cosmic energy.

Elaboration

The name Mattāya (Mattaya) is rooted in the Sanskrit term "Matta," which generally means "intoxicated," "frenzied," or "delighted." When applied to the divine, particularly to Lord Kalabhairava, it takes on profound spiritual and philosophical dimensions.

Intoxication with Divine Bliss In a spiritual context, "intoxicated" does not suggest a loss of control from a mundane substance, but rather an overwhelming absorption in divine bliss (ānanda). Kalabhairava’s "intoxication" signifies his state of perpetual and supreme joy, a profound inner ecstasy derived from his own unbound consciousness and cosmic play (lila). This bliss is not dependent on external factors but is an inherent quality of his being as the Supreme Reality.

Frenzied Cosmic Energy The term also implies a vibrant, dynamic, and inexhaustible cosmic energy. As Kalabhairava, the Lord of Time and Annihilation, his "intoxication" can be seen as the sheer, wild, untamed power that governs creation, preservation, and dissolution. This frenzied energy is the driving force behind all cosmic processes, a divine madness that brings forth and dissolves galaxies with effortless might. It is the raw, untempered dynamism of Shiva himself.

Beyond Dualities This state of "intoxication" elevates Kalabhairava beyond all conventional dualities and limitations. He is absorbed in his own infinite nature, transcending the boundaries of time, space, and causality. This state allows him to act without attachment, executing his cosmic duties with an unwavering, blissful focus.

Symbol of Liberation For the devotee, meditating on Mattāya can inspire a similar state of liberation from worldly concerns and an immersion in spiritual joy. It signifies the ultimate freedom from material bondage, a state where the individual soul merges with the universal consciousness and experiences a similar divine "intoxication" of endless awareness and bliss.

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Text and sources

The name list follows the Kalabhairava Sahasranama as compiled for this project. The English meaning and elaboration are interpretive notes for devotional study, not a translation of a single critical edition.

Read the editorial method and source notes →

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