Many experts in Sanathan dharma may hold different opinions on the existence of thirty-three crore of gods/goddesses. Our site has also questions related to it 1,2. Although this question is not exactly related to that. There is a similar name in the Lalitha Sahastranaama about yogins. The name is 'Maha chathusshashti koti yogini gana sevita'. This name also has different interpretations, some interpret it as 64 types 3, 4, and some others as 64 crores. The following is the incident that happened in the life of Bhaskar Raya. It supports the interpretation of 64 crores of yogins.
As per introduction given by Srri Panashikar Vasudev Sharma to Nirnaya sagar’s Sri Lalitha Sahasranama Bhashya, there is an interesting incident in Kasi while writing Saubhagyabhaskara which is narrated as follows: The learned people of Kasi had decided to condemn the tradition followed Sri Bhaskararaya and met him under the leadership of Sri Narayana Bhatta. Sri Bhaskararaya welcomed and arranged for the ‘Vaada” – (debate). Sri Raya replied to all the queries raised by them. Finally they felt that they can defeat him only with the questions on mantra shastra which Sri Raya replied since he had learnt the Sastra very well. As the team had come with the intention to defeat him, they asked him to furnish a list of 64 crores of Yoginis’ names and their details as mentioned in the 237th nama (name) "Maha chathusshashti koti yogini gana sevita" appearing in Sri Lalita-Sahasranama.
Sri Raya accepted the challenge and requested them to assemble on the bank of Ganga River at Chaoushashti ghat in the evening. Sri Bhaskararaya sat on dhyana mudra and asked the learned people to note down the names and details. It was found that all the two hundred people were writing different names and their details non-stop with the result all of them were tired and their hands aching but the flow from Sri Bhaskararaya continued on and on and seemed to be never ending. Sri Kumkumadi Saraswathi alias Kumkumanandanatha a learned sanyasi, who was present there saw this and by Divya drishti found that Sri Devi herself was speaking through Sri Bhaskararaya and therefore asked Narayana Bhatta to stop it and accept defeat. Sri Narayana Bhatta had not readily accepted and wanted full proof. Therefore Kumkumanandanatha took some water from the basin of which Sri Devi had been bathed by Sri Bhaskararaya and anointed the eyes of Narayana Bhatta with it. His eyes were at once regaled with the wonderful vision of Sri Devi sitting on the shoulders of Sri Bhaskararaya and speaking through his mouth. Sri Bhatta realized rightly and joined the tradition of Raya. The Choushashti ghat can still be seen at Kasi.
Are there any similar instances in the lives (or writings) of acharyas or saints that explicitly mentions crores or types of divine beings like yogins or gods/goddesses?
