Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 80: Shri Karanguli Nakhotpanna Narayana Dasakrtih (OM karA ~ NgulinakhotpannanArAyaNadashAkRRityai namaH)

In Namams 64 to 84, we will be seeing the Divine Mother destroying the Bhandasura.

The Divine Mother created the Dasavatharam (ten incarnations) for Narayana (Lord Mahavishnu) from Her finger nails.

Nail clipping is an issue which we do not do it on auspicious occasions. Once the part of our nail is clipped, it cannot grow any further. Here the Divine mother’s nail clipping is giving rise to major avadhram of Lord Mahavishnu. That is a testimony on the Divine Mothers super natural powers.

Bhandasuru’s magical powers were destroying the Divine Mother’s forces. The Divine Mother used her finger nails to create these ten incarnations to counter Bhandasura’s action.

The story of Lord Mahavishnu’s incarnations is happening at appropriate timing is well recorded in Hindu ancient Puranas. The stories of Parasurama, Sri Rama, Balarama and Krsna have historical implications. Sages Valmiki and Vyasa had been involved in such incarnation episodes.

Such incarnations  are happening at all times in this universe. Basically incarnation is condition where the Lord, here Mahavishnu comes down from a higher state to mostly human or lesser level to solve the earthly problems of the time.

Separately, Dasakrtih or ten incarnations can be interpreted to mean five states of soul and five functions of Isvara (Lord Siva) which we will see later in Namams 256 to 274.

The five states of the soul are: waking, dreaming, deep sleep, turiya (Perception of reality) and continuance in Brahman (beyond turiya). The five functions of Isvara are: creating, saving, destruction, the great dissolution and restoration of the universe. All these ten conditions originate from the Divine Mother’s finger nails.

Her supreme power and might are emphasized in this Namam.

The ten incarnations in simplified form are:

1.     Mathsya (fish) avadharam( incarnation) is living in water, lowest level

2.      Koorma is slightly higher second level and living in water and land

3.      Varaham(Boar) is higher third level and living in land and sometimes in water.

4.      Narashimgam is half human plus halflion combination, fourth level and living in land.

5.      Vamanam dwarf is fifth level, short humans

6.      Parasurama is axe carrying human, sixth state but forest dweller.

7.      Sri Rama is celestial human.

8.      Balaraman domesticated human with plow

9.      Krsna is Lord in human form

10.  Kalki yet to happen when the universe is destroyed and he is supposed to appear.

In some texts, Balaraman is not considered an avardharam. Lord Buddha is considered as avadharam and he is said to be part of Desavatharam.

C N Nachiappun           

Singapore, 13 April 2020.

References:

1.      The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San Ramon, California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2.      Shri Lalitha Ahasranama Stoistrom published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3.      The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai,Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Sithbavandar.