Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 135: Shri Nirmala (OM nirmalAyai namaH)

In Namam 132 to 187, the Divine Mother’s Japarupam or Formlessness will be the described.

The Divine Mother is free from all impurities or ignorance.

Mala literally means bodily waste. It also means contamination or impurity.

In higher sense, Mala means ignorance that causes Moha or delusion.

If the self is covered by ignorance, the devotee does not gain the knowledge to seek salvation.

There are three varying levels of impurities, namely

1.       Anava, is due to bondage arising from not knowing the real nature of the self. This is the smallest or subtlest impurity. Anu is atom or smallest element. The Divine Mother does not even have this smallest anava impurity due to Her extreme purity.

2.       Bheda is due the Maya resulting in perception of duality. In such a state, the duality of self and non self difference is not recognized.

3.       Karmika is due to bondages of Karma, which cause birth and death cycle or samsara for the devotee.

Some devotees will have only anava impurity. Some others will have both anava and bheda impurities. Some others will have all three impurities, called by the name sakalas, meaning Totally Impure. (Please also see earlier namam 113 “Bhavanagamya” discussion).

If the wet soil is in the ground, it can probably beautify the earth. But if the same wet soil is on a human’s dress it is called dirt or impurity as it does not match. For the Divine Mother there are no such impurity what so ever where so ever, even the smallest or subtlest.

For the devotee with deep devotion to the Divine Mother, She removes even such smallest impurities.

The Divine Mother is free from all impurities. She is forever pure.

C N Nachiappun           

Singapore, 07 June 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 Sahasranama Stostrom  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.