Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 156: Shri Niraga (OM nIrAgAyai namaH)

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

The Divine Mother has no desire or kama.

Raga means is longing or desire. It is opposite to hatred. As the Divine Mother has everything within Her, She does not long for anything; She has no desire. As She has no desire, She does not have any anger or ignorance.

Raga can be interpreted as attachment. The Divine mother also does not have any attachment to universal things.

Desire comes, if the devotee feels for the things which he does not possess. This is also called raga.

When the devotee develops a similar desire on the Divine Mother’s worship, it is called Anuraga. In that state, there is no desire for the devotee on materialistic things.

Thinking that - if I have it, I will be happy is due to desire. Happiness is the state of mind. Mind, intelligence, wisdom and ahankara can be explained as follows: If I seek something, I can get it; but, when I get it, will it be good or bad are decided by the mind. Intellect in me gives the logical result whether to have that item or not. Then when my wisdom compares my earlier experience on having such item, then it is my ahankara says to me to have the item against all the logical analysis.

The Divine Mother has everything within Her, She does not long for anything; As She has no desire or kama.

C N Nachiappun           

Singapore, 28 June 2020.

·         Note: The Namam can be under stood as below. We are considering the Divine Mother’s formlessness in Namams 132 to 187. This interpretation here gives clear form for the Divine Mother. As this is also useful to understand Her glory, this understanding is given as an annex here.

The other way to look at this Namam is: nira is water and aga is mountain. The water is Ganga River and the mountain is Himalayas. The Divine Mother is the daughter of this mountain and is not far off from the mountain. This Namam can be read as that the Divine Mother is Ganga and also Parvathi. Lord Siva is carrying the River Ganga in his head. Parvathi is his consort. In Unison they both are the same.

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 Stostram 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.