Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 161: Shri Nir AhankAra (OM niraha ~ NkArAyai namaH)

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

The Divine Mother is without AhankAra or Egoism. She has no “I” or “Mine” attitude.

The Root cause of all calamities is egoism. AhankAra is due to one’s mind and its thinking actions, to get something which he otherwise does not have. Expecting for oneself what others have, as also,what they can accomplish, is ahankAra or egoism.

Depending up on the level of devotee’s wealth and principal qualities, is, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, egoism can also manifest in three different forms.

Puranas and epics say “cut the root of egoism”. Even sages like NArada, DurvAsas and VisvAmitra had suffered due to their ahankAra.

Brahmam is without ahankAra. The devotee has ahankAra due to samsara sagara. The devotee is worried of his body’s death, without realizing, that being in samsara sagara, the soul will have a new body in its next birth. The devotee, who realizes that he has to attain to the Supreme Self, will not have ahankAra.

The Divine Mother creates this universe. Yet She does not have any attachment to anything of the universe, except to Her spouse Lord Siva. She makes Her devotees are also free of egoism. When there is no ahankAra, the devotion to the Divine Mother increases for the devotee.

One Malayala poet says “O Hari the Pure Bliss one, the Lover of Gopis; let me not have the feeling of AhankAra, if I do then it may be, Hari”.

The Divine Mother is far from egoism.

C N Nachiappun           

Singapore, 03 July 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 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.