Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 789: Shri Nistraigunya (ōṃ nistraiguṇyāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is devoid of or beyond three gunas.

She is beyond three gunas. Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, and Suvarloka are the first three upper worlds with sattva, rajas, and tamas gunas. Although all these three gunas come from nature or universe, the Divine Mother is beyond these three gunas which have white, red, and black colours. Without any colour, the steam turns into white sky, with sun’s light it turns reddish in colour and before it rains, it turns black. These three colours are shining in water.

In the human body, the soul sits as Purusha Tatva; human thinking is constrained by the body. As a human, one tries to set aside his feelings due to five senses. When he does that successfully and focusses on Brahman, he will belong to Brahman. Like the Divine Mother, he ought to disregard his three gunas to help him reach the Brahman easily.

Ahamkara coming from Maya separates into three gunas and helps the Divine Mother to create the universe. When the universe is dissolved during pralaya, the Ahamkara with three gunas also dissolved out in Brahman, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra, who do three jobs of creation, preservation and dissolution with these three gunas. Isvara or Sadashiva is beyond these three gunas. The Divine Mother is the spouse of Shiva and is beyond three gunas.

Maya is made of three gunas sattva, rajas, and tamas. The Divine Mother is beyond Maya and thus transcends the three gunas. Humans cannot transcend the gunas if they have their body consciousness. Without completely transcending the gunas, humans will not be able to worship a power that is “nirguna” or free of all attributes. It may be possible for a yogin who has outgrown his body senses. If someone who is bound by samsara cycle of birth and death claims to worship a God who is formless, it will be like claiming to swim in a waterless lake.

The Divine Mother is beyond the gunas because, She is pure, Solid Consciousness and bliss,

The Divine Mother is devoid of or beyond three Gunas. 

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 24 March 2022; Updated 05 June 2025.

 

References:

1.     The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamis AparnaSan 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