Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 270: Shri Tirodhana kari (OM tirodhAnakaryai namaH)

 In Namams 249 to 274, the Divine Mother’s  Five functions and Her Five Isvara forms are described. 

The Divine Mother causes all things to disappear, within Herself. 

One item appearing as another item is a form of hiding. The Divine Mother is pervading all over the universe. Yet with our ignorance, we do not see Her as total universe. We only see the universe in front of us. It is Her Tirodhana ability to hide Herself in the universe. And at the time of pralaya, She is hiding the universe with in Herself. 

The universal souls go through the happiness and sorrow as a matter of routine. Universe is the training ground for the humans to mature. Humans realize that universe will exist for a long time, until next pralaya occurs ; they start to depend upon the universe and mature to reach the Brahman. The Divine Mother through Her Tirodhana “sakti’ hides Her true self and shows up Her universal face only. 

Triodhana is also hiding from one’s eye sight. Also to dissolve the universe in same order of creation also a process is called Tirodhana. Isvara does above systematic dissolution of the universe with the Divine Mother’s involvement. Tiraskarini is supporting sakti which does the hiding action, like holding a screen. The Divine Mother takes Tiraskarini sakti form in completing the universal dissolution. The Tripurasiddhanta says,”O fair-face one, because You cause the disappearance of all but Your devotees, You are called Tiraskarini”. 

Tirodhana can be considered as the total dissolution of everything; the dissolution of even the tanmantras (the minute particles) into prakrti (nature) like the total darkness is caused when the light is extinguished. Acharya Bhaskararaya says that this aspect of the Divine Mother where the sattva guna is highly concentrated is called Isvari.

The Divine Mother as Maha Maya, the Goddesss

of perfection is ready to dissolve and recreate the universe. 

C N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 21 October 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.