Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam361 Shri Tamo paha (OM tamopahAyai namaH)

In Namams 275 to365, the Divine Mother’s  many forms providing benefits to Her devotees in great details are discussed. 

The Divine Mother removes the ignorance existing as a result of birth with tamas (the quality of inertia, inactivity, dullness, or lethargy) in Her devotees. 

The Maha vakyam "Tamasoma Jothir gamaya"  means the darkness or ignorance is removed by light/jnana. Tamo can be seen as darkness or ignorance, the root cause of all misfortunes. The ignorance causes laziness and dullness. The Divine Mother is indeed, the primordial Sun which rises up, clearing the darkness. She removes the tamo attributes. 

Ignorance is an illusion; The Divine Mother removes the devotees’ illusion and helps the devotees to move forward. She uses Her bigger than the Sun’s brightness to remove darkness in Her devotees. 

The nature causes the dormant soul to get active. Those who are at lower stages in life are being prepared for matured state by the Divine Mother’s actions. 

The ignorance, dullness and stupor are arising from tamo.  Lord Krishna in Gita (Chapter 14 with twenty-seven slogas) talks about these three gunas in details; it is worth as a good read for understanding the effects of three gunas.

The Divine Mother is brighter than many Suns

 

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 20 January 2021.

 

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 Chithbavandar