Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 834: Shri Vishrnkhala (ōṃ viśrṛṅkhalāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is unfettered, free in every way; fetter is a chain used to restrain a prisoner, typically placed around the ankles.

The Divine mother is not affected by any Karmic bondage. Out of the five basic elements (akasha, vayu, fire, water, and earth), four can be made to lose their purity due to bonds and or karma actions; like the earth with human waste and urination; water is dirtied with all impurities; by burning a dead body in the fire and with carbon dioxide, vayu or pure air can be made impure. But with such karma actions, akasha’s purity cannot be dirtied. If the Jada akasha has such glories, then we can only imagine the Chidakasha rupini, the Divine Mother’s purity and glories, which cannot be restrained or affected with any karmic action. Papa or punya will not affect Her. Even those who worship the Brahman, or the Divine Mother are not affected by these papas or punya actions. We understand that the Divine Mother is beyond all these karmic bondages.

She does not have any bondage due to karma. Shrnkhala, is a chain made of metal. Such a chain can be used to restrain a human such as a prisoner. Karma, papa and punya act like chains restricting one’s actions through bondage. If it is papa, like an iron chain and if it is punya, like a golden chain. In either case, the effect of bondage is the same, resulting in rebirth of the soul. The Divine Mother and Her devotees do not have such bondages.

Whether the chain is made of iron or gold, the bondage caused by it is painful. Bondage is bondage, even in golden cage. All acts that are done according to the commandments of the Divine Mother, that are sanctions or prohibitions, are due to ignorance. (“you may kill” implies a sanction, a form of Vidhi, while “you should not kill” is prohibition, Nishedha). In other words, any set that is done with the result in view is rooted in ignorance. But any karma performed with no anxiety over its fruit becomes yoga. That does not cause bondage. That is why Krishna says in Gita, “I have no desire for the fruit of action.” It is thus, without any anxiety over the fruits of actions,” the Divine Mother busies Herself in the affairs of the universe. Therefore, She does not get entangled in the chain of karma.

             The Divine Mother is unfettered, free in every way.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 07 May 2022; updated 13 August 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