Nirvikalpā निर्विकल्पा (176)

Vikalpa means false notions. It also means alternative.  The idea of ‘horse having horns’ is called Vikalpa.   She is without such ideas.  Nir-vikalpa means devoid of name, form, class, etc.  In meditative parlance, it is known as indeterminate perception or nirvikalpaka pratyakṣa and the next higher stage is called is nirvikalpa samādhi.  Samādhi is a stage where the mind is stilled in conjunction with a single object.  Nirvikalpa samādhi refers to a state where there is no discrimination between the subject and object.  It is an awareness of identity or non-difference. 

 vi + kalpa is vikalpa.  Vi means opposition and kalpa means theory and vikalpa as a whole means opposition to the theory.  Here, theory means the Brahman.  Therefore this nāma says that She is the Brahman and there is no opposition to this theory of addressing Her as the Brahman.  The nāma also means that anything, be it a subject or an object is inseparable from Her. 

Patañjali yoga Sūtra (I.9) says, “Verbal delusion follows from words having no corresponding reality.”

Brahma Sūtra (III.ii.14) says “Brahman is only formless to be sure, for that is the dominant note.”  Here ‘dominant note’ means the teachings of Upaniṣad-s.

Nirābādhā निराबाधा (177)

She remains undisturbed.  She is not disturbed by illusions.  Illusion arises out of wrongly identifying an object.  For example, identifying in darkness a piece of rope as snake is illusion.  This illusion causes fear, desire, etc.  Since She Herself is the cause of such illusions (māyā), there is no question of any illusion for Her.  Moreover, the Brahman does not have qualities such as illusions.

Nirbhedā निर्भेदा (178)

She is without differences.  Possibly this difference could mean the difference between Her and Śiva.  That is why, it is said that wise men do not find any difference between Śiva and Śaktī.  Their unified form is known as the Brahman and there is no difference between them.  The qualities of this unified form are being described in this Sahasranāma.   Though all the nāma-s in this Sahasranāma addresses Lalitāmbikā, it should not be construed that they are addressed to Her in Her individual capacity.  They are addressed to the Śiva-Śaktī combine.  Saundarya Laharī says that neither Śiva nor Śaktī can act, without depending on each other.  Kūrma Purāṇa says that the Supreme Śaktī is infinite, devoid of all differences and destroyer of all differences (described in the next nāma). 

Bhedanāśinī भेदनाशिनी (179)

She is the destroyer of differences, in the minds of Her devotees.  Difference means duality.  When difference is destroyed, there is no second.  The difference can be destroyed by acquiring knowledge and She provides this knowledge to Her devotees.  The phala śrutī (the concluding verses, conveying the benefits of reciting this Sahasranāma) of this Sahasranāma says that there is no difference between Her and Her devotees.  Authors of this Sahasranāma or any other important verses like this Sahasranāma always add a few verses after the conclusion of the main body of Sahasranāma and these verses are called phala śrutī or the concluding part.  The verses in the concluding part normally prescribes how this Sahasranāma is to be recited, on which days to be recited and also indicates the benefits accruing out of such recitations.  An abridged version of phala śrutī is provided at the end of this book.

Nirnāśā निर्नाशा (180)

She is indestructible.  Brahman is beyond destruction.  Infinity, thy name is Brahman!

Taittirīya Upaniṣad (II.1) says, “satyaṁ jñānam anantaṁ brahma”, which means that Brahman is truth, knowledge and infinite.

Mṛtyu-mathanī मृत्यु-मथनी (181)

She destroys the death of Her devotees. Mṛtyu means death. Only someone without death alone can give the boon of deathlessness.  Death also means rebirth. She does not allow Her devotees to be reborn. This means that She destroys the karma-s of Her devotees.  Devotee does not mean a person who performs rituals.  One who is able to identify himself with Her is called a devotee and this stage can be attained only by perpetual meditation.