LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM
@ S. Subramaniam
नख दीधिति संछन्न नमज्जन तमो गुणा (44)
Nakha didhiti Samchanna Namajjana Tamo guna (44)
Meaning:
The illuming splendour of Devi's toe nails dispel the darkness of ignorance in the minds of the devotees who prostrate at Her feet.
Interpretation:
The Namah mentions about Tamo Guna. Tamas (literally meaning darkness) is one of the three Gunas, the other two being Rajas and Sattva. Tamas is the quality of inertia, inactivity, dullness, or lethargy.
This Tamo guna gets completely dispelled from the minds of the devotees who do Namaskaram at the feet of Devi Lalitha Parameshwari.
The glow emitting from the toe nails of Devi are so powerful that they completely destroy the Tamo guna.
Some scholars such as Sri Vinnokota Lakshmi Narasimham go further and insist that the toe nails not only dispel ignorance but also impart supreme knowledge in form of Upanishads. The ten toe nails of Devi represent the ten important Upanishads such as Taittiriya, Kena, Brihadaranyaka etc. they say.
Another interesting interpretation is that all Gods display their open hands (palm). The one pointing upwards is called Abhaya Hastam and the one pointing downwards is called Vara Hastam. They shower their blessings, give boons (Varam) with this hand. Devi has no such Abhaya Hastam and Vara Hastam. She blesses and gives boons to her devotees from her toe nails.
Adi Shankara has a slightly different perception about Devi's toenails. The Mahamuni does not speak of Tamo guna or the Upanishads but says that Devi's toenails continuously shower benevolence on her devotees (ददतां भद्रां श्रियम - Dadatam Bhadram Sriyam).
Celestial trees (such as Kalpaga Vriksham etc. ) are capable of granting boons only to Devas but Devi's shining toe nails are capable of conferring richness, both to gods as well as to humans and all living organisms quotes Shankara. Devi's feet with moon shaped toe nails put to shame, the lotus like arms of heavenly Apsaras concludes the Jagatguru.
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