Meaning and elaboration
Meaning: Salutations To The one who is the embodiment of darkness, inertia, and the power of dissolution (Tamas).
Elaboration
The name Tamase refers to the divine being who embodies or is associated with Tamas, one of the three Gunas (qualities or tendencies) in Samkhya and yogic philosophy.
Understanding Tamas Tamas is the quality of darkness, inertia, ignorance, heaviness, resistance, and dissolution. It is characterized by unconsciousness, dullness, and a tendency towards decay and destruction. While often seen negatively in a micro-cosmic sense (leading to lethargy or delusion in an individual), in a macro-cosmic context, Tamas is an essential and powerful force.
The Cosmic Role of Tamas Lord Shiva, and consequently Kalabhairava as his fierce manifestation, is frequently associated with Tamas in its cosmic aspect. This association does not imply negativity but rather represents his function as the dissolver and transformer.
1. Principle of Dissolution: Kalabhairava, as Tamase, embodies the energy that brings about the end of cycles—the dissolution of the universe, the destruction of obstacles, and the cessation of all that is old or corrupt. This is a necessary function for renewal and creation. Just as spring follows winter, dissolution precedes a new beginning.
2. Overcoming Ignorance: While Tamas can lead to ignorance (Avidya), the divine embodiment of Tamas means he is the master and not the victim of it. He has the power to dispel the darkness of ignorance, revealing the light of truth. By controlling and transcending Tamas, he guides beings from unconsciousness to awareness.
3. The Unmanifest and Unknowable: Tamas also symbolizes the unmanifest, the primordial darkness from which creation emerges and to which it returns. In this sense, Kalabhairava as Tamase represents the ultimate ground of being, beyond form and attributes, the state of absolute stillness and potentiality.
4. Embodiment of Formlessness: Just as light defines form, darkness can symbolize formlessness or the ultimate reality beyond all perceivable forms. Saluting Tamase is an acknowledgment of this profound aspect of the Divine—the one who is beyond comprehension, often experienced as a profound stillness or void.
Therefore, for the devotee, recognizing Kalabhairava as Tamase is an invocation of his power to remove obstacles, destroy negativities, and bring about the necessary endings that pave the way for spiritual growth and liberation, essentially transforming the destructive force of Tamas into a purifying one.
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