Sahasranama position 485 of the 1,072 names

Nishkama

निष्काम

Niṣkāma

What Nishkama means

Nishkama is name 485 in the Adya Mahakali Sahasranama, the 1,072-name devotional text to Maa Kali. Devoid of all desires.

Also spelled

  • Niskama
  • Source transliteration: NISHH-KAMA

Sanskrit names travel into English in several romanizations. This page keeps the common spelling, the IAST form, and the source transliteration together so the same name is discoverable under each spelling readers use.

Meaning and elaboration

Meaning: Devoid of all desires.

Elaboration

Nishh-Kama means "devoid of desires" or "desireless." This name points to a profound spiritual state that Mahakali not only embodies but reveals.

The Nature of Desire (Kama) In spiritual traditions, desire (Kama) is often seen as a root cause of suffering, attachment, and continued entanglement in the cycle of birth and death (samsara). It binds the individual to the material world and obstructs the realization of ultimate truth.

Transcendence of Dualities Mahakali, as Nishh-Kama, signifies absolute non-attachment. She stands beyond the dualities of craving and aversion, gain and loss, pleasure and pain. Her actions do not arise from personal gain or limited desire, but from the cosmic movement of divine will. She acts spontaneously from her own inherent nature, which is pure consciousness and ultimate reality.

Liberation from Bondage As Nishh-Kama, she represents the liberated state of being, where the mind is free from the constant demands and distractions of desire. Freedom from desire is the mark of a truly enlightened being. For the devotee, meditating on Nishh-Kama helps cultivate detachment and weakens the hold of worldly desires over consciousness.

The Ultimate Goal This aspect of Mahakali is revered as the ultimate goal of spiritual practice: to reach a state in which one is free from the emotional, mental, and physical bonds created by desire, and thereby merge with the absolute, unconditioned reality that she herself embodies.

Text and sources

The name list follows the Adya Mahakali Sahasranama as compiled for this project. The English meaning and elaboration are interpretive notes for devotional study, not a translation of a single critical edition.

Read the editorial method and source notes →

About the author · Contact and corrections · Privacy policy