Tamam means

Expressions researched:
"tamam means"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Tamam means darkness.

Lecture on SB 1.7.18 -- Vrndavana, September 15, 1976:

One should be inquisitive to know about spiritual life, what is spirit soul. That is the first education. But where is that education? There is no such education. Prahlāda Mahārāja teaches that immediately, from the beginning of life, as soon as one is four or five years old, he should be educated about Brahman. That is called brahma-jijñāsā. Beginning. That is wanted. And for him there is need of guru. One who is inquisitive or serious about inquiring about Brahman, he requires guru. Guru is not a fashion. Guru is necessity. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Tad-vijñānam. Tad-vijñānam means spiritual education. For material education there is no need of guru. You keep... Guru, of course required, but guru means to inquire about spiritual subject matter. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Uttamam. Uttamam means udgata-tamaṁ yasmāt. Tamam means darkness. This world is darkness. Everyone, we know, as this material world is dark. And because it is dark there is need of the sunshine, there is need of the moonshine, there is need of electricity, there is need of fire. Because it is constitutionally dark. And the Vedic injunction is tamasi mā: "Don't remain in darkness." Jyotir gama: "Go to the light." And our Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he gives what is that light:

kṛṣṇa—sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

That light is Kṛṣṇa. And anything which is not Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is everything, but to make a general division, māyā, that is andhakāra.

So we should not remain in māyā. We should remain always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then our life is successful. Otherwise we shall continue the life of darkness, uttamam. Udgata. Tama, darkness. You have to pass over this darkness. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Here in the dark... Just like in the darkness if you walk, in every step there is danger. Every step there is danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. If you want to avoid this dangerous life in darkness, then you must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra. Māyā is andhakāra. Yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra. The sūrya, as soon as there is sunshine, the darkness automatically goes away. So if you keep Kṛṣṇa always in view in your brain, within your heart... Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). If you simply keep Kṛṣṇa within the heart... Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Then your life is success. Otherwise, in the darkness, there is always danger in every step. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām.

Initiation Lectures

Tamam means the darkness.

Brahmana Initiation Lecture with Professor O'Connell -- Boston, May 6, 1968, (Glenville Ave. Temple):

To accept a spiritual master is not a hobby. "Because everyone accepts some spiritual master, let me have also a spiritual master without following the instruction, without following the principles." That sort of acceptance of spiritual master is not required. He doesn't require to accept a spiritual master who is not inquisitive on transcendental subject matter. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam. Uttamam means... Ut means surpassing, and tamam means the darkness. This material world is darkness. And one who has transcended the darkness region and has come to the region of light... Jyotir gamaḥ tamasa mā, "Don't remain in this darkness. Go to the light." So that is called uttamam. Uttamam. Udgata tamaṁ yasmād. So questions, jijñāsuḥ, inquisitive, of transcendental matter. There are many things to inquire. Śrotavyādīni rājan. There is... in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... There are many subject matter for inquiry and hearing. But one who is interested in hearing about the transcendental subject matter, ramante yoginaḥ anante (CC Madhya 9.29), the unlimited, infinite subject matter, for him a spiritual master is needed. Not for all. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21).

And who is spiritual master? That is also stated. Śābde pare ca niṣṇātam. Śābde means the Vedic śruti, śruti. This is called śābda-brahma. One who has learned both śruti and smṛti. Śruti means Vedas, and smṛti means books derived from Vedic knowledge. That is called smṛti. And Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī says in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, śruti smṛti...

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pāñcarātriki-vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktir

utpātāyaiva kalpate

(Brs. 1.2.101)

If one poses himself a great devotee, but does not follow the principles of śruti, smṛti, purāṇa, and Nārada Pañcarātra, and the rules and regulation thereof, then his presentation as great devotee is simply disturbance. According to this Hari-bhakti-vilāsa and according to the direction of the Gosvāmīs in the Lord Caitanya's line, if one does not follow the principles of Vedas, principles of the smṛti or corollaries, Vedic literature... Just like Bhagavad-gītā is called smṛti and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Mahā-purāṇa. So śruti, smṛti, purāṇādi (Brs. 1.2.101), and pāñcarātriki-vidhim, Nārada Pañcarātra. Without following the rules and regulation of these scriptures, if one poses himself as devotee of Kṛṣṇa, aikāntikī harer bhaktiḥ-harer means Lord, bhakti, devotional service—he is a disturbance to the society.