andha tāmisra

 The correct Devanagari spelling of andha tāmisra is अन्धतामिस्र.

✅ Source confirmation

The term appears repeatedly in the supplied Sanskrit dictionary and Purāṇic references as the compound andha‑tāmisra (अन्धतामिस्र)

Sanskrit Dictionary+3

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These entries show the standard Sanskrit form without a space, as is typical for compounds.

✅ Breaking down the components

• andha = अन्ध (meaning “blind” or “dark”)
• tāmisra = तामिस्र (relating to darkness or a hell named Tāmisra)

When compounded, Sanskrit writes them together as:

अन्धतामिस्र

✅ Notes on variants

The sources also list related spellings such as andha‑tāmiśra (अन्धतामिश्र)

Wisdom Library

, but the form matching your transliteration andha tāmisra is अन्धतामिस्र.

If you want the version with a hyphen (as sometimes printed in texts), it is:

अन्ध‑तामिस्र

Andha tāmisra literally means “blind darkness” and refers to a state or realm of utter spiritual darkness, used in Sanskrit texts to denote both a hell and a form of ignorance.

Literal meaning

• The term is a compound of andha (“blind”) and tāmisra (“darkness”) according to Sanskrit dictionary entries

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• Thus it conveys the idea of complete, blinding darkness, often metaphorical for spiritual ignorance.
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1. A hell (naraka) in Purāṇic literature

Several Purāṇas list Andhatāmisra as one of the hells where sinners suffer:

• It is described as one of the 28 hells where those who deceive spouses or commit similar sins are punished

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• The Devī‑Bhāgavata Purāṇa also includes it among the thirty hells

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• Another description portrays it as a realm where sinners lose sight and sanity, symbolizing the consequences of immoral actions

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2. One of the five forms of ignorance (avidyā)

In Sāṃkhya philosophy:

• Andhatāmisra is the fifth type of viparyaya (error/ignorance)

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• It is glossed as “utter darkness” and represents a mental condition opposed to true knowledge.
• The Śrīmad‑Bhāgavatam (3.20.18) lists it among the five coverings of ignorance created by Brahmā: tāmisra, andha‑tāmisra, tamas, moha, and mahā‑moha

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• The Bhāgavatam explains andha‑tāmisra as the belief that death is the end of existence, a form of atheistic ignorance rooted in tamas

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3. A psychological state (fear of death)

Hindupedia’s summary of Sāṃkhya adds:

• It is a subdivision of viparyaya manifested as fear of death or self‑destruction

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• It includes fear of losing sensory pleasures or supernatural powers (siddhis).
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4. General sense: deep spiritual darkness

Dictionary entries also define it as:

• “Blind or deep darkness (of the soul)”

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• A metaphor for complete ignorance or annihilationist doctrine (the belief that nothing remains after death)

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Summary

Across Sanskrit traditions, andha tāmisra consistently denotes a state of profound spiritual darkness, appearing as:

• A hell for serious moral transgressions.
• A form of ignorance denying the soul’s continuity.
• A mental affliction involving fear of death.
• A literal/figurative term for “blind darkness.”