The significance of Ram Naam

[Guest guest]

His Holiness Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji discusses briefly about the significance of Rama Nama as cited in the different scriptures. The information givenhere on this glorious Nama is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

In Sri Swamiji's words, 'Even if the whole sky were used as a paper and all the waters of the Universe were used as ink, it would just not suffice to pendown the glories of Rama Nama!'

 

Rama Nama the Name of the Name!

 

Every other mantra in our scriptures have their own names. Rama Nama is the only Mantra that is called 'Taraka Mantra'. The word 'taraka' means the onethat helps us cross. It helps us cross the ocean of 'samsara'. It helps us cross the cycles of birth and death. If it is chanted as 'Rama', then it isa Nama.If it is chanted 'Ram', then it is a Mantra.

 

Thus spake the Sages

 

Our ancient Sages and Rishis have glorified the Rama Nama.

 

Rama Nama gets exactly the same importance in Saguna Upasana (worshipping the Absolute Truth as a Being with a form) as does the Pranava ('Om') MantrainNirguna Upasana (worshipping the Absolute Truth as formless).

 

Rishi Manu shows that the Rama Nama has links to all the other mantras that ever exist.

 

In Syavana Smriti (Syavana is the name of a rishi), Syavana says that the Rama Nama is the essence of all the Vedas, Shastras, Itihasas and Puranas.

 

Sage Vasishta meditated on the Rama Nama for quite a long time. Hence he wanted to name the Almighty with the same Mantra that he had chanted.

 

The Yoga Connection

 

In the philosophy of the Yoga, 'Ra' is considered the 'Mooladhara' (the point of origin of the power of Kundalini) and 'Ma' is the 'Sahasrara' (the destination).Hence, when the Rama Nama is chanted in the right tone and manner, the serpent power rises and hits the head or the 'kapala' Thus, by merely chanting theRama Nama, one can become a Yogi.

 

Shiva's family Mantra

 

We are all aware of the story of the competition between Lord Ganesha and Subramanya on who will get the divine fruit. Lord Subramanya, angry that thefruit was not given to him, went to Palani. In order to appease his anger, the competition was conducted again, when Muruga diligently circumambulatedhis parents on his peacock at great speed. Ganesha, on his part, wrote 'RAMA' on the sand and circumambulated it, as that is equivalent of going aroundthe whole world! Pleased, Siva honoured him by crowning him the leader of all his minions - the 'bhoota ganas' and thus he acquired the name 'Ganapathy'and 'Gana Nayaka'

 

In Vishnu Sahasranamam, Lord Siva asks Parvati to chant the Rama Nama all the time. A good teacher is the one who practices what he preaches. It is obviousthat Siva, being the Supreme Guru, (Jagadguru) Himself chants the Rama Nama. When parents do something noble, would not the son follow the same? Lord Subramanyaand Ganesha chant the Rama Nama always. That is verily their 'Kula Mantra'.

 

The Lords' favorite!

 

The 'sthala purana' of Kasi says that the deity Kasi Viswanatha initiates the Rama Nama to each and every being at the time of their death, in their rightear.

 

The Lord Dhakshinamurthy observes silence because He doesn't want to waste any time without chanting the Rama Nama.The Sun God ever chants the Rama Nama as he is proud that Sri Rama came in his dynasty.

 

The Devatas' favorite

 

Sage Vishwamitra took Sri Rama and Lakshmana to the forests for 'yagna samrakshana' (protecting their fire austerities from the demons). Out of the boundlesslove for Sri Rama, Viswamnitra wanted to gift Him something. A sage that he was, he had no worldly possessions, nevertheless, he had performed abundanceof austerities. He had penanced for a very long time on the 33 crore 'Devatas' with mantras for each of them. He initiated Sri Rama with these Mantras.

 

As soon as the Mantras were initiated to Sri Rama, the 'devatas' appeared before them! Viswamitra was jealous of the fact that those devatas who couldbeinvoked by him only after severe penances, now appeared the instant Sri Rama chanted their Mantras!

 

In our Shastras it is prescribed that when the devatas are invited, they can be installed in one of the three -- water (that is the reason we install 'kalas'- pots of water for japa, kumbabhishekam and the like), fire (that is the reason we perform homam) and the third being, installing them into one's ownbody (during Sandhyavandanam, Godess Gayathri is installed thus). Here, when the devatas were invoked, they refused to go back to their abodes. Hence SriRama invited one and all of them into his body. Thus, by merely chanting the Rama Nama, one gets the benefit of invoking all the 33 crores of devatas aswell.

 

Ramayana is filled with instances where merely the Name 'Rama' has solved so many miseries and disentangled so many situations.

 

One Name for all Gods

 

Generally people can be divided into two broad categories: the Shaivites, who worship Lord Shiva as the supreme, and the Vaishnavites, who worship LordVishnu and His forms as the the supreme Being. The most significant Mantra for any Vaishnavite is the 'Ashtakshari' (it contains eight letters in sanskrit)mantra 'Om Namo Narayana' .

 

The chief among the Mantras for the Shaivites is the Panchakshari (5 lettered) mantra, 'Om Nama Shivaya'. Without the letter 'ra', 'Narayana' would readas 'Nayana' that means one without a way ('gati'); without the letter 'ma', 'Namasivaya' would read as 'Nasivaya' that means inauspicious.

 

So the jiva akshara (life giving letters) 'Ra' and 'Ma' of these two Mantras are put together to form the Rama Nama!Anyone chanting this Divine Name thus worships both Shiva and Vishnu at the same time.

 

Rama Nama in today's world

 

Sri Bodendra Saraswati Swamigal, Kabir, Samartha Ramadas, Thiyagaraja, Bhadrachala Ramadas, Papa Ramdas, Bhagavan Yogiramsuratkumar and innumerable saintsin the recent past have advocated the Rama Nama and also showed how the Rama Nama can perform miracles.

 

Sri Ramakrishna initiated Swami Vivekananda into the holy 'Rama' Nama. It is the power of that Divine Name that made him establish this Universal Religionof Brotherhood called Hinduism all over the world.

 

Mahatma Gandhi, in his final lecture before independence said, 'We have tried our level best. Now let us all chant the Divine Name together. Only thathasthe power to get us independence.' Not one of his prayers passed without Rama Nama Kirtan.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare HareHare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

 

 

Best Regards,K.s.Vishwanathan.Tel No: 022-28738192