Incredible Power of the Divine Name

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THE SPEAKING TREE: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1682145.cms

Discourse: Sri Ananda Murti

 

The word Rama has three meanings: One

meaning is "the only entity from which yogis attain bliss". Spiritual

aspirants do not get happiness from finite, worldly objects.

 

They want something infinite. Bliss

cannot be obtained from finite objects. The infinite object which

supplies them with infinite happiness is nothing but Rama. The Ananda

Sutram says infinite happiness is anandam not sukham.

 

Another meaning of Rama is: Rama is the

most glittering entity of the entire universe. It is the first syllable

of rati, that is, 'ra' or glittering.

 

The first letter of the word Mahidhara,

is ma, meaning, the world. Hence Rama. All glittering entities get their

glitter from Him, no entity posses-ses glitter of its own.

 

The moon gets its glitter from the

earth; the earth in turn derives its glitter from the sun. The sun gets

energy from the cosmological nucleus. There are countless solar systems

in the cosmos and the hub of all is Parama Purusha. He is the nucleus

of all energy.

 

Scriptures say: "Before that effulgent

Supreme Entity, neither the sun shines, nor the moon nor stars nor the

lightning flash, what to speak of fire. In Parama Purusha's light all

other entities shine. His effulgence illuminates all entities".

 

The third meaning of Rama is 'Ravanasya

maranam'. The first syllable of Ravanasya and the first syllable of

maranam make up "Rama". Ravana means a mind that moves away from the

nucleus drifting away by the centrifugal force, dissipating mental

energies in all 10 directions.

 

He is depicted as a 10-faced demon.

Ravana can be defeated or destroyed, only when one takes shelter in

Rama. So one under whom Ravana automatically dies is "Rama".

 

The meaning of Rama and Narayana is the

same. Hanuman was asked why he insisted on taking the name of Rama and

not of Narayana. He replied: "I know that philosophically there is no

difference between Narayana and Rama, yet I will channelise my mind

towards One Entity with all my sincerity and devotion and not many.

 

For me there is no Narayana, there is

only Rama". In spiritual parlance such a word is called Ishta mantra and

the spiritual aspirants treasure their Ishta mantra.

 

Narayana and Rama are the same Entity;

only their names differ. The word Narayan comes from nara, that has

three meanings: Parama, Prakrti and devotion or bhakti.

 

Nara + da = Narada, the distributor of

bhakti. Nara means devotion. And 'ayana' means ashraya. Narayana means

Parama Purusha - the Cosmic Consciousness, the shelter of Parama

Prakrti.

 

Is the name more powerful or the nami

(named). Who is more powerful, Parama Purusha or His name? The bhava, or

ideation, for an object goes together with its name. One cannot name

oneself. You need somebody else to name you.

 

Before leaping across the ocean, Hanuman

consulted Rama. Rama replied, "Go ahead, Hanuman. You can jump across

the ocean. But I cannot". And Rama asked him, "How will you cross it?

 

"Hanuman replied, "With your power" Rama

asked, "How will you get My power?" And Hanuman replied, "I will take

your Name and jump". Hence the nama is more powerful than the nami.