rAma mantrava japiso-Devaranama by Sri Purandara Dasaru

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Hare Srinivasa

 

Sri Purandara dasaru’s devaranama – Atmabodana –self-instruction

on the greatness of rAma maMtra and the necessity to recoginize the need to

chant it as incessantly as possible given that such a sadhana is possible only

when one is bestowed the human form.

rAma maMtrava japisO hE manuja

A maMtra I mantra japisi ni keDalu

bEDA

Dasaru says, “ O manuja

meaning O one born of Manu the original face of the human race, chant

the rAma mantra. Don’t chant this mantra or that mantra and fall into the

depths of ignorance.â€

keDalu bEda means don’t spoil your life? To understand this,

we need to look at what is the meaning of life? Life is what the Lord bestows

on each soul in order to expereince and learn . The acquisition of knowledge

which removes ignorance is the goal of life. So if we are choosing a path which

does not take us to this goal it is nothing but spoiling one’s life.

In order to move to the right path which takes one to the

goal, one should chant the rAma mantra as often as possible and with as much

devotion as possible. Devotion is the spontaneous flow of love towards the

Supreme entity who is All pervasive and is the storehouse of all auspicious

attributes. The spontaneity of devotion is absolutely necessary to sustain it

and strenghten it. This spontaneity is possible only with a little awareness of

the grandeur of the Lord’s attributes, of His special grace on all jivas as

well as the knowledge that we are receiving it not because we are eligilble for

it or have earned it in any way. We are receiving His grace because it is His

nature to be abundantly gracious.

sOmashekara tanna bhAmege

pElidamaMtra

This mantra is no ordinary mantra. It is the mantra which

was given to Parvathi Devi by her consort Shiva. Parvathi is interested in the

upliftment of the human race. She asks her consort to chart out an easy way for people to

obtain the good results that can be obtained from chanting the Sahasranamas of

Vishnu. Parvathi is the beloved of Rudra devuru and he has her interest in mind

when he says this,

sri rAma rAma rAmeti rame rAme

manorame

sahasranAma tattulyam rAmanAma

varAnane ||

“Chanting rAma, rAma and rAma is the easy way. It is

equivalend to chanting the thousand names of Vishnu.â€

One wonders how this is possible?

The state of mind of the devotee while chanting contributes

the effect felt.

Further constant but little chanting leads to more, constant

but more chanting leads to even more .

In otherwords the devotee’s capacity for chanting improves

with continued association. So association with the rAma nAma is a must and

must be on a continuous basis.

“narajanmabaMdAga nAlige iddAga

krishnA ena bAradeâ€

kaliyugadali harinAmava nenedare

kulakOTigaluddarisuvuvuâ€

 

kulahInanAdaru kUgijapisuva maMtra

salebhItiyolu uchcharipa maMtra

halavu papaMgala hatakeDisuva

maMtra

sulabahadiMdali swarga sUregombuva

maMtra

The only qualification for chanting rAma mantra is a human

form. Dasaru says everyone irrespective of the lineage of birth, varna can

chant this mantra. If one is in a fearful situation, one should chant this

mantra and be free of fear. The power of this mantra’s positivity is very high

and it moves the mind from fear and worry to stability and positive outlook.

manaEva kAraNam baMDamOkshayOH - is a great saying from the scriptures.

This translates roughly to “Our mind is the key to freedom or bondage.†The mind is a super

tool that God has gifted us with. What we think and how we think effects the

working of our entire system. Thoughts of a positive nature uplift the mind

while those of a negative nature pull the mind down.The higher the positivity

of the thought the better the effect ! What thought could be more positive that

the thought of ‘rAma’. rAma is the essence of all knowledge and bliss.

ramO vigrahavAn dharmaH …

Ramayana

rAma is the figure of dhArma. Dharma is that which can take

one upwards too. So dharmic thoughts and deeds take one upwards. Thought of the

Lord Rama have the same effect but amplified many times because He is the

source of Dharma and He is the one who upholds everyone and everything.

A person who has full

faith in the above is enriched because he/she is able to surmount fear to a

reasonable degree. The fear of losing something one already has is the biggest

fear.Then comes the fear of not obtaining what one may aspire for.

Lord Krishna has asserted in the BG

ananyAchiMTayaMTO mAm ye janah

paryupAsate

tEshAm nityAbhiyuktAnAm

yOGakshemam vahAmyaham

yoga- ishTa prApti -He bestows the desires of the devotee

kshemA – anishTa nivriti- His devotee is protected from

loss.

Chanting rAma nama is the sure and simple way for reaching

permenant bliss. Dasaru peotically describes it as gatecrashing into heaven.

Dasaru says ‘sUregoMbua†because he wants to insist on the ease and simplicity

of chanting this is not matched against the special benefits which are of a very high caliber.

marutAmaja nitya smaraNe mADuva

maMtra

sarva rishigalalli sErida maMtra

durita kAnanakidu dAvalana maMtra

poredu visbhishanage paTTakaTTida

maMTra

Dasaru hails this mantra as the one which Hanumatha devuru

chants everyday throughout the the Brahma kalpa. That is almost an eternity

when we compare it with our lifespan. Dasaru is hinting to us that If

Hanumantha devuru who is of such a high stature already is doing it, then don’t

we need to follow in that path.

Next Dasaru moves to list the eminent saints and kings who

have seen the best of results by chanting this mantra. All the rishis are chanting this mantra. They

have obtained their levels of knowledge and purity by chanting this holy

mantra. This mantra can burn away the huge clogs of misery in one’s life.

Dasaru compares this mantra to a ragining fire in a forest. Just as nothing can

stop a raging fire from consuming the entire forest quickly, so also or even

faster is the rAma mantra capable of burning away the impurities and sins of a

devotee thereby protecting one from suffering.

At this juncture, it is quite befitting to remember that the

raging fire got this abitlity to move, burn and consume by the grace of the

supreme Lord.

This is the same mantra which gave Vibheeshana a kingdom.

Vibheeshana did not aspire for anything except shelter at Rama’s feet. It had

been his fortune disguised as misfortune that he had brothers like Ravana and

Kumbakarna who refused to listen to his good advice. Fortune because it caused

him to seek shelter in the Supreme. Misfortune because his relatives ridiculed

him for being different from the others in the clan.

But despite the great ridicule from his own folks he went to

seek shelter in the camp of Rama. He was full of faith and hence was not

dissappointed. He was not only granted immediate shelter, but was crowned king

of Lanka after the battle.

yamanelli kAnaneMdu hEla bEDa

yamane sriRamanu saMdeha bEDa

nambida vibhishanage rAma nAda

nambadidda rAvanage yamane Ada

jNAnanidhi namma AnaMda theertharu

sAnurAgadi nitya sEvipa maMtra

bAnukulaMbudi sOmanenipa namma

dhIna rakshaka puraMdara viTTalana

maMtra

The great jNAni ,Ananda theertharu has a spontaneous

unlimited flow of devotion towards the Lord and chants this mantra and contemplates on it eternally.

The treasure house of knowledge is the term used to describe Ananda theertharu.

Such a treasure house of knowledge would surely know what he is doing. When one

is in doubt about what to do, one should ask and follow from one who knows well

on the topic. So Dasaru is telling us to follow in the footsteps of

Anandatheertharu and chant rAma mantra everyday with sAnurAga meaning with full

involvement and interest to chant, making it a part of our daily life .

This rama is born in the great ocean of the surya vamsha. If all those born in this

vamsha are stars then this rAma is special. He is the moon.

Lord Krishna says in the BG ‘ nakshatrAnAm aham shashi…†to

show the special vibhuti present in the moon. This is a vijAthiya vibhUti as

the moon is not a star but has been compared to stars. The basis for comparison

is that all are objects in a night sky.

Rama like the moon as told above is special because He

nurtures His devotee without scorching the devotee. Just chanting his name

removes papas done in countless janmas. These papas are the main cause for

suffering. If they are destroyed then the main seed of sufferring itself is

destroyed. The soothing light of the

moon soothes the person with its soft light . The rAma mantra soothes the mind

of the devotees by

Removing fear which is the

cause of anxiety and worry.Destroying many many

janmas of papas – halavu papaMgal hata golisiDestroying suffering - durita

kAnanakidu dAVAnala maMtraNurtures the growth of

devotion by soothing the devotee’s mind in the above three ways. A mind which is free of

this incessant worry is a good ground for further contemplation and study as

instructed by the guru leading to further devotion, knowledge and

non-attachment.

Dasaru says ,â€This mantra which I

am recommending is none other than the mantra of my own upAsya muruthi Purandara

vittala. “

After all this, he says this as

final statement. He confirms all the above statements by saying this. It leads one to feel that he

says the above based on expereincing it. He is a true anubhAvi. One who

expereinces the truth told/revealed by the guru .Such revelations are what are

contained in the devaranamas of Sri Purandara Dasaru. Singing these devaranamas

brings one closer to the expereince described.

Tomorrow is Ramanavami, let us

take this devaranama of Sri Purandara Dasaru to heart and chant rAma rAma, sri

rAma, sita rAma…. as much as we can.

hare

rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare

hare

krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare

sri krishnArpaNa mastu

I am not the doer,Lord Hari is the doer

Even so, whatever He makes me do is His worship by His grace

R.Parimala

 

 

 

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