NAMASMARANA

[Guest guest]

NAMASMARANA

 

Words have tremondous power. They can arouse emotions and the can

also calm them. They direct or infuriate, they reveal or confuse.

They are potent forces that bring up great reserves of strength and

wisdom. The tongue should be used for pronouncing the Name of the

Lord. It should not be used to hiss like a serpent, or growl or roar

with intention to strike terror. That is not the purpose for which

the tongue is granted to man. Dwell on the Name, and its sweetness

will saturate your tongue and improve your taste. Speech is so

powerful that it indicates one's character, reveals one's

personality, educates others and communicates experience and

information. So be vigilant about words. Slip while walking, the

injury can be repaired; but slip with talking, the injury is

irreparable.

 

The present age is described in the scriptures as very conducive

to Liberation for, while in past Ages, rigorous penance was

prescribed as the means, the present Kali Age requires only

Namasmarana to win Liberation. When the Name of the Lord is

remembered with all the Glory that is associated with It, a great

flood of happiness wells up in the mind. The Lord is full of Bliss

and in fact He is Bliss Itself. All this Bliss is to be tasted

through the Name. Vyasa himself knew this, for when some sages once

went to him to find out which Yuga is most conducive to success in

man's efforts for Liberation, Vyasa anticipated their question and

repeated to himself aloud, `How fortunate are those destined to be

born in the Kali Yuga! It is so easy to win the Grace of the Lord by

Namasmarana in the Kali Age.'

 

The Name of God, if recited with Love and Faith, has the power to

bring upon the eager aspirant the Grace of God. The Name has the

over-mastering power of even leaping over the ocean. It can award

unimagined strength and courage. When questioned whether it was

Ramanama that strengthened Hanuman to cross the ocean, Rama replied

that since His Body was called Rama, the Name that combines the

Bijaakshras of both Siva and Vishnu, He Himself was able to conquer

Ravana and his hordes. The name has such efficacy. By repeating the

Name, the Lord and His Attributes can easily be identified. The

tongue must be sanctified by repetition of the Name. It has also to

be used for sweet expressions which will spread contentment and joy.

Remember that God, in whom you move, the God Who makes you move, the

God who is all this Vast Universe- every little atom and every huge

star, rememeber Him! Select some Name and Form for this All-

pervasive Immanent God and keep It on your tongue and

before your mental eye. That is what is called Japa-sahita- dhyanam.

Recitation of the Name-cum-meditation . When you select one Name and

one Form for Smarana, do not talk ill of other Names and Forms.

Behave like the woman of a joint family. She respects and serves the

elders of the family, such as the father-in-law and his brothers and

her own brothers-in- law, but her heart is dedicated to her husband,

whom she loves and reveres in a special manner. If you carp at the

faith of others your devotion is fake. If you are sincere, you will

appreciate the sincerity of others too. The Lord has thousands of

Names. There is no Name that is not His. Krishna, Shrinivasa, Sai

Baba- all Names are of the same Entity.