Significance of Rama Nama

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Dear Members,

 

His Holiness Sri Sri Swamiji discusses briefly about

the significance of Rama Nama as cited in the

different scriptures. The information given here 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 pen

down the glories of Rama Nama!'

 

Regards

 

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 one that

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 is a 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') Mantra in

Nirguna 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

the Rama Nama, one can become a Yogi.

 

Shiva's family Mantra

 

We are all aware of the story of the competition

between Ganesha and Muruga on who will get the divine

fruit. Muruga, angry that the fruit was not given to

him, went to Palani. In order to appease his anger,

the competition was conducted again, when Muruga

diligently circumambulated his 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 around the 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 obvious

that Siva, being the Supreme Guru, (Jagadguru) Himself

chants the Rama Nama. When parents do something noble,

would not the son follow the same? Muruga and Ganesha

chant the Rama Nama always. That is verily their ‘Kula

Mantra’.

 

The Lords' favourite!

 

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 right ear.

 

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' favourite

 

Sage Vishwamitra took Sri Rama and Lakshmana to the

forests for 'yagna samrakshana' (protecting their fire

austerities from the demons). Out of the boundless

love for Sri Rama, Viswamnitra wanted to gift Him

something. A sage that he was, he had no worldly

possessions, nevertheless, he had performed abundance

of 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 could be invoked 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 own body (during

Sandhyavandanam, Godess Gayathri is installed thus).

Here, when the devatas were invoked, they refused to

go back to their abodes. Hence Sri Rama 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 as well.

 

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 Lord

Vishnu 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 read as

‘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

saints in 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 Religion of

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 that

has the 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 Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

 

Regards

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