Sankshiptaparayana (Sudarakanda) Part - 5.

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Dear friends and devotees,

 

Bhakti is eternal.

(Part – 5)

 

Ramayana is Taraka Nama.

 

Vanamaalii gadii saarnghii sankhii cakrii ca nandakii,

Sriimaa nnaaraayaNO vishNur vaasudEvO bhi rakshatu.

 

Meaning: May Sri Narayana protect us – He who wears a garland of wild flowers,

sports a mace, bow, conch, discus and sword, is famous as Vishnu and Vasudeva

and is ever with Sri Lakshmi Devi.

 

By uttering Vishnu's thousand names, one can succeed in transcending all

sorrows. He is the highest Energy. He is the highest Penance. He is the highest

Brahma. He is the highest Refuge. He is the most holy of all holies, the most

auspicious of all auspicious objects. He is the God of all the Gods and He is

the immutable father of all creatures. On the advent of the primal Yuga, all

creatures spring from Him. On the expiration, again of a Yuga, all things

disappear in Him.

 

Holy Ramayana is of Rama the incarnation of Vishnu.

 

kousalyaa suprajaa raamaa puurvaa sandhyaa pravartatE,

uttishTa naraSaarduulaa kartavyam daivamaahnikam. (Twice)

 

Sri Rama! Kausalya's endearing son! Wake up, dear; you have to do your

day-to-day duties; do wake up please.

 

uttishTOttishTa gOvinda uttishTa garudadhwaja,

uttishTa kamalaakaantaa trailOkyam mangaLam kuru. (Twice)

 

Sri Govinda! All the three worlds are under Your rule; they have to prosper.

Wake up, my child.

 

Holy Ramayana is one of the most widely read epics in India.

 

His HolinessParamacharya in his characteristic simple language has said " There

are two powerful 'Taraka Namas'. One is Aum and another is Rama. All mantras

have to be prefixed with Aum (Primordial sound) for obtaining the benefits of

those mantras, whereas there is no need to prefix Aum when the name 'Rama' is

recited because the name itself is 'Taraka Namam " . What more description is

required other this authenticated message given by our Holy Guru? We do not

seek a preceptor when we are not in trouble or when we feel that there is

nothing lacking in us. The more we are besieged by troubles the more often we go

to worship in temples or seek the darshan and advice of great men. " Just as the

Veda Purusha (Virat Purusha) was born as Dasaratha's earthly son, the Vedas are

born from Prachetasa (Valmiki) in the form of Ramayana. "

 

The Ramayana is the very form of the Vedas that have come down to us from the

heavens to the earth. The Vedas are divided into four parts, viz., Rig Veda,

Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Adharvana Veda. Lord Rama is the embodiment of Rig

Veda, Lakshmana the Yajur Veda, Bharata the Sama Veda and Satrughna the

Adharvana Veda. The four Vedas became the four sons of Dasaratha and played at

his palace. The Rig Veda and the Yajur Veda consist of Mantras which are related

to Yajnas and Yagas. That is the reason why Sage Viswamitra took Rama and

Lakshmana along with him to safeguard his Yajna. While Rama was in exile,

Bharata left Ayodhya and stayed in a village called Nandigrama, all the time

singing the Divine Name of Rama for 14 long years. It is for this reason that

Bharata is described as the personification of Sama Veda. It was Satrughna who

safeguarded the places of sacred rituals like Yajnas and Yagas from the invasion

of evil spirits and demons and therefore called as

Adharvana Veda.

 

We should not think that the Ramayana is different from Vedas. In fact, it is

the very essence of the Vedas. Rama exemplified three kinds of Dharma (righteous

behaviour), namely, the Dharmas relating to,

1) the individual 2) the family and 3) the society. To uphold these three-fold

Dharma, Divinity manifested in a triangular flow, in the form of the Trimurtis

(the Triune form). The Ramayana manifested to elaborate the human values. The

period of the Mahabharata was well over 5000 years ago and the Ramayana was

enacted eons earlier. Even after the passage of countless ages, if it is still

occupying the hearts of the people at large, one can well imagine its

importance. There are two kinds of messages dominating Ramayana: One pertains to

Rama and the other to Ravana. It is said " aakarah vishnu vasaha” that is to say

in aakara (shape) resides Vishnu. In Aum, aakara leads and in Ramá he resides.

Lord Parameshwara says that by chanting Rama Nama thrice, one can obtain the

benefit of having chanted the thousand names of Lord Vishnu i.e., Vishnu

Sahasranamam. Such is the greatness of this Rama Nama.

 

Rama’s name is sweeter than sugar, tastier than butter, sweeter indeed than

the essence of a beehive, constant repetition of this nectarine sweet name makes

every one to taste the very divine Amruta (nectar) itself. Therefore, one should

contemplate on this sweet name incessantly. It is even possible to count the

waves in the ocean, but there are no words to describe the manifold powers of

Rama. In Rama, there are transcendental powers which transcend the Trigunas.

Every one should chant the name of Rama for obtaining the " moksha " or salvation.

 

It is believed that breathing one's last in the banks of holy Ganges in

Kasipuri (Varanasi) the mokshapuri, one gets mukthi (salvation), moksha

(emancipation of the soul from rebirth), for Lord Parameshwara is ever chanting

the Rama Nama here as Kathyayini Kamuka in the ears of all people in Kasipuri.

Listening to or uttering the name Rama at the time of death relieves everyone

from sins and the jivathma obtains the mukthi. Hence the Kasipuri has come to be

known as mokshapuri.

 

Since the jiva (human) transcends samsara (cycle of birth and death) to moksha

(liberation) and mukthi (salvation) by chanting the name of Rama, the Rama Nama

is Tharaka Nama and the Tharaka mantra.

 

Sriiraama raama raamEti ramE raama manOramE,

Sahasra naama tattulyam raama naama varaananE.

 

SARVAM SRIIRAMARPANAMASTU.

 

Contd . . . 6.

 

With love and regards,

 

Sastry.