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Importance of Raam Naam-2
Every other Mantra in our scriptures have their own names. Raam Naam is
the only Mantra that is called ‘Taarak Mantra’. The word ‘Taarak’ means
the one that helps us cross the sea of this world. It helps us cross the
ocean of the ‘Sansaar’. It helps us cross the cycles of birth and death.
If it is chanted as 'Raam', then it is a Naam. If it is chanted as 'Ram',
then it is a Mantra. Thus spoke the Sages. Our ancient Sages and Rishi
have glorified the Raam Naam. Raam Naam gets exactly the same importance
in Sa-Gun Upaasanaa (worshipping the Absolute Truth as a Being with a form)
as does the Pranav ('Aum') Mantra in Nir-Gun Upaasanaa (worshipping the
Absolute Truth as formless). Rishi Manu shows that the Raam Naam has links
to all the other Mantra that have ever existed. In Syavan Smriti (Syavan
is the name of a Rishi), sage Syavan says that the Raam Naam is the essence
of all the Ved, Shaastra, Itihaas and Puraan. Sage Vashishth meditated on
the Raam Naam for quite a long time. Hence he wanted to name the Almighty
with the same Mantra that he had chanted.
The Yog Connection
In the philosophy of the Yog, 'Ra' is considered the 'Moolaadhaar' (the
point of origin of the power of Kundalinee) and 'Ma' is the 'Sahasraar'
(the destination) . Hence, when the Raam Naam is chanted in the right tone
and manner, the serpent power rises and hits the head or the 'Kapaal' Thus,
by merely chanting the Raam Naam, one can become a Yogee.
Shiv's Family Mantra
We are all aware of the story of the competition between Ganesh and Murugan
on who will get the Divine fruit. Murugan, angry that the fruit was not given
to him, went to Palani. In order to pacify his anger, the competition was
conducted again, when Murugan diligently circumambulated his parents on his
peacock at great speed. Ganesh, on his part, wrote 'Raam' on the sand and
circumambulated it, as that is equivalent of going around the whole world.
Pleased, Shiv honored him by crowning him the leader of all his minions -
the 'Bhoot Gan' and thus he acquired the name 'Ganapati' and 'Gana Naayak'.
In Vishnu Sahastra Naam, Lord Shiv asks Paarvatee to chant the Raam Naam
all the time. A good teacher is the one who practices what he preaches. It
is obvious that Shiv, being the Supreme Guru, (Jagadguru) himself chants
the Raam Naam. Murugan and Ganesh also chant the Raam Naam always. That is
verily their ‘Kul Mantra’.
Soorya's Mantra
The Sthal Puraan of Kaashee says that the deity Kaashee Vishwanaath initiates
the Raam Naam to each and every being at the time of their death, in their right
ear. The Lord Dakshinaamoorti observes silence because he doesn’t want to waste
any time without chanting the Raam Naam. The Sun God ever chants the Raam Naam
as he is proud that Shree Raam was born in his dynasty.
The Devtaa's Favorite Mantra
Sage Vishwaamitra took Shree Raam and Lakshman to the forests for his Yagya
Rakshaa (protecting his fire austerities from the demons). Out of the
boundless love for Shree Raam, Vishwaamitra wanted to gift Him something.
A sage that he was, he had no worldly possessions, nevertheless, he had
performed abundance of austerities in his life. He had performed penance
for a very long time on the 33 crore Devtaa with Mantra for each of them.
He initiated Shree Raam with those Mantra. As soon as the Mantra were
initiated to Shree Raam, all Devtaa appeared before Him. Vishwaamitra Jee
was jealous of the fact that those Devtaa who could be invoked by him only
after severe penance, now appeared before Shree Raam the instant He
chanted their Mantra.
In our Shaastra it is prescribed that when the Devtaa are invited, they be
installed in one of the three places -- water (that is the reason we install
Kalash - pots of water for Jap, Kumbh Abhishekam and the like); fire (that is
the reason we perform Homam) and the third being, installing them into one's
own body (by Nyaas, such as during Sandhyaa Vandanam, Goddess Gayatri is installed
thus). Here, when the Devtaa were invoked, they refused to go back to their abodes.
Hence Shree Raam invited one and all of them and installed them into His body.
Thus, by merely chanting the Raam Naam, one gets the benefits of invoking all the
33 crores of Devtaa as well. Raamaayan is filled with instances where merely the
name Raam 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 Shiv 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 'Ashtaaksharee' (containing eight letters)
Mantra "Aum Namo Naaraayanaaya'. While, the chief among the Mantra for
the Shaivites is the Panchaaksharee (5 lettered) Mantra, 'Aum Namah Shivaaya'.
Without the letter 'Ra', 'Naaraayan' would read as 'Na-ayana' that means one
without a way ('Gati'); without the letter 'ma', 'Namah Shivaaya' would read
as 'Na-Shivaaya' that means "which is not auspicious. So the Jeev Akshar
(life giving letters) 'Ra' and 'Ma' of these two Mantras are put together to
form the Raam Naam. Anyone chanting this Divine Name thus worships both Shiv
and Vishnu at the same time.
Raam Naam in Today's World
Sri Bodhendra Saraswati Swamigal, Kabeer, Samarth Raamdas, Thiyagaraja, Bhadraachal
Raamdas, Baabaa Raamdaas, Bhagavaan Yogee Raamsurat Kumaar and innumerable saints
in the recent past have advocated the Raam Naam and also showed how the Raam Naam
can perform miracles. Shri Raamkrishn initiated Swami Vivekaanand into the holy
'Raam' Naam. 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 Raam Naam Keertan.
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