Greatness of India –Mahans-Rama Nama --- By Sri.Sri.Muralidhara Swamiji – Part-7

[Ravishankar.G]

Dear all,

Discourse contd.....

It is seen that the arrow shot by a hunter at two birds that were together affected Valmiki deeply and altered the course of his life. From that very moment he began chanting Rama Nama (the Name of Lord Rama) and later wrote the first Epic Ramayana.

Similarly, it is seen that Yogiramsuratkumar's life also changed due to the death of a sparrow. As a young boy of 16 he went to draw water from the well for his mother. He saw a sparrow sitting on the well wall. He playfully threw the 'drawing' rope on the sparrow. It hit the sparrow which fell down dead! The shocked boy tried to revive the life of the sparrow by splashing water on it, but to no avail.

This totally changed the course of his life. Just as a bird was the cause of transformation in Sage Valmikis's life, so it was in the case of Yogiramsuratkumar's life.

Valmiki did incessant chanting of Rama Nama and so did our Yogiramsuratkumar. The difference between the life of the two is that Valmiki composed the first epic, Ramayana, while the very life of Yogiramsuratkumar became verily Ramayana!

One yearns the 'punya' (good merit) of reading Ramayana by reading the life history ('charitra') of Yogiramsuratkumar. His life had become verily a Ramayana!

Rama Nama enjoys a special status. This Mantra is called 'Taraka mantra'. 'Taraka' means to cross over. This Mantra helps one cross over the 'janma' (birth). Hence, it is called so.

'Sruti, Smriti, Puranesu Rama Nama prakiirtitam
tan Nama kirtanam bhooyah papatraya vinashanam' -

It is said that the very essence ('saram') of all Epics, Shastras and the Vedas is only 'Taraka Mantra'. The fruit earned by chanting all other Mantras is earned by chanting this Rama Mantra.

Sri Thiagaraja, the famous devotee of Lord Rama and one of the musical trinity (Shyama Shastri and Muthuswamy Dikshitar being the other two) explains in one of his compositions (on Lord Rama) that the letter 'Ra' had been taken from the Nama 'Narayana' (Lord Vishnu) and the letter 'Ma' from the Nama 'Namasivaya' (Lord Siva).

These two letters are the 'jiva akshara' (life giving letters). Without this letter 'ra', 'Narayana' would read as 'Nayana' that means one without a way; without the letter 'ma', 'Namasivaya' would read as 'Nasivaya' that means inauspicious.

Thus, the Nama 'Rama' has been coined from the two most important Names of the two great Lords. It, therefore, bestows all blessings ('anugraha') on the one who chants it. It is also said that when Rama received 'upadesa' of the Mantra of all devas and devatas from Sage Viswamitra, even before Rama could utter those Mantras the respective deva/devata stood in front of him and refused to leave him. Rama absorbed them ('avahana') all within himself!

Thus, worshipping Rama is akin to worshipping all devas and devatas.

!!! Will Continue !!!

Regards
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
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