THE POWER OF THE NAME ‘RAMA’

April 6th is Rama Navami Day, that is, the day celebrating the advent of Lord Rama. Let’s recapitulate what Baba said on this occasion more than a decade and half ago in Kodai Kanal.

Every Avatar (Incarnation of the Divine) has six types of powers: all-encompassing Prosperity, Righteousness, Fame, Wealth, Wisdom and Renunciation (or non-attachment). God is the possessor of these six attributes. Sri Rama had all these six attributes in equal measure. Every Avatar of God in every age and every place has these six attributes.

Importance of Truth and Righteousness

In the Ramayana, Sathya (Truth) and Dharma (Righteousness) are the most important concepts. The Vedas, which are regarded as their very life-breath by Bharatiyas (Indians), have proclaimed: "Sathyam Vada; Dharmam Chara" ("Speak the Truth; Act Righteously"). In order to honour the plighted word of his father, Sri Rama elected to go to the forest leaving Ayodhya. Truth is the foundation for all righteousness. There is no greater religion than truth. Lord Rama stood out as an upholder of Truth to fulfill the promise of his father, to maintain the traditions of his Ikshvaku dynasty, to protect his country and for the sake of the welfare of the world. Everyone who calls himself a human being should stand up for truth in the same manner. It is said of Mahatmas (enlightened men) that what they speak, what they think and what they do are in perfect accord. In the case of the wicked, their thoughts, words and deeds are at a variance with each other. By these definitions Sri Rama was a Mahatma (a great soul) and Ravana was a Duratma (an evil being)….

Triple Power of the Name ‘Rama’

What are the inner meanings of the name Rama? The three syllables 'R', 'A' and 'Ma' indicate the three causes for human birth, namely Papamu (the sins one has committed), Thapamu (the troubles one experiences) and Ajnanamu (one's ignorance). "Ra" represents the root letter for Agni (fire)."A a" represents the letter for the moon. "Ma" represents the root letter for the sun. What does Agni signify? It destroys everything and reduces it to ashes. The letter "R" has the power to destroy all the sins committed by man.The letter "Aa" (symbolising the moon) has the powers of cooling the fevers man suffers from and conferring peace on him. "Ma" represents the sun who dispels the darkness of ignorance and confers illumination of wisdom. Hence, the word Rama has the right triple power of destroying sins, conferring peace and dispelling ignorance….

We must learn to chant the sweet name of Rama with a pure, unsullied heart, in a spirit of selfless devotion. In the mind of man dwell the deities representing the moon and the sun…

Face Troubles With Faith In God

Today everybody utters "Ram,Ram." But very few follow the example set by Rama. They are not true devotees of Lord Rama. At best they may be described as "part-time devotees." True devotion means perpetual remembrance of the Name of the Lord and constant meditation on that Name, cherishing the figure of Sri Rama in the heart. You should be prepared to face the vicissitudes of life with firm faith in God. It is during times of difficulties that God is remembered. To confront difficulties with faith is itself a spiritual discipline. Although Sri Rama was the son of the Emperor Dasaratha and son-in-law of King Janaka, he had to face many ordeals in life for the sake of upholding Dharma. The Pandavas went through many difficulties for the sake of adhering to righteousness and hence their name and fame remain forever. You should pray to the Lord to give you the strength to bear all troubles and face all difficulties. If you have even an atom of Grace of the Lord, a mountain of troubles can be overcome. Sri Chaitanya declared: "If a fraction of the time that is spent in worrying about wealth, provisions, wife, children, friends and business is devoted to contemplation on the feet of the Divine, one can face the messengers of death without fear and cross the Ocean of Samsara! (Worldly life)." It is not necessary to devote many hours to prayer. It is enough if one thinks of God with all his heart and offers himself even for a few moments. A single match stick when it is struck can dispel the darkness in a room that has remained closed for years. Mountains of cotton can be burnt down by a single spark.

Likewise, wholehearted chanting of the name of Lord Rama even once can destroy mountains of sins. But the chanting should not be done mechanically like playing a gramophone record. It should emanate from the depths of the heart.…Remember the Name of Lord Rama with love. God can be realised only through love and by no other means.

Divine Discourse at "Sai Sruti", Kodaikanal, on Sri Rama Navami Day, 14-4-1989.