Man cannot live by bread alone; but he can live repeating the Name of the Lord alone

Nama Article 27^th February 2017

THE GLORY OF MANTRA DIKSHA

By Swami Sivananda

Man cannot live by bread alone; but he can live repeating the Name of the Lord alone.

A Yogi crosses the ocean of Samsara by his Chitta-vritti-nirodha, controlling the modifications that arise in the mind; a Jnani by his Brahmakara-Vritti (by raising the pure thought of Infinity); and a Bhakta by doing Nama-Smarana. There is no end of Lord's powers.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Free from attachment (to the pleasures of sense) and with his senses brought under control a wise man should carefully worship Me by Chanting the Divine Names

Nama Article 26th Feb 2017

Srimad Bhagavatham 11:25:34

निःसङ्गो मां भजेद् विद्वान् अप्रमत्तो जितेन्द्रियः

रजस् तमश् चाभिजयेत् सत्त्व-संसेवया मुनिः

Free from attachment (to the pleasures of sense) and with his senses brought under control a wise man should carefully worship Me by Chanting the Divine Names and, given over to contemplation, should get the better of Rajas and Tamas by duly cultivating Sattva.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

It has been said that this Mantra can be chanted by all – whether one is of pure mind or not, whether one follows religious discipline or not.

Nama Article 25th Feb 2017

Source: 'The Greatness of Mahamantra' - Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Swamigal

His Holiness Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Swamigal was the 35th Jagadguru of  Sringeri Sri Saradha Peetam. Born on November 13, 1917 the young Srinivasa was an illustrious student.  At the age of 14, he was ordained into Sanyasa Asrama by the  then Peetadhipati and Jivan Mukta Sri Chandrasekara Bharati. An great tapasvi and and yogi, Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Swamigal was an able administrator too. He traveled across the country spreading the ideals of Sanathana Dharma and Sri Adi Sankara.   A beautiful compilation of the Acharya's discourses has been published in a book called 'karuNai kaDal thandha kanivAna muthukkaL'.  The following is a short excerpt from this book.

'The Greatness of Mahamantra'

The Divine Name of the Lord rescues even the wickedest of the wicked. Fire when touched, either knowingly or unknowingly, burns the hand. Likewise, it is the nature of the Divine Name of the Lord to destroy the sins of the one who utters it. Therefore, regardless of the time and work we are involved in, we should always keep chanting the Divine Name of the Lord mentally. All are desirous of doing Mantra japa. There is a Mantra for this. This Mantra can be chanted in any manner. It has been said that this Mantra can be chanted by all – whether one is of pure mind or not, whether one follows religious discipline or not.

Well! What is that Mantra? It is verily

"HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE!

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE!" 

All can chant this Mantra. Regular chanting of this Mantra would earn the blessings of the Lord, purify us and we would attain the purpose of life. Nevertheless, commonly, what do people do? They eat, sleep, loiter around and finally die. Animals lead this kind of life. Is there any difference between the animals and us if our lives were also spent in the same way? Therefore, we should always be chanting the Divine Name of the Lord.

-Sri Abhinava Vidyatirtha Swamigal

Courtesy: 'karuNai kaDal thandha kanivAna muthukkaL'

(a composition of the Swamigal's discourses)

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

After winning the hearts of the people there and hearing them chant with devotion, he would continue his journey.

Nama Article 24th Feb 2017

Source: http://namadwaar.org/

After leaving the city of Mysore, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval passed through many cities and villages. He had taken to 'Unchchavriti' way of life wherein one goes on the streets singing the Divine Names of the Lord, accepting things offered as alms and partaking of the same after offering it to the Lord.

He would stop for a day or two in each village and teach the mass the essence of the scriptures. He would chant the Divine Names of the Lord and speak of its glory and ease of chanting it. After winning the hearts of the people there and hearing them chant with devotion, he would continue his journey.

Thus, moving about, Sri Shridhara Ayyaval reached the town of Tirichirapalli in Tamil Nadu, South India. He continued spreading his message of Nama Kirtan by discoursing in a simple language which helped people comprehend the profound truth with ease. His discourses emphasized devotion towards both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva without bias. Every evening he visited the temple of Lord Shiva and spent the afternoons in chanting divine names and reading scripture.

The king of Tirichirapalli was a devout Vaishnavaite (devotee of Lord Vishnu). A few people, who had heard the discourses of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval felt that he had more leaning towards Lord Shiva than Lord Vishnu. They voiced their opinion to the king and wanted him to test the devotion of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval towards Lord Vishnu. The king, who was a great devotee himself, did not like the idea of testing a saint and also feared that it might bring downfall to him and his kingdom. However, the desire to know the heart of this saint sprouted in him and hence he decided to test Sri Shridhara Ayyaval without malice and hit upon a plan. He ordered the priests to dress up Sri Mathrubhuteshwara, Lord Shiva in Tirichirapalli as Lord Krishna and take Him in procession. He thought that Sri Sridhara Ayyaval's reaction would indicate his bias, should he have any. When the procession passed through the home of Sri Shridhara Ayyaval, he was meditating on Lord Shiva. Once out of his trance, he came out of his home hurriedly and finding Lord Krishna there spontaneously prayed to Lord Krishna "Oh! Lord Krishna! When will I spend every moment of my life in meditating on your Lotus Feet by reminding myself of the transitory nature of this world, being humble, knowing my deficiencies, turning blind to other's faults, being compassionate towards all living beings, being a servant of the devotees of the Lord and eyeing both joy and sorrow alike?"

He thus composed 12 verses known as 'Krishna Dwadasa Manjari'. In a few verses in this, he did not hesitate to sing that Lord Krishna's vision was not easy for Lord Shiva Himself! Hearing this, the king was relieved and the people who had induced him to test fell at Sri Shridhara Ayyaval's feet and apologized for their ignorance and arrogance. Knowing Sri Shridhara Ayyaval to be a great saint of uncommon devotion and glory, the king wanted him to stay in his city forever.

Please check these: Excerpts from a discourse by our Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

Lord Siva himself does not cease to chant the Divine Name Rama even for a moment out of such taste and love for that Name

The path blazed by Jeyadeva was followed by Krishna Chaitanya, Tukaram, Meera Bai, and others in North India. Correspondingly there lived in South India, Purandaradasa, Bhodendra, Ayyaval, Sadguru Swami and others.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

O sinless Lord, man does not take refuge in Your lotus- feet and Chant your Divine Names, his mind being set on the pleasures of sense

Nama Article 23rd Feb 2017

Srimad Bhagavatham 10:51:47

लब्ध्वा जनो दुर्लभम् अत्र मानुषं

कथञ्चिद् अव्यङ्गम् अयत्नतोऽनघ

अपादारविन्दं न भजत्य् असन्-मतिर्

गृहान्ध-कूपे पतितो यथा पशुः

Having somehow (by grace of God) secured without (any) effort birth-which is (so) difficult to attain-in this land (of Bharatavarsa) as a human being sound of body and mind (and therefore fit for devotions), O sinless Lord, man does not take refuge in Your lotus- feet and Chant your Divine Names, his mind being set on the pleasures of sense (which are unreal), and remains sunk in household life even like a cow which is fond of grass has fallen into a Desolate well for that grass (and is unable to get out of it).

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Everything was happening only by His Will. This reality got stabilised in him within a short time because of remembering God through chanting of His name.

Nama Article 22nd Feb 2017

Source: The Vision

REVELATIONS — ON THE PATH

KEEPING TO ONE METHOD IN HIS SADHANA

"Ramdas, through a ceaseless repetition of the Divine Mantram, side by side with the concentrated meditation on the all-pervading, eternal, ever-blissful, in-dwelling God, had attained freedom and peace even before his advent into the world as a mendicant"

Papa was, from the beginning, very clear that the God he was seeking was within and that everything was happening only by His Will. This reality got stabilised in him within a short time because of remembering God through chanting of His name ceaselessly and contemplating on His attributes simultaneously.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Don’t worry. Hold on to nama. Whatever things we need, nama will take care of each and every one of them

Nama Article 21st Feb 2017

Source: Madhura Smaranam – Madhuramurali – Feb 2017

Pointing to the Lord, Sri Swamiji said, 'We have our Perumal and Nama and that itself is complete remedy'. He also told them, 'Don't worry. Hold on to nama. Whatever things we need, nama will take care of each and every one of them'. This was such a great upadesa.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Chant the Mahamantra whenever you can, however you can. That is enough.

Nama Article 20th Feb 2017

HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji Answers to Questions from Devotees

1. I think that I am not eligible to attain Mukti, because my intellect is not pure.

A. If that is the case, so what? Let it be so.

2. I do not have bhakti towards God either; it is not possible for me to become a Jivan mukta

A. Let it be so.

3. I am unable to even chant with bhakti the Mahamantra that you speak of

A: Let it be so.

4. I cannot chant the Mahamantra often, like you ask us to do

A: Let it be so.

5. If you keep saying like this, then what is the way for me?

A: Chant the Mahamantra whenever you can, however you can. That is enough.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Nama Article 19th Feb 2017

HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

In the 'Bhakta Saamrajya' (the kingdom of devotion), Sadhus are verily the citizens, Srimad Bhagavatam verily the governing scripture (Shaastra) and Nama Sankirtan, verily the wealth!

Sometimes we consume food because we are hungry and at other times, we consume specific delicacies because we want to relish the taste. However, the food that we consume for the sake of taste also appeases hunger. Likewise, the Vedanti and yogi go about their spiritual practice in pursuit of liberation like the one who eats to satiate his hunger. A Bhakta performs Bhakti out of sheer love for it, like the one who eats just to relish the taste. Though it is never his intention, the Bhakta's pursuit will also take him to liberation just as the food consumed for taste fulfills hunger.

Those with taste for materialistic and worldly ways of life wish to live long to enjoy the sensory pleasures. Those who get Satsang and perform a little Bhakti get tired of life very soon and don't want to live long! Some consider Bhakti and Satsang as a means for Moksha and hence want to die early! This is because they have not progressed enough in Bhakti to consider it as anything other than a means for liberation ('moksha sadhana'). If we read the Scriptures and the prayers of Maha Bhaktas, we find that they have always cried out to be blessed with Bhakti in many many Janmas to come. These are the Mahans who nourish the true taste for Bhakti!

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

He would never waste a moment on any wordly matter and would always be immersed in sweet, nectarine Nama

Nama Article 13th Feb 2017

Source: SWAMI BALAKRISHNANANDA - EPITOME OF THE DIVINE NAME

Sri Swamiji often spends time near the holy adhishtanam in Govindapuram chanting Nama. He would often quote Sri Balakrishnananda Saraswathi Swamigal's life story as an inspiration in many ways. His Guru Bhakthi! He had unflinching faith and devotion towards Sri Bodhendra Saraswathi Swamigal and did not leave Govindapuram till the end, till his jeevan mukthi.

He spent his entire lifetime chanting Nama, keeping his Guru's Nama Siddhantha and preaching on the Holy Name as His sole life scripture.

His divine affinity to Nama! He had the Divine Name on his lips at all times.

He would never waste a moment on any wordly matter and would always be immersed in sweet, nectarine Nama.

And his wish to be near his Guru, in life and beyond by having his Samadhi right next to Sri Bodhendral's. Sri Swamiji would refer to this with a beautiful phrase – "Charana Chaayai Vaasam" – Refuge under the Holy Feet and wish to be the Guru's dust.

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare