𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 .

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝..

𝐒𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 , 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟..

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐚.. 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐚 𝐨𝐫 𝐊𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐚 .. 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐆𝐨𝐝..

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨..

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞... 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞..

𝐖𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝..

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬..

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲..

𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐭..

𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐚.. 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐚

His sweet name.. and nothing else..

हरेर् नामैव नामैव नामैव मम जीवनम्।
कलौ नास्त्यैव नास्त्यैव नास्त्यैव गतिरन्यथा॥
कालक्षेपो न कर्त्तव्यः क्षीणमायुः क्षणे क्षणे।
यमस्य करुणा नास्ति कर्त्तव्यम् हरिकीर्त्तनम्।
विसृज्य लज्जाम् योऽधीते मन्नामानि निरन्तरम्।
कुलकोटि समायुक्तो लभते मामकम् पदम्॥
कलौ कल्मष चित्तानाम् पापद्रव्योप जीविनाम्।
विधिक्रिया विहीनानाम् गतिर्गोविन्द कीर्तनम्॥
harer nāmaiva nāmaiva nāmaiva mama jīvanam|
kalau nāstyaiva nāstyaiva nāstyaiva gatiranyathā||
kālakṣepo na karttavyaḥ kṣīṇamāyuḥ kṣaṇe kṣaṇe|
yamasya karuṇā nāsti karttavyam harikīrttanam|
visṛjya lajjām yo'dhīte mannāmāni nirantaram|
kulakoṭi samāyukto labhate māmakam padam||
kalau kalmaṣa cittānām pāpadravyopa jīvinām|
vidhikriyā vihīnānām gatirgovinda kīrtanam||
ഹരേര്‍ നാമൈവ നാമൈവ നാമൈവ മമ ജീവനം
കലൗ നാസ്ത്യൈവ നാസ്ത്യൈവ നാസ്ത്യൈവ ഗതിരന്യഥാ
കാലക്ഷേപോ ന കര്‍ത്തവ്യഃ ക്ഷീണമായുഃ  ക്ഷണേ  ക്ഷണേ
യമസ്യ കരുണാ നാസ്തി കര്‍ത്തവ്യം ഹരി കീര്‍ത്തനം 
വിസൃജ്യ ലജ്ജം യോഽധീതേ മന്നാമാനി നിരന്തരം
കുലകോടി സമായുക്തോ ലഭതേ മാമകം പദം
കലൗ കല്‍മഷ ചിത്താനാം പാപദ്രവ്യോപ ജീവിനാം
വിധിക്രിയാ വിഹീനാനാം ഗതിര്‍ ഗോവിന്ദ കീര്‍ത്തനം



The only thing on which we can depend and seek refuge
is the name of Hari..
It is the name of Hari.
It is the name of Hari.

In this age of Kali,
there is nothing other that Hari's name to guide us.
there is nothing other that Hari's name to guide us.
there is nothing other that Hari's name to guide us.

Men. do not waste your time in silly things. Your life is taking leave of you with each passing moment.. Death is approaching.
When it comes to just snatching you away, Yama, the God of death has no compassion.
So sing the praises of Hari now itself..

Bhagavan Hari Has said:-
Let a person leave all hesitation and shame and learn and sing my names without interruption.
Sure, he will reach my abode taking with him a crore people of his clan of all generations.

In the age of Kali the minds of the people are contaminated and clouded with sin.
People live on money earned through sin.
People have no knowledge,
neither do they have the inclination to perform the rituals prescribed by scriptures which can lift them upto heaven..
The only thing which can save them is the worship of Hari and praise of the name of Govinda..

ഹരേര്‍ നാമൈവ നാമൈവ നാമൈവ മമ ജീവനം
കലൗ നാസ്ത്യൈവ നാസ്ത്യൈവ നാസ്ത്യൈവ ഗതിരന്യഥാ
കാലക്ഷേപോ ന കര്‍ത്തവ്യഃ ക്ഷീണമായുഃ  ക്ഷണേ  ക്ഷണേ
യമസ്യ കരുണാ നാസ്തി കര്‍ത്തവ്യം ഹരി കീര്‍ത്തനം 
വിസൃജ്യ ലജ്ജം യോഽധീതേ മന്നാമാനി നിരന്തരം
കുലകോടി സമായുക്തോ ലഭതേ മാമകം പദം
കലൗ കല്‍മഷ ചിത്താനാം പാപദ്രവ്യോപ ജീവിനാം
വിധിക്രിയാ വിഹീനാനാം ഗതിര്‍ ഗോവിന്ദ കീര്‍ത്തനം

ഹരിയുടെ നാമകീര്‍ത്തനം മാത്രമാണ് എന്റെ ജീവിതം
ഹരിയുടെ നാമകീര്‍ത്തനം മാത്രമാണ് എന്റെ ജീവിതം
ഹരിയുടെ നാമകീര്‍ത്തനം മാത്രമാണ് എന്റെ ജീവിതം

കലിയുഗത്തില്‍ എനിക്ക് ഹരിനാമം അല്ലാതെ ഒരു ഗതിയുമില്ല
കലിയുഗത്തില്‍ എനിക്ക് ഹരിനാമം അല്ലാതെ ഒരു ഗതിയുമില്ല
കലിയുഗത്തില്‍ എനിക്ക് ഹരിനാമം അല്ലാതെ ഒരു ഗതിയുമില്ല

മാളോരെ അതുമിതും ചെയ്തുകൊണ്ട് നടന്നു സമയം പാഴാക്കല്ലേ
ജീവിതം നിമിഷം തോറും കത്തി തീർന്നുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുകയാണ്.
നമ്മെ കൊണ്ടുപോകാന്‍ യമന്‍ വരും , അവന്നു തീരെ കരുണയില്ല.
അതുകൊണ്ട് ചെയ്യാവുന്നത് ഒന്ന് മാത്രം
ഹരിനാമം പാടുക.. കണ്ണനെ പുകഴ്ത്തുക

അവന്‍ ആ കണ്ണൻ പറഞ്ഞു
"എല്ലാ ലജ്ജയും കാറ്റില്‍പ്പറത്തി എന്റെ നാമങ്ങള്‍ ചൊല്ലി ആടിപ്പാടുന്നവന്‍ അവന്റെ ഒരു കോടി തലമുറകളോടുമൊപ്പം എന്റെ ലോകത്തിലെത്തിച്ചേരും"

കലിയുഗത്തില്‍ ആളുകളുടെ മനസ്സ് കറപുരണ്ടാതായിരിക്കും. പാപം ചെയ്തു കാശ് സമ്പാദിച്ചു അതിലൂടെ അവര്‍ ജീവിക്കും. അവര്‍ക്ക് ആചാരങ്ങളും വിധിപൂര്‍വ്വം ഉള്ള അനുഷ്ടാനങ്ങളും ഒന്നും ഉണ്ടാവില്ല. അവര്‍ക്ക് രക്ഷപ്പെടാന്‍ ഒരു വഴി മാത്രം.. ഗോവിന്ദന്റെ നാമസംകീര്‍ത്തനം .

Think of Krishna when you depart --ante naryanana smritiH..

ante naryanana smritiH..

अन्ते नारायणस्मृति:

Was just reading a book on mantrams.. or holy chants.

Yes, mantrams do work.. mantrams are potent..

whenther I belive in them or not they ar not abracadabra..

And the minimum guarantee is that a mantram can never harm me..

As a fairly devout brahmin, I was initated into the great mantram of Gayathri.. more than half a century ago..

and it was an unavoidable duty nd ritual to chant that mantram, whether I like it or not,

at least a few times a day

during the worship of Sandhya,

and during pooja

and during preparation for taking food etc..

So whether with faith or just as a mechanical affair

Gayatri.. mother Gayatri ..is a part of my life..

as good as my own mother..

Of course, this is the case with every brahmin.. I am sure about that at least till the last generation.

But Gayatri can be chanted only under prescribed conditions.. not any time and anywhere.. at least that is the prescription and promise handed out when we are initiated into that mahamantram by our elders.. and I had made this promise to my father more than half a century ago, although he is not there to remind me of that promise any more.. A promise is a promise..

But my father, a devout but a naive and rather ignorant person with no initiation into Sanskrit or Vedas,

but extremely rich just is his faith,

had got the mantram of Rama from a guru

and he instructed me too to repeat that..

but again for a limited number of times in the morning and evenings..

But he used to ask me and my siblings to sit together at least for five minutes in the evening every day and chant "Naraynana"

Of course, no rules are prescribed..

The time and number given by him are just the minimum..

Yes, Narayana namam can be chanted anywhere, any way, any number of times..

So simple, so profound.. I have not leaned any greater lesson in faith, in spirituality..

Narayana, the owner of the name..

He is presumed to the the Supreme one..

But His name is powerful.. maybe more powerful that Him, I trust..

Of course I have seen Srivaishnavas acquire the holy name in a more formal fashion with more words and beejams attached to it..

Even the mere name is formallly prescribed with dhyanam, rishi chandas etc.. and is chanted at prescribed times and on prescribed occasions..

But we can call out Narayana at any time..

Ajamila is the witness..

The great saints, who have relinquished all worldly possessions,

if they are called upon to affix their signature,

usually invoke

Narayana Smriti..

remembering the name of Narayana

The word seems to cost nothing, but it is of immense value..

Chant Narayana all the time..

Every moment in life can be the last moment..

And the last moment can be blessed only

if we breathe our last

with Narayana in our lips, memory and hearts..

Ante Narayanasmriti..

Narayana, Narayana

Narayana.. Narayana..Narayana 

देवतान्तर नामानि नाशुचिः परिकीर्तयेत्।

नारयणस्य नामानि सदा सर्वत्र कीर्तयेत्॥

अपवित्र पवित्रो वा सर्वावस्ताम् गतोऽपि वा।

यः स्मरेत् पुण्डरीकाक्षम् स बाह्याभ्यन्तर शुचिः।

devatāntara nāmāni nāśuciḥ parikīrtayet|

nārayaṇasya nāmāni sadā sarvatra kīrtayet||

apavitra pavitro vā sarvāvastām gato'pi vā|

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣam sa bāhyābhyantara śuciḥ|

One should not venture to utter the names of other Gods when one is not in a pure and unpolluted condition..

But one is permitted to utter and praise the name of "Narayana" wherever or in whatever condition he is in 

Whatever may be the conditions of a person.. polluted, impure, pure , purified or even beyond all states, still if he remembers Pundareekaaksha.. Lord Narayana, he becomes pure externally and internally.. with immediate effect..

Yes, the name of Narayana.. the Supreme being.. be it Govinda, Krishna or Vasudeva... can be uttered without considering ones own state of purity.. 

This is not possible in respect of other ritualistic worships..

Ante Narayanasmruti...अन्ते नारायणस्मृति 

Remembering Narayana when one is breathing his last.. is the ultimate that can be attained by any living being.. 

The story of the delinquent brahmin Ajamila is a standing testimony for this..

Ajamila, though born as a brahmin, fell into nasty ways and was living with a fallen woman, and begot lots of children in her.. 

As luck would have it, he named the last child, a favourite of his as Narayana..

The brahmin was about to die and the lieutenants of the fiery death god Yama were ready with sturdy ropes to tie him and take to hell for punishment for his cursed ways.. 

But just out of fear, the brahmin shouted out the name of his last son.. Narayana.. that is the name of the Lord too..

And the name of the lord worked for itself.. 

The angels of Vishnu appeared immeditely, grabbed the soul of the brahmin from the emissaries of the death god and carried him to Vaikundam.. the abode of the Lord Narayan..

We do so many foolish things without knowing the consequences.. and purchase trouble too..

Why do we not make the mistake of.. if we can call it a mistake.. calling out the name of Narayana once in a while.?

. We are sure to be blessed..to be rewarded for that mistake 

A Vaikunda Ekadashi thought..

symbols and icons, name and the named one

symbols and icons, name and the named one 

the only gain the pictures or idols placed in workplace or even at home..except the panchayatana( the traditional stones and gems representing Sun, Devi, Vishnu, Shiva and Ganesha... properly invoked and worshiped according to vedic rituals in brahmin houses.. morning and evening) and other properly empowered deities is that the sight of them can stimulate on any of the occupant or visitor the thought of God, which in turn should encourage him to chant the names or engage in mind with sincere prayers..

Such icons are only stimulants and cannot be termed as divinity as such according to our traditional beliefs..


Even in Navarathri Golus if my understanding is not wrong, Ambal is invoked in a pot of water and some mangala dravyas and the bommai(dolls and mannequins ) and the artwork are only for happy exhibition..

In letters and art forms we see divinity .. but again only symbolically..

But mantras and vedas Itihasams and Purnas are treated as Gods themselves and this idea is taken up in greater reverence by Sikhs.. for whom Granth Saheb is Guru and God..

In Islam the holy Quran is respected with the same reverence as the presence of God Almighty...

Naama(the divine name) and Naami ( God the possesor of the divine name) both are powerful.. Rama namam and Rama himself.. both are believed to be equally potent..

The story where Anjaneyaswamy had to protect a Vassal king of Rama from Rama's arrows is a great and enlightening example .. The vassal king offended sage Visvamitra and Rama was directed by the sage to ensure that the head of the offending king should be placed at the sage's feet by the end of the day..

The frightened king went and took refuge with mother Anjana the blessed mother of Hanuman.. Hanuman was directed by the mother to protect the beleaguered king and thus was caught between the two loyalties, one to his mother and the other towards his lord.
.
He created an imposing cylindrical fortress with the curls of his huge tail and hid himself along with the king inside that and started chanting the name of Rama incessantly... Rama found out the ploy and started sending all his arrows and weapons,, but the weapons all went in pradakshinam and came back and fell at the feet of the Lord himself..

Finally sage Narada told Rama to go near the fortress and see what magic was happening inside.. and Rama saw that his holy name was incessantly streaming out of the place and it was impossible to break that citadel..

.Of course, when Anjaneyaswamy saw his master, he brought the king to the Royal presence and since Visvamitras directions was that the kings head should fall at his feet, the King, Rama and Hanuman all fell at the feet of Visvamitra and the grave situation was diffused..

Here, the potency of the name.. is the point for consideration..

we know the panchaksharam, shadaksharam astaksharam and navaaksharam.. how they are important to Lord shiva, skandha, vishnu and ambal..