once we think of Hari.. all impurity vanishes

while studying about the rules regarding taking food in our Hindu traditions, I came across the following observations..

Regarading chanting the name of Lord Hari

देवतान्तरनामानि नाशुचिः परिकीर्तयेत्। नारायणस्य नामानि सदा सर्वत्र कीर्तयेत्॥ धर्मशास्त्रे

devatāntaranāmāni nāśuciḥ parikīrtayet| nārāyaṇasya nāmāni sadā sarvatra kīrtayet|| dharmaśāstre

In a general analysis of Dharmashastras, it is said..

When one is polluted physically or mentally, he should not in general chant the names of the Gods..

But whatever be the condition, one should chant the name Narayana, at all times and in every place..

कबले कबले चैव कुर्यात् गोविन्दकीर्तनम्। नाशौचं कीर्तने तस्य पवित्रं भगवान् हरिः॥ व्यासोक्तं

kabale kabale caiva kuryāt govindakīrtanam| nāśaucaṁ kīrtane tasya pavitraṁ bhagavān hariḥ|| vyāsoktaṁ

Bhagavan Vyasa Says..

With every morsel of food we take we should praise Govinda.. There is no impurity ever when we are chanting His name..

Lord Hari is Purity itself for ever

(once we think of Hari.. all impurity vanishes)

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..

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..

kalau samkeerthya keshavam

तपः परं कृतयुगे त्रेतायां ज्ञानमुच्यते

द्वापरे यज्ञमेवाहु दानमेव कलौ युगे॥

यत्कृते दशभिर्वर्षैः त्रेतायां हायनेनतु

द्वापरे तच्चमासेन ह्यहोरात्रेण तत् कलौ॥

ध्यायन् कृते यजन् यज्ञैः त्रेतायां द्वापरेऽर्चयन्।

यदाप्नोति तदाप्नोति कलौ सङ्कीर्त्य केशवम्॥

tapaḥ paraṁ kṛtayuge tretāyāṁ jñānamucyate

dvāpare yajñamevāhu dānameva kalau yuge||

yatkṛte daśabhirvarṣaiḥ tretāyāṁ hāyanenatu

dvāpare taccmāsena hyahorātreṇ tat kalau||

dhyāyan kṛte yajan yajñaiḥ tretāyāṁ dvāpare arcayan 

yadāpnoti yadāpnoti tadāpnoti kalau saṅkīrtya keśavaṁ

The best way of reaching higher aims in life in the Krita yuga (Satya yuga) was to do hard penance. In the Threta Yuga one had to achieve emancipation through concerted acquisition of Knowledge. In the dwapara yuga, the same results were obtained by doing yagas and yajnaas. But in Kali Yuga one can attain great merit just by engaging oneself in philanthropic acts like making gifts and helping the needy and hapless.

What one gained by doing good things in tens of years in Kritayauga, what he did in one six month period in threta yuga and what one did during a month will have identical effect as to one does in a day and night in Kaliyuga. ( A note of caution.. this should apply to good acts as well as bad)

Another advice on yuga dharmas... what one gets by contemplation on the supreme in Krita Yuga, what one gets by elaborate rituals and sacrifices in threta yuga, by engaging in long poojas and archanas in Dwapara Yuga, one can attain in Kaliyuga by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord Kesava in Kaliyuga... Namasankeertanam is the path of Kaliyuga for elevation to heaven.