Search:
Bhakti List Archives

raama naama sukhi

From the Bhakti List Archives

M.G.Vasudevan • May 5, 2003 


Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

What will happen if you start uttering a word repeatedly even without knowing
*	Whether it is a mere sound or some thing else
*	What is the content of the word
*	What is the meaning of the word
*	What is the essence behind the word

This repeated speaking of the same word in simple terms is called japam.

Generally it is believed, why believed, to a good extent proved also, that all sounds "produce vibrations" around that subject utterer [one who speaks that word]. These vibrations create to human beings a positive or negative benefit depending on the word, the nature of it, and the good and bad intention of the person behind that word.

In such a situation, when that word is the name of our pet lord, and the intention of the person behind that uttering is simple and pure devotion to that lord, will it not produce immense benefits for him, around him, and confer benefits through him to the entire mankind? 

That "maraa" by vaalmeeki gave him the eternal fame linked with the epic raamaayaNam. That "raamaa" by saint thyaagaraaja gave him the very "su- darsanam" of the lord raamaa.

But has this continuous uttering of raamaa gave him the "sukham" - the enjoyment, the happiness, or welfare to him? Perhaps the answer will be a big "NO" for he himself asks 
"sukhi evarO, raama naama  - sukhi evarO". Since he raised this question in the form of a krithi,  the question itself makes clear he is the not sukhi. Then who else was it?

Further question arises, if he is not the enjoyer - sukhi - why then he continued that repeated uttering - japam. Dear bhakthaas, if, he has not continued that, perhaps we, you and I, need not worry about this person, discuss his "point" of "who is the sukhi?", sing his krithi with deep devotion on that raamaa, shed tears singing his krithi or hearing his krithi. That is the benefit he got, the name and fame even after his physical removal from this world.

Now the full krithi. raagam: kaanadaa                              taaLam: dhEsaadhi
22nd mELa karthaa kharaharapriya janya 
Aa: S R2 G2 M1 D N2 S
Av: S N2 P M1 G2 M1 R2 S 

Composer: Sri thyaagaraajaa 			Language: telugu:

pallavi 
sukhi evarO raama naama sukhi evvarO -- (sukhi) 

raamaa naamaa - name of raamaa
sukhi - enjoyer
evaro - who is it

meaning: who is the raamaa naama enjoyer?

anupallavi 
sukhi evarO sumukhi evarO 
akhila saaramagu thaaraka naama -- (sukhi) 

sukhi - enjoyer
evaro - who is it
sumukhi - one who has a good face
evaro - who is it
akhila - entire, whole, this world
saaramagu - the essence
thaaraka - liberating, saving, releasing, the eye, the pupil of the eye
naama - name

meaning: Who is the raamaa naama enjoyer? Who is that person having the good face [as a result of uttering the raama naama]? Like the pupil of the eye that liberating naama, which is the entire essence of all - that liberating raamaa naama, the enjoyer who is it?

charaNam 
sathyamu thappaka sakala lOkulaku 
Bhrthyudai dhaiva bEdhamu lEka
nithyamaina susvarapu gaanamuthO 
nirantharamu thyaagaraaja nutha raama  -- (sukhi) 

sathyamu - the truth
thappaka- missing or wrongly
sakala  in all entirely
lOkulaku - to the people of the world
nithyamaina - eternal, permanent
susvarapu - with the sweet svaraas [of music]
gaanamuthO - the music
nirantharamu - permanently
thyaagaraaja nutha - eulogised by thyaagaraaja

meaning: that naamaa eulogised by thyaagaraaja, which is truth and nothing but truth in the entire world, guiding all people, without creating any difference or distinction between different gods, the eternal, with good quality singing made permanent, the enjoyer of that naamaa, who is he?

The question in the krithi is some thing fantastic - who is the happy person enjoying the raamaa naamaam. Not only that sukhi but the sumukhi - one who has a good face? Dear bhakthaas, now perhaps you will be clear that he is not the sukhi - the enjoyer. But he has not answered this question he himself raised, just left it unanswered. Does it mean that he is not aware of the answer?

But one thing he made clear in this krithi- he is not the enjoyer but he continued to do that raamaa naama japa, for he said, realised that it is thaaraka naamam- life saving naamam. 

Is this not the real karma yOgam - just doing the duty - my duty is to do japam - not enjoy the fruits of the japam - but really not aspiring for the fruits of that action of doing the japam.

karmaNi Eva aDhikaarasthE maa phalEshu kadhaachana|
maa karma phala hEthur Bhoormaa thE sangO~sthva karmaNi ||
2 -47 of srimadh bhagavath geethaa.

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.

PS: let us see in next post whether he answered this question or left unanswered.



--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/