All the scriptures of Sanatana Dharma strongly proclaim that in this Age of Kali, chanting the Divine Names of God (Nama Sankirtan) is the easiest way to attain God.
kalau kalmasHa chittAnAm
pApa dravyOpa jIvinAm |
vidhikriyA vihInAnAm
gatir gOvinda kIrtanam ||
(In this Kali Yuga, where the mind is impure and the living is earned through sinful means and where living by prescribed rules is difficult, the only way to liberation is singing the Holy Name of God!)
The chanting of Divine Names is a free path. It has absolutely no rules and regulations. Nama Sankirtan can be done by anybody, anytime and anywhere. It involves no cost. It requires no paraphernalia. Yet it is an extremely powerful path that can fulfill worldly desires as well as lead one to the very Lotus Feet of the Lord.
The Upanishads have specifically prescribed the Mahamantra—
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
—as the mighty weapon that will fight the evils of this age of Kali, the medicine that will cure us of our ills and purify us, and the Kalpataru that will fulfill all our wishes.
Nama Sankirtan of an eka Nama (a single Divine Name) is very potent for several reasons:
- ¨ It quietens the mind and makes it one-pointed. And only a quiet mind can experience peace and happiness.
- ¨ It helps increase attention and strengthens the mind.
- ¨ It is a remedy for personal ills and sorrows. Prayers performed with Nama Sankirtan, and specifically the Mahamantra, are extraordinarily powerful. The experiences of devotees all over the world, who perform prayers with Mahamantra Sankirtan, are a standing testimonial to the potency of the Divine Name.
- ¨ Even a single repetition of the Divine Name obliterates all our sins, as proved time and again in the lives of saints like Sri Bhagavan Nama Bodendra Swamigal.
- ¨ Finally, Nama Sankirtan is the easiest way to obtain the Grace of the Lord.
While mental repetition of the Divine Names leads to the good of the individual, chanting the Divine Names out loud purifies the singer, the listener and the very place where the chanting is done. Constant chanting of the Names in the same location verily manifests divinity in that place.
It is for this reason that Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji advocates group chanting of the Mahamantra. And it is with this purpose in mind that several Nama Dwaars have been (and continue to be) established the world over.
