This article is excerpted from the talk of Ma Devaki, disciple of Yogi Ramsuratkumar Maharaj, during Yogiji’s 104th jayanthi celebrations at “Abhayam – Yogi Ramsuratkumar Bhajan Mandir” at Guduvanchery, Chennai in the presence of HH Maharanyam Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji on Dec 10, 2022. The complete video of the talk can be watched here: https://youtu.be/VJWH43wNo0I?t=2364
“God, the supreme being, out of compassion upon people like us, descends in the form of a Guru. He is the epitome of simplicity, though being the supreme being, mingles and becomes one among us. He teaches us whatever we need to learn, in the easiest possible way and equips us with the necessary instruments needed for our spiritual journey. Ultimately he makes us attain the same supreme state as himself. That is why it is said- guru sAkshAt param brahma – this means Guru is the supreme consciousness.
“A guru can also be related as a Kalpataru (A celestial tree capable of bestowing every wish that we seek), but with a difference. Unlike a kalpataru, our guru can discern what is good and beneficial for us. He gives only what is best for us. Today, if there is something else that can give the same assurance, it is Nama or the divine names of the God. He is fully present in His Nama. Just like how a word cannot be dissociated from its meaning, God or the ‘Naami’ cannot be separated from his Nama (name). Nama and the Naami are one and the same. When someone is being called, they are well aware, that they are being called, and they respond to the call. Likewise Bhagawan too becomes instantly present as we chant the nama. We are not able to feel the presence as our minds are full of desires and lust, like gray clouds obscuring the sun. However when we call out, be it with faith, devotion and love or without any of these, the Naami descends and becomes present there.
“Even though we don’t comprehend this presence, the divinity there will know our fervent prayers, problems or desires. Sometimes our desires cause a lot of miseries and troubles when fulfilled, and intimidate us in future. We may obstinately keep praying for it. The Naami or God, who is omnipotent, will foresee the future and fulfill all our needs, additionally give us help and the right support as and when we need it. All we need to do is never complain or never feel short of anything. Just hold on to a single nama, that nama will embrace and protect us. When we chant nama everyday, our life will become a breeze. There is no greater penance than incorporating Nama and God in our everyday life. When we chant nama while cooking, the food gets a satvik layer around it and becomes prasad when we offer that to God. Children who consume that prasad everyday become satvik too.
“When we start believing our home is His temple and He resides there and we are working to keep it clean, or any household chore for that matter when offered to God as we do it, becomes the greatest pooja that we can do. Not just houses but people who work in an office also start that day’s work by chanting and offering to God believing its His office and the supreme Lord is my boss, that becomes a penance. When we start doing the regular duties of our everyday life, face all our struggles and resolve it by chanting nama, there is no need for us to do a separate pooja. It is greater than us perfunctorily plucking a flower from a plant and offering it to God. All we have to do is firmly believe that the Naami (God) is present with us whenever we chant nama and continue our everyday routine. Connecting our life with God every day is the greatest pooja or penance we can do. The simplest way to do that is by chanting Nama.
“Many of us may have questions about the quality of the nama that we chant, like how devoted am I or focused am I? Am I chanting out of love for God? The answer to all these questions is that it doesn’t matter. All we have to do is increase the quantity of the nama we chant that will unconsciously improve the quality of the nama we chant. A perfect example would be to think of a new song we try to learn. While we may not get the right tune the first time, with repetition, we are able to perfect the tune.
“This nama we chant brings an inner transformation and also an outer transformation. The ambience around us becomes conducive and positive. Relating to a popular childhood story of the “thirsty crow”, when the thirsty crow initially finds the pot with water, it is not able to reach the water due to the low water level and also the pot has a long neck . the intelligent crow keeps dropping single pebbles and the water level rises. The crow is now able to quench its thirst. Similarly when we collate nama with these pebbles, just like the crow as we keep adding every nama, we are able to find solutions to our unsurmountable problems.
“Not a single nama that we chant gets wasted. Nama is very precious to God and he collects every nama we chant and gives back multifold to us. We have also been unknowingly gathering many bad karmas over multiple births, but this nama has the power to burn down all of these karmas and also prevent us from accumulating any more.
“We can understand the power of nama and chant it from our homes and hearts, without having to visit multiple places of worship to seek blessings.
“We can chant with a very firm belief that nama itself will solve all our problems and bring about a positive change to our lives.”
Excerpted from Ma Devaki’s talk
Translated by Vidya Balaji, Richmond, VA
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