The Name That Is Light

Chanting Rama Nama removes sins, awakens Advaita awareness, and leads the soul to its goal. Among all mantras, Rama Nama holds a special place. Let us try to understand its depth.

From Sin to Liberation

The Shri Rama Rahasya Upanishad states that chanting Rama Nama 96 crore times removes even the gravest sins. Even those who have harmed their parents, teachers, or sanyasis become purified by chanting Rama Nama. Just as sunlight dispels darkness, the repetition of this sacred name destroys sinful actions and leads to liberation. When Rama Nama is combined with true repentance, sins are completely washed away.

The Journey to Immortality

Realizing God is the birthright of every soul.
What is realization?
It is merging into the Supreme, dissolving the sense of separate existence. This union of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul is the ultimate goal of spirituality. Chanting Rama Nama makes this attainment easy.

Rama Nama: The Seed of Creation and Existence

Rama Nama is a Bija Mantra (seed mantra). Just as a massive banyan tree is hidden within a small seed, the entire universe is contained within Rama Nama. The syllable ‘Ra’ represents ‘Tat’ (the Absolute Truth) in the ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ (You are That) Mahavakya. The syllable ‘Ma’ represents Tvam (You). Chanting Rama Nama leads to the realization of this great Vedantic truth - You are That Supreme Reality.

The Vedas declare that the universe operates through the interaction of Agni and Soma (Agnishomiyam Jagat). The seed syllable of Agni is Ram (रं), and when combined with the Makara of Soma, it forms Rama Nama.

Death in Kashi

It is well known that those who die in Kashi attain liberation. But do you know how?
The Shri Ramottaratapini Upanishad reveals that after yugas of tapas, Lord Shiva pleased Shri Rama and received this boon. Just before death, Shiva whispers the Taraka Brahma Mantra - ‘Shri Ramaya Namah’ - into the ear of the departing soul. This grants liberation.
In the Muktika Upanishad, Bhagavan Shri Rama tells Hanuman, ‘Those who chant my name with devotion attain Salokya Mukti (residence in my divine abode).’

Mantra Siddhi

The power of this mantra is proven by the experiences of sages.

• Agastya attained the status of Rudra.
• Kashyapa attained divine status through Rama Nama.
• Kartikeya, Indra, and Parvata Muni all gained wisdom through its power.

The Path of the Wise

In today’s complex world, chanting Rama Nama is the simplest and most powerful path to spiritual elevation. It requires no elaborate preparations or rituals - only devotion.
The Valmiki Ramayana declares, ‘Rama Nama is greater than a thousand charities and a thousand yajnas.’

Shri Ramaya Namah

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi