For city bred siblings, summering at our grand parents home in Bhatkal was essential nirvana. In the orchard, we tied strings to dragon flies and watched them fly. We foraged for bird eggs in old trees. With a sling shot, we brought down mangoes – not because our aim was any good, but because the trees were laden with fruit. Listening to abbu (grandpa) in his pharmacy store, we learnt a smattering of Kannada and many more swear words. On dark nights without power, gazillion fireflies flickering on mud walls, guided us home.
There was one place we knew never to touch: In the jagli (entrance hallway), was a bare wooden writing table with a single drawer. There, grandma kept her “writing-book,” black framed reading glasses and a ball point pen.
It was an inexpensive, ruled book in which she penned in Kannada script, the short mantra of Shri Ram: Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram! End to end till the end of the line; between lines and in margins. The page was filled with a repeating geometric pattern of the Shri Ram mantra. All pages and eventually the whole book. Every evening at dusk, after she had “lit the lamps” around the house, she’d sit at her desk and meditate on the sacred name of Shri Ram. [Ram is pronounced as Ralm, rhyming with 'palm.']
I see grandma at her table; glasses perched on her nose, a purple bindi carefully painted on her forehead. Looking up, I see her lips quiver as she silently mouths the mantra. The pen hisses across paper and the divine words appear; again and again.
Decades ago, I started to write the Shri Ram mantra in Devanagiri script. First in a tiny booklet, and then is this old diary that sits on my desk. Every now and then I write a few lines in it. Some days I write more, on other days less. Some days, nothing. Many days, pass. Months, pass! When the book catches my attention, I write.
Every time I write, a calm blankets me. My worries evaporate, like if time stood still, the earth frozen in space, the Universe paused. Pen slides silently over glossy paper. Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram is on my every breath, heart pulses slowly, blood oozes, pen slides silently, the ink leaves a trace. I breathe, heart beats dhub dhup, an invisible hand guides the pen along its trail. The mantra forms, a never ending stream, rippling in bliss.
I pause, noises filters in, the earth has resumed its march! The Universe is expanding!
A few months ago I chanced upon a beautiful copy of Goswami Tulsidas’s RamCharitraManas (in Awadi, with Hindi and English translations). As I studied it, I was amazed at Tulsidas’s mastery of language and presentation. His philosophy is crisp and so relevant today. How succinctly he describes that Shri Ram IS the saguna form of the nirguna Absolute Divine! I have not seen a clearer explanation of nirguna (no material attributes) and saguna (with material attributes) Brahman.
And following along, Tulsidas beautifully and convincingly posits (doha # 23) that the Name of Shri Ram is actually greater that the the person of Shri Ram and greater too than the Absolute Nirguna Divine! At first I was puzzled, but Tulsidas makes his case so convincingly and in such beautiful verse.
In the chaupai verses (chaupais follow a repeating metre of 4 syllables) following the doha, Tulsidas explains (paraphrased):
- Shri Ram had to take a human form and himself suffer miseries in his life to destroy evil and alleviate the sufferings of his devotees;
But by simply chanting His Name, the suffering of countless of his devotees is destroyed, leaving them in bliss. - With his touch, Shri Ram redeemed Ahalya, wife of the Sage Gautama;
But simply chanting His Name destroys evil and redeems countless devotees! No personal touch from Shri Rama is necessary! - To ease Sage Vishwamitra’s problems, Ram defeated the demons Tadaku and his army;
But simply chanting His Name destroys the cause of all our problems, as easily as the appearance of the Sun does away with darkness! - By his footsteps, the person of Shri Ram brought life and sanctified Dandaka forest;
But by simply chanting His Name, the hearts and minds of millions of his devotees are so easily liberated and sanctified. - Shri Ram himself crushed scores of demons;
But by simply chanting His Name, ALL the demons in all our hearts are defeated! - Shri Ram offered protection to Sugriva and Vibhishana;
But by simply chanting His Name, Shri Rama’s protection and grace is easily extended to ALL of us. - Shri Ram himself had to recruit an army of monkeys, bears and other animals, and take great pains to build a bridge and cross the ocean to Lanka;
But Goswami Tulsidas convinces us that simply by chanting the Name of Rama, the ocean of misery in our lives, easily dries up! - Edited by RC Prasad, Motilal Banarasidass Publishers, Delhi, India
- Gita Press, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh (free download of RamCharitraManas!)
Here, Tulsidas gifts us a easy way to end the torment and bring peace and content to our hearts. Chant the name of Shri Ram!
Now I start my day with a few verses from the RamCharitraManas and write the Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram mantra more often. I hope to fill this diary one day and keep it under Meera’s bed. And then start another diary!
Give it a try and tell us how positively it affects your life! Read Tribute to Ram from my book Prarthana.
(friezes are from the outer wall of the Hazara Ram Temple, Hampi, India and depict scenes from the life of Shri Ram)
Referenced editions of RamCharitraManas:
My granny, aunt and mom write those divine lines. Recently I have started writing them too…
For me it gives inner peace and strength to deal with day to day problems.
Regards,
Poornima
So fabulous to hear Poornima! You should post a pic of your book! I hope more folks in our generation and the next, pick up the trend!
Thanks for sharing.
My Grandmother also write the Rama naama in Kannada… She has completed many books and she donates it to temples.. I should think about it myself
Yes, my grandma used to give hers to the temple too. I gave my first one to the Ram Mandir in Wadala, Mumbai. The next one is for Meera!
Yes, give it a try. Lets us know how it goes.
Arun,
My grandmother wrote Sri Rama Jayam (in malayalam) all her life too. After my grandfather passed away, she filled all her free time with this. The only thing she ever asked me for, were empty books to write on. I have not had to buy these books since May 2008. I would usually stock up on them during these back to school sales. I actually thought about my grandmother today when I saw that the 70 page books were on sale in Wal-Mart for 15 cents. My mother has saved me one of the Sri Rama Jayam books written by my grandmother.
Thanks for the post.
There was a kumbabhisekam at the Chinmaya Maruti Temple in Andover (I apologize for not having mentioned it to you). I got to hear parts of discourses on the Hanuman Chalisa. Tulsidasji was clearly a genius. (The Gorakhpur press translation was on sale in a stall there – Now I regret I did not buy it). You have probably read this – if not read the portion on Vibhishana Gita. That was one of my first introductions to Tulsidasji’s work (after the chalisa).
Krishnan
Hi Krishnan –
Very touching to hear of your grandmother. And lucky you – that you got a book filled with your grandmother’s mantras. Ours all went to the temple, how I wish my mother or one of us had saved one.
At a friend’s house on saturday I found out about the Kumabhishekan at the Chinmaya mission and the visit by the swami. I was not called, yet!
Hopefully, some day soon.
And how fortunate to hear a discourse on Tulsidas’s Chalisa. The Chinmaya mission should post the discourse on their site – so outcasts like me can partake of the ‘gyan.’
Was not aware of the Vibhishana Gita, will look it up.
Am off to mumbai next week and was thrilled to hear that Gita Press has a new store close to where we live in Mumbai! Shopping! But I’m really looking for a audio of the recitation of the RamcharitraManas. Some of those dohas as so beautiful, I need to hear a proper Pandit recite them.
Thank you for the discussion. hope the girls are enjoying the summer!
Arun
“Sri Ganeshaya Namah, Sri Venkateshaya Namaha, Sri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama”.
Those few words give me strength in times of challenges ( almost daily !) and bring peace in times of difficulties.
And, I cant go to sleep without chanting these sacred names.
I have a couple of notebooks filled with this sacred words. My question? They are with me in my prayer room but I am not sure what I should do with them. Any one ?
Also, on thew topic of sacred names and images … Has anyone come across the difficulty in buying “Lakshmi Brand” groceries at “Indian stores” ? What do you do with the “Lakshmi brand” Jasime rice bags? The Toor dal, the Moog dal, etc plastic bags?
Trash them in ‘recycle bags”. As for me in my house, “Lakshmi Brand” is banned from purchases. I just cant think of finding “proper” way to dispose the bags !
The manufacturer of “Lakshmi Brand” should stop printing Goddess image. Then I will buy one.
/Suri
Hi Suri – So fabulous to hear that you already have so many books already filled with the mantras. I recommend that you keep them in your bookshelf for now. Later in life, your kids will want this treasure – or you can keep it under their bed
Or, you can always give it to a Ram Mandir. I gave my first book to the Ram Mandir in Wadala Mumbai. They had a collection of a “crore” ram mantras, had a huge yajna and placed the books in a crypt!
Regarding your question about the Lakshmi Brand bags, here is my two cents:
When I was writing my prayer book, I had so many printouts with drafts of the various mantras. How to dispose them off was a common debate in our house.
Do you think that Lakshmi and the divine exists ONLY wherever some ink is printed on paper or plastic? Don’t you think the divine exists EVERYWHERE? Even in the trash, the sewers, the huts, the slums and in the homes of the prostitutes. There is not a single molecule in this entire Universe that the Divine does not exist in. So you not putting the bags in the trash does not change anything. The Divine already EXISTS there too!
Another analogy is: Wouldn’t the poorest person benefit from your charity (alms, or food, or whatever); Similarly, wouldn’t the more horrific place benefit the most from the presence of the Divine? Thus, wouldn’t the trash/recycle bin be a great place for the image of Lakshmi? And consider, in the entire trash, or recycling process, some poor soul may come across the image and be blessed.
What is the use of giving sacred prasad to a rishi? He is already enlightened. Give the sacred prasad to the sweepers, sewer cleaners, the homeless, the most cruel and despicable: they need divine grace the most!
Now, can you think of a better place for those bags? Go ahead buy more Lakshmi Brand everything and put those bags in the worst of places. Let those images be plastered over ALL: Not just the pure, but more importantly, the impure!
Take the Devas/Gods out of the temples, recognize her in every heart and EVERY where!
Arun:
Years ago, while growing up in Madras, my friends and I used to write Shri Rama Jayam in Tamil during summer holidays. In those days, the kanchi kamakoti Mutt (which has a presence in Madras) used to give out a very small Kamakshi Amman coin if you give them your written note books (1 lakh rama nama was a minimum requirement). Needless to say we used to have a fierce competition among friends in reaching the 1 lakh mark. Your post has brought back lot of nostalgic memories. I have to say that it did help with focus and attention for a long period of time not to mention that the parents had a happy time managing their kids.
Viji
What a awesome contest by the Kanchi Muth! heh, i would have tried too.
Thank you for sharing that with us. Wishing you the best!
I had a great grandma who used to write this too. She was the old school style widow with shaved head and white sari. All the relatives gave her books and pens when they visited her. She wrote in varying shapes in designs, the writing always minute and precise and gifted them away as the books filled up.
Suri,
Just a thought — the Hindu way of life is about seeing the divine in everything. You may fret about Laxmi being insulted on the rice bag cover but the truth is that She resides in everything you throw. I try to be more conscious of serving the Supreme Mother through my actions towards other living beings.
Your anger at the manuf made me think of a Kabir couplet:
Jaise til main tel hai, jyun chakmak main aag
Tera saain tujhmein hai, tu jaag sakay tho jaag
Oh, That is such a beautiful couplet by Kabir. and I agree with your comment about Lakshmi. See my response to Suri as well.
And impressive about your great grandma; I feel sad that they society expected them to shave their head and wear whites; thankfully that is changing and I want it to change more and faster.
Thank you
Arun: My grandmother used to do this too. After she passed on my mother and aunts sent the notebooks to some temples where the notebooks are buried whenever a new temple is been built. My Amma does write Ram Naam now and last year when she was in Chicago we stopped by and donated some of the notebooks to the Lemont temple. This post indeed makes me nostalgic.!!
Thank you Pradhnya for sharing that with us. It is interesting that you took the books to the Lemont Temple. I finally got a chance to visit there after such a long time.
I think it is perfectly acceptable to also keep a few filled books at home.
And nice meeting you all recently. Will send you the pics soon.
Best Wishes
Arun
Hello Arun,
All these days I’ve been a avid(and invisble) reader of your blog. In these times, where ecomony is tough, poeple losing jobs, houses, roits, terrorism around the world, and now feather in the cap, H1N1 etc your posts are like drinking a cold glass of buttermilk in a hot afternoon.
I love this post about “Shata/Sahasra Ram namavali”. I remember my grandama doing it oftenly.
This reminds of her humming a song about importance of Rama nama.
Thank you for bringing good old memories.
Best regards,
Santosh
Thank you Santosh:
Yes, these are surely crazy times – and add drought to your list of things we are worried about. I have been taking my daughter around mumbai and am really terrified by seeing so many people wearing masks.
And thank you for sharing your thoughts – that so many others find solace in Rama Nama Japa give me hope for this world.
Best Wishes,
Arun
hey arun..one of my frequently googled sentences are sri rama jayam…
my personal experience has been writing it since board exam time in school..and needless to say , the words are indeed powerful. Benefits are many.
I learned that the books should not be kept in the house, but should be given away some 4 years after i began writing them and it was exactly when i was leaving chennai. I preferred my sri rama jayam written books to be given to a temple in chennai but since i was leaving i asked my parents to give it to the temple when they were visiting. But in the hurry, they gave it to the driver or the housemaid to give it at the temple.
I remember being very upset and telling them, if they couldn give it themselves, we cud have carried it and given it off at a hanuman temple in another city but it was important to give it off myself ( or my parents. “me” includes my parents.
)
I have 4 doubts 1) Till now, i dont know if that was a wrongful act but i wish i cud have given off myself. (Is it?)
2) Once, a book I was writing sri rama jayam in, got lost. I just consoled myself saying some bad omen was taken away from me. (Is it?)
3) I keep searching up on google what is the right way to worship Hanuman and right way to write Sri rama jayam.
(Do tel me about it)
4) A Hindu expert, told me you can write in any language. God knows all languages. But how can i go to a temple and give a book which has Sri rama jayam written in english? ( Sadly, I can write and read only in English) So i used to keep googling the sri rama jayam word, search translation sites to get sri rama jayam in hindi/sanskrit/tamil..i prefer sanskrit. :S :S Some one pls attach a picture of sri rama jayam written clearly in sanskrit.
Thank u so much …
Hi Anu:
Congratulations on your perseverance in continuing to write the Shri Ram Jaya Ram mantra.
In addition to my thoughts below, you may want to read the comment earlier by Suri and my reply.
Replying to your points:
1. The book itself, and who gives it where is immaterial – the “act of writing” during which you think of Shri Ram and chant it in your mind is important. My recommendation is NOT to get hung up on whatever comes afterwards – the language, the book and else. In a sense, i preferred the older sages who wrote on palm leave – certain to be quickly decomposed. One day, one lives will too. So what is it that remains? What is it that is unchanging?
2. The book did not get lost, it is where it is, or was to be. The act was more important – don’t bring extraneous thoughts to your mind.
3. Hanuman lead a life of self-less devotion to Rama; He did all he could and never wanted credit for it. There is a model of our own service. In a little book I had read by Swami Tejomayananda (chinmaya mission) he reminds us that Hanuman is the son of the wind – and wind (air) is ever present everywhere, at all times; it is the essential “prana” of our lives. Yet, it never reveals itself. Our service (and thus prayer) should be like that?
There is NO wrong way to write Shri Ram. If you believe that the divinity is everywhere, isn’t it there in both, the ‘right’ and the ‘wrong’ way of writing? Did Krishna not tell us in the Bhagvad Gita that he is present in the sage and the demon (or something like that)? It all comes back to our self less devotion and our service to humankind. Sant Dnyaneshwar reminded us: Bhagwat Dharma IS Manav Dharma! (Devotion or Service to Life and its varied forms, IS Devotion to God!)
4. Write in any language, or even create your own.
The writer, the writing and the written is all one!
A superb way to dwell on the divine.
Wishing you the best in all that you do.
Best
another doubt…during school, one girl used to write “sriram’ alone….is that right?
she has been very successful so i keep thinking perhaps that is powerful
Hi Arun,
It is very encouraging to see you write the Ram mantra and describe its benefits. I would like to share my thoughts on the Mantra Ram. I live in US and teach Yoga once a week to a few people here. I emphasize on the chakras. This is where I think I got the clarity of the inner meaning of the RAM mantra.
The RAM mantra is a mantra of Surrender. Hanumanjee recited this mantra mentally every second of the day and surrendered to the lord every second of the day. Why is this mantra the surrender mantra. For that I need to talk a little bit about chakras.
There are 7 chakras in the body (I won’t go in detail in this post). The 1st 3 chakras deal with material life while the the upper 4 deal with spiritual life. The 6th chakra ( Ajna chakra between the eyebrows) is the king of all the chakra. This is the Guru center. For one to be spiritually inclined energy has to pass through this center. This is the Gateway to higher consciousness. The 3rd chakra (Manipurak Chakra) is the king of the lower chakras and the material life. Anyone with a strong 3rd chakra has all the material comforts. All that we own materially in this life is governed by the 3rd chakra. I will keep this short for this post.
Every chakra has a shape color and sound. The sound of the 3rd chakra is RA.. The sound of the 6th chakra is Ommmmmmm. So when we say RAM we are saying that everything we own materially in RA we submit to the 6th center M. i.e. we surrender to the infinite. And once we surrender then everything materially falls into place.
All Hindus should chant this mantra. I am surprised that although all our scriptures say that the RAM mantra should be chanted no one chants it. We have bhajans saying that “Man bolo Ram” etc yet I am yet to hear anyone chant pure RAM mantra..
I have started just pure RAM chanting in my temple and I chant it at home and car whenever I get some time.
Thanks for listening
Regards
Beautifully said Atul:
Unfortunately, I am not versed in the chakras – despite several friends urging me to take this next step!
And I agree with your plea for everyone to atleast chant the Ram Mantra. In addition to writing, I also carry a “japa mala” and chant the Ram mantra (or another mantra) when I am waiting for the bus! yaay!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful description. Arun
Hi,
I’m Kala from Malaysia. As i was searching on writing Sree Rama Jayam in Tamil, i got hooked up with ur site. i found ur site is interesting.
this is a very first time, i’m going to start write Sree Rama Jayam, an advice from my mother in law. And i was wondering on how to start it. And happens to be your blog gives a very good start.
Regards.
Hi Kala:
Thank you for visiting and sharing your comment with us.
Congratulations on a big start!
Since it will be your very first time, write a line to Ganapati – the Remover of All Obstacles and then, just write on…
Best Wishes
Arun
Hi
I have read about a saint in ” Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita ” ( The holy gospel of Sri Ramakrishna ) that Sri Ramakrishna once met a saint in Dakshineswar who used to go on writing OM Ram, Om Ram …. and the saint gazed at his writings and was lost in meditation.
Probably you have heard about Ram Ramapati Bank in Varanasi and Ram Ram bank in Lucknow where Ram bhaktas deposit Ram naam in thousands and lakhs. You can learn more about these banks from the following links.
http://www.indiaprofile.com/religion-culture/spiritualbank.htm
http://ia.rediff.com/news/2003/dec/08spec.htm
Sri Tulshidas Goswamiji says that ” If you place Ram naam in the tip of your tongue ( which is like the gate of the temple) then you will see both inside and outside shining with light ”
“Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram” is a siddha mantra and whoever uses it will reap a harvest that he himself can never expect. Numerous saints and ordinary people have benefited from this mantra from times immemorial. In this age of Kali yuga it is a medicine which can wipe away sins and all other wanting in life.
Thanks
Om Ram
Abhijit
Thank you for sharing these beautiful thoughts; I will follow up on the links. Very interesting!
Arun
Dear Arun
I do not know How to appreciate you for reminding me about my childhood days at Bhatkal, Those were great days in my life. read on
During those days we did not have Play Staions, MP3, DVD,VCD,Lap Top Chat Room Internet etc. But we had real friends.
We had no mobile phones but we always managed to find each other- How ( No one Knows)
We ate every thing ( Jambol, Pear, Bimbaal, Karbal, Amtekai, Kabbu yet we stayed skinny by fooling around.
We never picked up any germs by drinking Local Limbu Soda, We kept collecting Jubilee at the riverside, we were fearless on our cycles at downhill at Venkatapur ( even when the brakes failed)
It is a great fun reading your mail
Thank you Once again
Jayavant
Hi Jayavant – thank you for sharing your beautiful memories.
Yes, it is a wonder that we grew up ok without all these modern ‘necessities.’
I hope we can provide a glimmer of that life for dear Meera.
Best Best!
Arun