Naam
Smarana is chanting the name of God in mind at all times. It is remembering God
continuously. The name of God comes from the Holy Vibrations of Aum and Aum is
God. Where the name is chanted, God is present. Narad Bhakti Sutras say that
wherever the bhaktas of God sing His glory, God will manifest and be present
there. The Name of God is extremely potent and powerful. It contains all the
powers of God. Just as a seed contains a huge tree with its roots, trunk,
branches, leaves, flowers and fruits, the name of God contains His Greatness,
Love, Knowledge, Wisdom, Patience and other qualities. It is the most effective
cleanser and energizer.
We
clean our bodies daily with bath and other routines. We clean our homes by
dusting, sweeping and mopping. We keep our minds and hearts clean by the
constantly remembering the name of God – Naama Smarana. We bathe in the morning
but by evening time we are dirty and need a wash again. Our mind is constantly
bombarded with internal and external pollution and stimuli. It gets stirred up
and stresses us up. No other method is as effective as Naam Smaran for calming
and cleansing the mind. When our thoughts are good, our heart is good and body
functions better. How can a small name of God guide us through life? Let us see
this story:
A
villager was walking through the forest. He had to walk another six miles to go
through the forest before he reached his destination. The sun had already set
and suddenly it was very dark. The man had a small lantern and he lit it. To
his dismay, he found that the lantern could give light up to yards only. He
wondered how he could walk six miles with the help of the flicker of the
lantern. A wise man was passing by. He saw the villager looking worried and
asked him why. The villager told him his problem. The wise man said: my dear
man, please hold the lantern in your hand and walk. You will always be in the
circle of light around the lantern. You can see where you are going and walk
safely. This small lantern with its flickering light is enough to light up your
steps. You will reach where you want to go soon.
A
small torch is enough to guide us through the any distance to our
destination. We can easily pass through
the thick forest at night. We don’t need blazing lights. We must not mistake
the name of God to be small and insignificant. It is a burning spark which can
guide us through all the trials and tribulations of life. The name of God is
not merely mumbling or murmuring a few syllables. These few syllables are
enough to help you realize the principle of Supreme Godhead.
Every
single person born has the right to the name of God. Naam Smaran is the birth
right of all beings. We must chant the name of God silently within ourselves.
We can also chant it aloud if we wish to. We can chant it at home while sitting,
cooking, cleaning, washing or doing chores. We can do naama smaran while
travelling, driving or walking. At work, we can multitask with one part of our
mind and the other parts of mind focussed on work. When we
chant it falling asleep, the name of God will work in us through the night,
protecting us and cleansing us and we will wake up fresh to a new day. When we
do the Naama Smaran, we remain stress free and are able to function at our
maximum potential. Life becomes extremely rewarding when we are able to give
our best at work and home. The Naam Smaran irons out the kinks in our
personality and smoothens them. We have better and happier relationships with our
family and others around us. Naam Smaran will always give excellent results
even when done in a mechanical manner as the vibration in the name is so
powerful that it generates in us deep and abiding love for God.
The
Naama Smaran is a technique which can be practised with utmost ease. It is most
suitable for our lifestyles. Let us hold on fast to the Naama Smaran and attain
worldly happiness and Grace of God
