Glory of the Divine name and its saving power-hi

Glory of the divine name and its saving power

It is believed that the names of God are more powerful than the Lord himself. It is said when Shri Rama who is the Parabrahman himself dropped a tiny pebble into the waters of the Sharayu river, it just sank down, whereas the heavy and massive boulders thrown by the Vaanaras into the sea with the name of Rama scribbled on them subdued the mighty waves and made a bridge over the vast ocean. Baba says that the name of the Lord is like a thunderbolt that destroys mountain loads of sins. In the Kali Yuga through Namasmarana or mere chanting of Shri Krishna’s name and glories one is freed from the worldly bondage and attains Moksha. Prayer and stotras have a great power within them. For e.g. Rama’s name has the illuminating power of the sun, the evil destroying power of the fire and the peace and joy giving power of the moon. In this body of ours, there are certain definite centres, which correspond to our various stages of consciousness. When our mind dwells persistently on lower centres, by indulging in vulgar thoughts and in common-place and dissipating activities and ideas, we exhibit anger, fear, envy, jealousy and all manners of physical ills and mental unrest. The one way to lift the mind from the lower centres is by clinging to the Lord’s Name. We have to rope the mind to the Lord’s Name. The mind gets uplifted and purified.

Just as an air conditioner takes away the heat from the body and in return gives you its cool air, so also prayers instil in us virtues (Daivi sampat) and destroy the evil tendencies present in us.

Prayer is the essence of all religions and we must have equal regard and respect for all prayers of all religions. Baba says. “Every religion is a facet of the same Truth. Every Name is a signpost to his glory. Every form is a reminder of His beauty, His compassion…. Fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man is the only truth.” The sacred symbols of all the religions – the Pranava symbol of the Hindus, the Dharmachakra symbol of Buddhism, the Fire symbol of Zoroastrianism, the Star and Crescent symbol of Islam and the Cross of Christianity all represent one God only (Ekam Sat), and our veneration should flow to all of them alike. Our prayers should be for the welfare of all.

Prayers should be offered with one pointedness of mind and in a spirit of total surrender to the Lord. Purity of feeling is the most important in prayer. A spirit of total surrender should fill our whole being. Prayers should spring forth from the depth of the heart lifting the soul to God.

Prayer should become a daily discipline and constant habit. Baba insists that we should begin the day with prayer, do all our duties with prayer and even go through our aahaara and Vihaara (food and recreation) with prayer and end the day with prayer. Prayer should eventually become a constant habit. We have a vast heritage of stotras and prayers on different Gods and this is the richest legacy given to us by our Saints and Seers. At a young age it is easy to learn by heart the traditional shlokas, as the mind is very receptive. These prayers are a shower of nectar to your ears and heart. Shlokas learnt at an early age will be our best companion and guide in our life’s journey. They will give us peace of mind and solace in times of turmoil. Prayers become the greatest armour of strength and protection during struggles of life. They help us to reach the lotus feet and attain the ultimate goal of life i.e. Moksha. In short they make our life a grand pilgrimage.

Deepam Jyothi Para-brahma

Deepam Jyothi Parayana

Deepo Haratume Papam

Sandhyaa Deepam Namostute

“I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp whose light is Supreme Knowledge which removes the darkness of ignorance and by which all can be achieved.”