Ram.... Ram

Ram Ram... 

The human memory is short and long. 

Short.. 

Maha Periyava referred to the poet Kabir Das -  in volume 3 தெய்வத்தின் குரல் - longing to get initiation and a sort of Mantropadesh,  kind of a syllable from his Guru Ramanand.

Though born as a Hindu, it's believed Kabirdas grew up in a Muslim family. Hence he was skeptic whether Mahan Ramanand would fulfil his wish to get Mantra initiation. 

He ventured to enact a tantrum. 

Every morning at Bhraama Muhurtam,  the time in the early morning 2 hours before Sunrise,  Mahan used to reach the river Ganga for the early morning bath. 

Kabir wanting to use this opportunity,  went and slept at the steps to Ganges. The time, being too early in the morning,  was pitch dark. Unable to notice Kabir sleeping on the steps,  Mahan inadvertently stepped on sleeping Kabir. To atone his mistake of stepping on Kabir and seek the pardon of Lord,  Mahan Ramanand called out,  "Ram,  Ram."

Kabir felt blessed and took Mahan's calling Ram,  Ram to be his initiation. 

When I read this,  my mind went into contemplation of how I  got to get Ram Ram  writing note books and first gave it to my Mother. 

It didn't strike me immediately how.  The reason for short of human memory.  Once the contemplation starts,  the mind doesn't rest until it finds out. 

God, 

The short of memory turns long and there you find out what you seek. 

On one morning of relaxation during Covid, I went to Sathyanarayana Temple at Srinivasan Street, West Mambalam.  There is a custom in that temple,  more exclusively at the Lord Hanuman Sanctum. When you have a prayer, shankalp to achieve a good aim,  to get redressed of your hardship in life and to succeed in good cause,  people offer at the feet of Lord Hanuman a picture chart. The picture chart carries the sketch of Lord Hanuman in tapas posture. People having prayer fill the chart writing 'Sri Ramajayam' Nama.  Once they fully fill it, they present the same at the feet of Lord Hanuman in this temple. 

On that particular Covid relaxation day, a lady devotee came to present the picture. Because of Covid restriction, the priest said,  "now accepting the picture is stopped till further directions from the Government."

Seeing the disappointment of the lady,  the priest said,  "you don't worry. There is a Rama Nama Manthir in Vinayagam Street, a few streets behind Ayodhya Mandapam. There you can offer the picture."

Somehow this Rama Nama Manthir got into my subconscious. Anything going into subconscious state is nature bound to churn and surface someday. 

That someday happened immediately after slowly the Covid new normal gradually turned back to its old normal. I shot off to the Rama Nama Manthir. I was directed to the second floor there. Wow! You see pictures of Swamijis, Lord Hanuman, engulfed by bundles and bundles tightly and neatly packed filling half the space in that floor from floor to ceiling. They explained these are all the Sri Rama Nama notebooks written by Bhakthas. And suggested if interested you may buy the RaMa Nama Notebook from the book stall in the first floor. 

The notebook carries 'Ram Ram' on the first line of page 1. They have books of varying numbers. Suppose you wish to write 1008 times Rama Nama, you can get. 1.08 lac times,  yes you have it. 

Even if I don't venture myself to write I thought it may help others and by being tiny tool to someone wishing to write Ram Nama,  and at least a bit of punya  would trickle down to me. So the first one I presented to my mother. 

She finished her 1.08 lac times writing Ram Nama. Seeing her doing it,  slowly the near and dear and a couple of relatives asked me to get note books for them also. 

Within about last two years, they all completed the mission writing Ram Nama and gave them to me for offering at Rama Manthir.

Last Ram Navami 2021, On behalf of all the champions I offered the books at the feet of Lord Ram and Hanuman there. 

Now I get more calls,  one relative's daughter from Singapore,  a craftsman's better half, the young nephew.....the list goes on..... And I wish it be so.... 

Writing Ram Nama,

Or for that any Lord's Name - Lord of your wish, 

There is focus of energy. 

The byproduct is peace and prayerfullnes. 

श्री राम राम रामेति रमे रामे मनोरमे ।

सहस्रनाम तत् तुल्यं रामनाम वरानने ॥

Transliteration

śrī rāma rāma rāmēti ramē rāmē manōramē ।

sahasranāma tat tulyaṁ rāmanāma varānanē ॥

English Meaning

Chanting Sri Rama’s name even once is equivalent to saying Vishnu Sahasranamam a thousand times (as Lord Shiva said to Parvati). Therefore, the advice is to chant at least this line if one cannot find the time to chant all of Vishnu Sahasranama.