Shri Saibaba Sansthan,Shirdi                                                                         Shri Saileela Main Page

The Jiva (ego), O Lord, is deluded by Your May and can be redeemed only by Your Grace. On top of it, I swear by the Hero of Raghu’s line, I know neither adoration nor any other means (of pleasing You). A servant depends on the master and a child its mother and both remain free from anxiety; for a master needs must take care of his servant.” So saying he clutched at Rama’s feet, overwhelmed with love. The Lord of Raghus soothed him and said : “You are twice dear to Me as Lakshmana. Everyone says that I look upon all with the same eye; but a devoteee is particularly dear to Me because he too depends on none but Me.” (Ramacharitamanasa, Gorakhpur Edn.)

This statement of Sri Rama, is interpreted by scholars, as to imply that Rama and Lakshmana were one in each other. Rama was Lakshmana and Lakshmana was Rama. Hanuman, therefore, was dear to Rama than Himself. Lakshmana served only Rama, whereas Hanuman served them both and hence ‘twice dear’. Hanuman would not allow the noble brothers to climb the mountain as he thought the hard mountain may hurt their delicate feet and, therefore, he carried them on his shoulders. This episode shows the nature of Ananya Bhakti.  Such a Bhakta is the true Bhakta – a devotee servant – who took the Lord alone his master.

The Importance of Ramanama–        Dr. M. Narasimhachary

The name ‘Rama’ is quite unique. Its potency and sanctity are matters of personal experience. Great sages of our land enjoyed its sweetness and sang eloquently about it. Valmiki, the Adikavi of Sanskrit literature, who wrote the Ramayana, according to ancient accounts, was a highway robber to start with. The seven great sages headed by Narada were once waylaid by him and they took pity on him, saw his future emanation as a great saint-poet and gave him the name ‘Rama’ in the reverse fashion, i.e., ‘Ma-na’. Valmiki (whose earlier name was Ratnakara) chanted the Mantra that way, and became a great saint. Later on, he was destined to compose the immortal Epic, the Ramayana, at the behest of Brahma the Creator God. Now let us have a peep into the efficacy and potency of this wonderful name ‘Rama’ which keeps even now, large concourses of people spellbound  when it is just chanted. Let us also at the outset keep in mind the fact that the name ‘Rama’ refers to the son of Dasaratha but not either to Parashurama or to Balarama.

The name ‘Rama’ is sweet and is composed of sweet-sounding letters, ‘Ra’ and ‘Ma’. The semi-vowel ‘Ra’ and the labial ‘ma’ make a sweet combination. Whenever Valmiki uses the name ‘Rama’, he uses the epithets ‘abhirama’ (beautiful) and/or ‘Madhura’ (sweet). How can his experience be otherwise ? In fact one of the verses of the Rama-raksa Stotra reads as follows :

(I bow down to Valmiki the cuckoo-bird, which, perched on the branch of the tree of poesy, sings sweetly the sweet-lettered name ‘Rama’.)