The Mother Divine
Change Font Size 
 Home
NAAM IS AMRIT
By Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath


‘Naam’ is the wealth of the desireless persons. However, even if one desires material fulfilment or Moksha (liberation) or bliss, he gets it through ‘Naam’. ‘Naam’ is the source of all non-materialistic pleasure. ‘Naam’ brings about Vairagya (non-attachment). If anyone desires wealth, high position, health etc., ‘Naam’ gives him all that he desires. Any supplicant before ‘Naam’ gets his desired result. But if anyone prays at the root of this Naam-Kalpataru (Naam tree which gives whatever one desires) only for physical enjoyment and pleasure in this life, he deprives himself of the real effect of ‘Naam’, because though ‘Naam’ fulfils his worldly desires, it does not show him its real self, i.e., the ‘Paramananda’ identity. If any wicked person chants ‘Naam’ in order to get respect and honour from others, ‘Naam’ brings him that honour, but, due to his excessive wickedness, he will suffer punishment also.

Q. What is excessive wickedness?

A. A man may chant ‘Naam’ in the presence of others only; but unseen by them he commits many sinful acts such as coveting others' wives, eating prohibited food and telling lies. For these sins he will have to suffer a great deal of pain and sorrow in this life. He will have to cry day after day due to the pains of illness and sorrows.

Q. Then what is the use of singing ‘Naam’?
A. But that is not taking shelter under ‘Naam’, rather it amounts to deserting ‘Naam’. After getting respect and reverence with the help of ‘Naam’, if one gives up ‘Naam’ and starts doing evil deeds, then those deeds are bound to give him trouble. If you utter ‘Naam’ once, but then abuse sadhus, covet others’ wives, indulge in perjury, commit theft and drink, how can uttering ‘Naam’ once produce any result? Rather you will get punished for not uttering ‘Naam’ regularly.

Q. But you have said: one who utters ‘Naam’ once, all his sins like killing a brahmin, drinking, coveting other’s wife are destroyed and he gets Param Gati i.e. liberation. Does it mean that this is untrue?

A. No, why should it be untrue? By uttering ‘Naam’ once all his past sins are destroyed. But if he does not utter ‘Naam’ any more but indulges in sinful acts, why should he not be punished for that? That by uttering ‘Naam’ even once, one pleases God and gets rid of his sins, has been said by the Shastras. On the other hand, the Shastras also say that there is no greater sin than coveting another’s wife and that if one indulges in drinking, perjury, theft and dacoity, he has to undergo certain punishment. If one continues to indulge in sin but wants to becomes a sadhu suddenly by uttering Hari Naam once, why should he not undergo punishment?

Q. Then the ‘Naam’ which he has uttered once becomes fruitless.

A. No, why should it be fruitless?

If that ‘Naam’ is thrown amongst persons for whom the body is everything, who are devils for money, who are slaves to women, who are avaricious and wicked, it does not produce result quickly./p>

Q. You have said earlier also that by hearing Naam, sins are destroyed. Now please tell me whether Naam gives moksha (liberation) to the singer.
A. No; whatever one prays for before Naam Kalpataru (wish tree), he gets that.

Q. Suppose one dies while committing sins, what good will ‘Naam’ do to him later?

A. That one ‘Naam’ will be his fare for the journey to the next world. It will accompany him, kindle in him good intentions and ultimately make him one with itself.

Q. But that happens in the next life. No fruit is evident in this life?

A. If he wants to see the result in this life, then he must give up all guilty deeds and sing ‘Naam’ daily and incessantly.

Q. What is a guilty deed?

A. There may be ten guilts in connection with ‘Naam’. The first is to speak ill of sadhus - this is a serious guilt. Sadhus praise God. So, he cannot tolerate any abuses hurled at them. The second guilt is to think that ‘Naam’ and the qualities of Vishnu and Shiva are different. The third is to look down upon Guru. The fourth is to speak ill of the Shastras. The fifth is to argue that by singing Hari Naam one does not get the result as described by the Shastras; all the attributes are given only to praise the so-called greatness of ‘Naam’. The sixth is to commit sin under the shelter of ‘Naam’s power; even Yama cannot purify such a person. The seventh is to compare as equals Dharma, Vrata, Tyaga, Homa, etc., with ‘Naam’, i.e., to think that one gets by Yajna all that one can get from ‘Naam’. The eighth is to give instructions about ‘Naam’ to those who have no reverence for it, who are hostile to Sri Hari and who do not like to hear ‘Naam’. The ninth is not to love ‘Naam’ even after hearing about its greatness. And the tenth is to remain attached to pride, affection and enjoyments even when uttering ‘Naam’.

Q. How does one get inclination not to do sins by singing ‘Naam’? How is this possible?

A. Suppose some one hears that by singing ‘Naam’ one is relieved from grave sins like killing a cow or a Brahmin, coveting another’s wife, drinking or speaking lies and entertains the idea that, if he commits adultery or drinks, that sin will be destroyed by singing ‘Naam’ for two hours, or if he commits perjury and then sings ‘Naam’ for an hour, his sin would be destroyed and he will be sinless and acts accordingly, he is a great sinner. He wants to commit sin by making ‘Naam’, the God his abettor. As a result, he suffers from endless sorrows.

Q. Well, the Vaishnavas do Nagar-Kirtan, singing loudly. Do they not thereby make ‘Naam’ available to even men without faith and reverence?

A. Singing Kirtan in loud voice does not do any harm, rather it is beneficial. But if one tries to initiate a faithless, person in ‘Naam’, the latter will not accept the instruction. Rather he will spoil his tongue by speaking ill of ‘Naam’ and also make the instructor share in the sin by making him hear ill of ‘Naam’. Hence to instruct the man without faith about ‘Naam’ is counted among one of the guilts concerning ‘Naam’.

Q. How can one escape from these guilts; one commits them consciously or unconsciously every day.

A. If one takes shelter under God, he is freed from all these guilts. If a man offends Sri Hari, he can overcome this sin only with the help of ‘Naam’ by taking shelter with ‘Naam’. But if one commits offence towards ‘Naam’, which is the well-wisher of the entire universe, his downfall is certain.

Q. Is there no way to overcome this guilt?

A. Yes, there is: —

If by mistake one commits an offence in the respect of 'Naam', then he should take complete shelter with 'Naam' by singing 'Naam' constantly. In this way he is relieved of his guilt.

Naam destroys the sin of those persons who are guilty of offences in respect of ‘Naam’. ‘Naam’ which is kept engaged ceaselessly, i.e., which is sung repeatedly, produces all merit and bestows love for God.

Q. Then Akhanda Naam Kirtan is the antidote for offences concerning ‘Naam’, is it not?

A. Yes, continue singing ‘Naam’ incessantly; let the world disappear from your view. Let ‘Naam’ dance both inside and outside yourself. Sing —

Sri Rama, Jai Rama, Jai Jai Rama