Time spent laughing is time spent with the Gods. - Japanese Proverb

Glory of Naam-Japa

Gyan Rajhans P. Eng. 

Naam-Japa literally means the repetition of God’s name or Divine Name.  The tradition of japa in Hinduism dates back to the ancient times of the Rishis of the Veda. "Of all the yajnas I am the japa yajna," declares Lord Krishna to Arjuna (Bhagvad Gita, X.2). Goswami Tulasidas in Ramcharitmanas says, “Through the repetition of God’s name the very ocean of mundane existence gets dried up.”  What is the rationale of Japa? What is its process? Is japa without devotion and understanding effective? These are some of the questions I would like to discuss in this article.

Divine Name

The Divine Name has the potency to stamp and mould the consciousness, which repeats it into the nature of the Divinity for which the Name stands and prepare it for the reception of the gathering revelation of the Godhead.

At the basis of japa is the ancient perception of sages all over the world that creation proceeds from sound. The universe has issued out of Naada Brahman (Brahman as Sound). There are, however, certain conditions in which alone the japa of a Divine Name produces the intended results. If the japa is primarily based on the mind, then there must be a keen awareness of the deity or the nature of the truth that the name is associated with. If the japa is done in the heart, there must be a strong feeling, an intensity accompanying the repetition. The japa should rise on the crest of deep emotion. The whole of the heart must beat in unison with the name which thus gathers strength, acquires a fresh life in the individual and in time begins to repeat itself spontaneously.

Faith

Even if neither of the above is possible, neither a mental identification nor an infusion of life and feeling from the heart, there must be at least a strong faith in the Naam-Japa. When repeated with such faith for long, the Divine Name goes on creating vibrations which press upon the layers of the inner consciousness till one day there comes a sudden opening and the power hidden in the Divine Name reveals itself to the being. The name is essentially one with the Lord. The name accomplishes everything by virtue of its potency, by virtue of its own intrinsic worth. Particularly in this age of Kali there is no means to God-realization other than the Naam-Japa.

Difference between Mantra Chanting and Naam- Japa

In my article “The Power of Mantra Chanting”2 I stated that in order for the mantra to be effective, it needs to be alive. There is a chaitanya, a consciousness, in each mantra, and that should be awakened. Normally this is done by the Guru who gives the mantra. He energizes the mantra by his spiritual power, sets its life into motion and delivers it into the being of the disciple. It is up to the recipient thereafter to tend and nourish the life of the mantra so received, to let it instill itself into the core of his being, spread all through his consciousness.

There is no such condition for Naam-Japa to be effective. Even as fire is naturally endowed with the capacity to burn combustible substances, the Divine Name has the natural capacity to burn away sin. Even the factor of reverence is not essential. If reverence is there, so much the better. But we need not cast our eyes towards reverence. Naam-Japa must be done at all events, even if reverence is lacking. The wonderful thing about Naam-Japa is that there are no stringent regulations regarding its chanting — it can be handled by anyone at any time and at any place.

Logic, the Stumbling Block

Logic intervenes and misleads us to argue that one's hunger is not appeased by merely repeating the word `bread'. But take it for granted that the Divine Name is not a material sound like the word 'bread'. The word itself is Brahman. There is no distinction between the name and the object signified by it, viz., God. Control of the mind is a most difficult job-an endeavour to silence the mind is most difficult to undertake. But the Divine Name is an easy recipe for mind-control as well.

Types of Naam-Japa

There are three kinds of Naam-Japa

(1) The vaachika :  the Divine Name is pronounced in a clear, distinct and loud manner.

(2) The upaamsu: the Divine Name is pronounced distinctly but in a very low tone so that only the person repeating knows them. Only, the lips move.

(3) The maanasa or mental japa: here there is no movement of any of the vocal organs or the lips.

It is usual in the traditional method of doing japa to fix the number of times one is to repeat the Divine Name at a sitting or the total number to complete the schedule. It is known that numbers have an occult significance, but we need not enter into that subject here. Suffice it to say that to keep count of the number a rosary is generally used.

The rosary or japa-mala contains usually 108 beads of which one is bigger than the rest; the larger sized bead is the meru. The beads are rolled using the right thumb and the middle finger (of the right hand). The meru must not be crossed. When one reaches the meru it means the japa has been done 108 times and the fingers must be turned back from the last bead for another 108 and so on. The number of times that the Mala is completed is recorded, usually by the left thumb moving along the three lines of each finger of the left hand.

Now, what is "Ajappaa Japa"? With sincere and faithful practice, after the Naam Japa is perfected aloud, it becomes soft and then mental. At the mental level, it is done silently, making the sound mentally without the support of the tongue or any other external limbs of the body. This is called "Ajappaa Japa", unchanted or silent chant. The ultimate accomplishment in the performance of Naam- Japa is going to walk, stand, sit, eat, work, sleep, etc., while internally the Japa continues without a break, spontaneously. This is the unbroken meditation.

Glory of Naam-Japa

The name of God has glory which cannot be circumscribed in words. The scriptures say that Naam-Japa rewards the devotee with love and devotion to God in addition to liberation or moksha. The chanting of Divine Name also washes away sins of several lifetimes. Some scholars undervalue the efficacy of the Divine Name and regard Naam-Japa as an inferior method meant for those unable to take to other supposedly superior spiritual practices. The glory of the Divine Name is underestimated because the process appears too easy. It is said in the Bhagavata Purana that the Lord is non-different from His name and that the name is His sound incarnation. The puranas literature declares the names of God to be the only means of salvation for Kaliyuga, thereby reducing all other spiritual practices to mere adjunctives.

In Hinduism each deity has its own name. For the same deity there are also different names related to its different aspects of manifestation. And so the number of names that are used for japa is quite large. It is not to be taken that only the names which have been handed down by tradition are sacred and none outside those can be chosen for japa. In the endless manifestation of the Glory of the Divine many are the truths that are continually formulating themselves and are so perceived by the Seers. All names of God are alike. Chanting any name with faith, success and grace can be obtained. Sorrow and frustration enter the mind of one who forgets God. The best way to remember God is to chant His name always and under all circumstances. I would like to conclude this article by quoting Sant Tukaram:

“He who utters the Name of God while walking
    gets the merit of a sacrifice at every step.
His body becomes a place of pilgrimage.
He who repeats God's Name while working
    always finds perfect peace.
He who utters the Name of God while eating
    gets the merit of a fast
    even though he has taken his meals.”

[Gyan Rajhans, an internationally recognized health & safety professional has been broadcasting the only non-commercial Vedic religion radio program in North America since 1981 & worldwide web cast on www.bhajanawali.com since 1999. Mr. Rajhans has published extensively on religious and spiritual matters. Some articles are available on the Bhajanawali web site. He has translated Sri Mad Bhagvad Gita in English for the younger generation. Mr. Rajhans has been conferred various titles, including that of Rishi by Hindu Prarthana Samaj of Toronto Hindu Ratna by Hindu Federation of Toronto. He received an award  for 2005 in the Internet category - Opinion - for his Spirituality columns in South Asian Outlook e-Monthly, from  Canadian Journalists' and Writers' Club (CEJWC), now re-named as Canadian Ethnic Media Association.]

Previous Columns: 

Other Columns   

Attitude - A positive Asset in Us  - Sandhya Pathania

   Stand Up for Your Life  - Sandhya Pathania

   Our Thoughts Our Experiences  - Sandhya Pathania

   The Message of the Bhagavad Gita - Swami Chidanand Saraswati

Exploring the Intuitive Power - Sandhya Pathania

Going Beyond Images - SK Vasudeva

Your Happiness, Your Life - SK Vasudeva 

Spiritual thoughts from Taoism - Sandhya Pathania

Demystifying the Sovereign Secret of the Soul - SK Vasudeva 

Hinduism – A Brief Sketch - Swami Vivekananda Part I  II  III