THE CELESTIAL
SOUND OF ‘RAM NAAM’ - II
Dr.
Gautam Chatterjee
It was 1925 Swami Satyanand Saraswati, then as an Arya
Samaji devout, started meditating in a secluded place of Dalhousie. He
decided not to get up from ‘ashan’ unless he meets ‘Param’ or
enlightenment. After one month on the Vyas Purnima day, he wrote, while
meditating deeply he heard the sonorous sound ‘Ram’ . Swamiji felt some
beings were chanting ‘Ram-Ram’ all around. But after opening his eyes he
could not see anything. Ignoring the ‘happening’ he again closed his
eyes and he could then hear the melodious sweet sound of ‘Ram Ram’. It
followed a celestial instruction as akashvani: ‘Ram Bhaj, Ram Bhaj Ram
Ram’. (Chant the name of Ram,Ram Ram). Swamiji first thought it was an
interruption or ‘Bighna’,but again he thought that ‘Ram’ as the name
was no ordinary name! Suddenly he realized and got up from his ‘ashan’(seat)
with great reverence as if some great soul has appeared and he started
trembling.
Swamiji heard the voice again and then with folded
hand Swamiji requested to the voice to appear. The voice asked in which form
HE should appear! Swamiji requested HIM to appear in his original form !
Then appeared the glittering jyoti studded two letters RA and M. Likewise,
Swamiji received the bliss of eternity called Ram. It was Vyas Purnima--the
day dedicated to the teachers or param-guru of the world! And interestingly,
for Swamiji ‘Ram’the celestial figure who visit the universe in every
yug,appeared as Guru and as the goal or destiny as well! This magnificent
realization was the initiation of Swamiji who thereafter preached the
philosophy of ‘Ram’ the eternal sound to the common man so that people
could get an attainable spiritual direction without the dogmas or
ritualistic peripheral worship concept. Today this sacred name besmear
millions around the world, from United States of America to the tribal
population of India, under the auspicious banner of ‘ Shree ShreeRam
Saranam’ which literally means taking refuge in Ram.
Swami Satyananda Saraswati was born in 1918 on Shukla
Purnima in Rawalpindi(modern Pakistan). Beforelong, he lost his parents and
Maternal Grand Father ,Uncle brought him up with care. By the time he was
17, Lakshman, his the then name, got opportunity to mix up with Jain Munis.
Empowered with sharp memory and dedication, he mastered the literary
tradition of Jain Philosophy. His oratory and convincing power got him name
and fame. But with the passage of time he was disillusioned about the ‘god-less’
philosophy and entered ceremonially into Arya Samaj who preached ‘back to
the Vedas’. Again on understanding ‘Ram’ has no place in their world
of ‘AUM’ he walked out of Arya Samaj fold with grace!
Being a learned man with proper exposures in global
school of theosophies encompassing all religion, he propounded the school of
thought where formless ‘Naam Japa of Ram’remains the epicenter of
universal nada(sonic) concept.
The central theme is worshipping the name of RAM and
the utterance is the method of attainment of enlightenment. Swamiji
propounded the theory of ‘Naam Japa’ on a scientific line of ‘sound’
phenomenon within and outside of every human being. He looked into it more
as ‘research scientist’ of name theosophy where the end result remains a
matter of ‘experiencing’ the bliss and living through it to attain
enlightenment.
Swamiji initiated ‘Naam Daan’ or (donating the
celestial name) and it has no ritualistic punctuation. There is no
puja(flower,fruit or any ritualistic utensil) or donation, there is no other
method than ‘Japa Yoga’ and ‘Sat sang Sadhana’. In return one has to
be disciplined one with no amoral inclinations and should dedicate to the
name and the formless ‘Ram’. Anybody can get the ‘naam Diksha’ no
matter one is a poor beggar or a wealthy man. Swamiji propounded that
through this name anybody would get the ‘bliss’ and sail through life
and without becoming dogmatic.
In the doctrine of ‘Naam Yoga’ one has to install
the celestial sound in one’s heart as the ‘sound idol’ and which
should through the process of loud and silent chanting within envelop the
whole body and mind. Then it works as a system of ‘Thesophical
Medication’,and
cures the ailment caused by the chaos within and restores peace and
tranquillity of the self. Once the heavenly ‘silence and tranquillity’
is installed in the body one sways through the waves ‘Tarang’ called ‘Bliss’
undermining the materialistic and mortal pathos of life. Again this school
never promises a ‘miracle’ and warns that to receive the bliss one has
to have proper ‘idealistic’ utensil to receive the shower of bliss of
Paramatma Shree Ram. And the ‘Ram’ remains the seed mantra to achieve
‘Vaikuntha’ or the place in the celestial abode of Ram.
From theosophical perspective Swamiji in his discourse
which was compiled in the book titled ‘Pravachan Piyuush’ said that
whosoever worship the name and submits totally to HIM then one should not
bother about siddhi(spiritual attainment) and Shree Ram would take care of
refinement of soul and take to the heights of ‘Param’ without any
hindrance.
Interestingly enough in the ShreeRam Saranam School of
thought the importance of chanting the name for certain ‘number of times’
is not prescribed as 108 or 1001 which is prevalent in other contemporary
systems of Hindu way of life. Rather it proposes to chant the name as many
times as possible and the process of ‘Japa’ is not restricted to the ‘meditation’
ashan or seat and one is free chant and run the ‘woolen’ mala even one
is working. And there is a concept of ‘Ajapa Jaap’ which can be achieved
by anybody! This is a state of mind where internally the name continues to
resound even one is deep asleep. Likewise,by chanting name for unlimited
times leads to creation of ‘sacred space’ within which throws away the
‘evil’ of the mind and body and thus automatically purifies the soul.
Thus it provides the method of ‘sound’bathing and ill intentions wither
away and corrective feelings are planted automatically. Thus sound ‘Ram’
works as creative sonic energy within and wipes-out the human ‘weaknesses’
to strive for the attainment of Param and provide linkages with Paramatman.
Propounding the basic philosophy of ‘Shree ShreeRam
Saranam’ Swami Satyanandji attained pari-nirvana on 13 November,1960.
Thereafter Premji Maharaj, a close disciple,a homeopath,a spiritual healer
as well,took up the lead to expand the philosophy of ‘ Naam Daan’.
Premji Maharaj continued his healing touch and thousand all around got
baptized and found solace amidst the chaotic materialistic world of growing
India. When Premji Maharaj attained Vaikuntha the Trust requested a disciple
of ‘ShreeRam Saranam’
Dr Viswamitra, a
renowned Ocular Micro-Biologist,only one in Asia in those days, who after 22
years of serving the physically ailing world at All India Institute of
Medical Sciences was attaining spiritual emancipation at Manali the abode of
Manu which is also known as Manualaya. After conceding to the request Swami
Dr Viswamitra came back to the world of healing again,this time with
spiritual fervour. Today his disciples running into millions from all strata
and creed and colour amalgamate to take the celestial bathing of ‘Ram Naam’.The
healing touch has even encompassed prisoners who have vouched to desist from
the path of sin and regularly chants ‘raam raam’.
Once some disciple said to Swami Dr Viswamitraji that
he wanted to have some discussions. Then Swamiji smilingly said ‘We are
here to reduce the shor or noise...’. Thus the naam japa is a sound within
and goes on to silence the chaotic sound all around. Thus within the silence
the sound of Ram charges a disciple’s life-style and definitely creates
the celestial bridge to the Paramatman.
Explaining the mysticism of Shree Shreeram Saranam
Swami Dr Viswamitraji explained, in an exclusive interview at Manali to
Discover India ,that there are three primary Ss which are fundamental of
naam- japa. The first S is Simran or taking the name of lord passionately
for innumerable times and in ceaseless fashion. Through the process
attributes or Guna of Lord Rama besmear the soul of a devout and papa or
ill-doings fades away. Thus Rama is called all merciful and dwells in the
hearts of a devout who takes refuge in Him.
The Second ‘S’ is Samyam’ or self-control which
envelopes ethical and moral refinement of life. This self-discipline remains
the cue for any devout for his/her emancipation. This concept of Samyam is
also part of strong undillutable character building process as stressed by
Swami Satyanandji Maharaj in 60s.
And the last of Ss is Sewa or service. This service
does not include the materialistic donation of money or the mortalistic
offering or service like ‘Deha Daan’ etc. But Sewa in Shree Shreeram
Saranam means service to the God by means of Japa or counting the beads.
Here putting others in the right track remains the stress point. Praying for
others to relive them from pathos of life be in ‘Ram Durbar’ or
elsewhere and that too silently is the service to the God. Thus Shree
Shreeram Saranam propounds the theory of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’(whole
world is one family). So praying for other beyond the ‘relations’ remains the catch word. Se we see Ram Naam works as
theosopic medication and medication as well.
In the summing up it can be said Shree ShreeRam
Saranam propounds the philosophy of journey of Atman to the
Paramatman through the method of Ram Ram. This is a newer dimension
of Advaita(non-dual) path with a touch of deep love or Bhakti and
again without hindering the Karma Yoga at the materialistic plane.