From Snake to Swan

“The tongue is like a snake and the mouth like a snake hole for the person who does not chant the holy names of the Lord. Those who have no love for Shri Rama are understood to be bereft of the creator’s favor, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 40)

rasanā sam̐āpini badana bila je na japahiṃ harināma |
tulasī prema na rāma soṃ tāhi bidhātā bāma ||

A sincere lover will always think of new ways to properly describe their intense and pure emotions to others. It’s not easy to put what you feel into words, especially if you are presenting your thoughts through poems that can also be sung. Because of the constraints accompanying poetry, the writer must use brevity, which Shakespeare referred to as the soul of wit. In this nice verse from the Dohavali, the poet Tulsidas very succinctly and emphatically declares his love for Shri Rama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and at the same time provides valuable insight into the purpose of human life. Our bodies were crafted through nature’s influence, which works under the direction of the creator. Just as a machine is the result of fine craftsmanship on the part of one or more intelligent human beings, the form adopted by the spirit soul is due solely to the work of a higher power, the creator who is in charge of distributing the results of karma, or fruitive work. When a particular individual has no love for the Supreme Lord, who is a loving God through and through, then the creator obviously has not been favorable to them.

In the verse above, Tulsidas first says that anyone who doesn’t chant the names of Hari essentially has a tongue which is like a serpent and a mouth which is like a serpent hole. The comparison is so extreme that it is even a bit humorous, as it conveys the deep love and affection held by the poet not only for the person addressed in harinama-japa, or the silent chanting of a devotional mantra, but also the recitation process itself. The tongue reveals the thoughts of the mind; through our speech our ideas and feelings are communicated to others. When time is spent chanting the Lord’s holy names, such as those found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, the tongue is put to good use.

Hari is another word for God that means “one who removes distresses”. The Supreme Lord’s position is not to facilitate desires for personal sense gratification or advancement in some material endeavor. These aspects of life essentially take care of themselves through the workings of nature, which are managed by elevated living entities that are godly but not equal to the Supreme Lord. The distresses that Hari removes relate to devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. In the absence of God consciousness, the living entity, in any form he accepts, takes part in activities driven only by animal instincts. Eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired, have sexual relations when you are stimulated, and defend your property from foreign attack. But consciousness is the real gift given to the soul, which is the essence of life. Therefore the true aim in any form of body is to develop this consciousness fully and purify it by connecting it with God.

Yoga is meant only for this purpose. The root meaning of yoga is “plus”, or “addition”. The two operands in the equation are the individual spiritual entity and the fountainhead of all things matter and spirit, God. Since the Supreme Lord is superior, if He sees someone steadily determined in yoga, trying very hard to connect with Him, He removes their fears. In this sense the tongue is one of the greatest blessings bestowed upon the living entity. Through the medium of the tongue, one can regularly chant the names of Hari, or harinama, of which there are too many to count. Rama is the favorite name for Tulsidas, as it represents the Supreme Lord’s divine incarnation of Shri Ramachandra who appeared on earth in the guise of a warrior prince many thousands of years ago. Tulsidas dedicated his whole life to chanting the glories of Rama and persuading others to take to pure bhakti, wherein one’s life and soul would be surrendered to the interests of Hari.

Aside from its ability to purify, chanting the names of Hari is a very pleasurable experience, especially for one who is able to steadily develop their God consciousness. In every other endeavor the instigating factor is the desire for happiness or enjoyment. When engagement or dedication in an activity ceases, it is to be understood that the enjoyment has withered away. If we suck the juice out of sugarcane, we really have no use for the plant anymore. Therefore once one activity gets boring, we will jump to another and try to squeeze the sweetness out of it. With bhakti, however, it is seen that the dedication to chanting and devotional service in general only increases with further practice. This property of spiritual science can never be understood by blunt measurements or deductive reasoning. In the spiritual land, one minus one can equal one, as the Supreme Lord is not limited by any rules of a temporary land governed by matter.

Just as Hari knows no exhaustion, defeat, fear or loss, the devotees who regularly chant His names grow increasingly attached to bhakti-yoga and the happiness it brings. One who develops a taste for harinama will naturally compare their new situation to the way they felt before. Since everyone starts off at the same position, as unintelligent human beings needing guidance, even the advanced yogi can remember a time when he wasn’t wholly dedicated to connecting with the divine consciousness. Looking back on his previous life he will think of how uneventful and painful it was. He now loves chanting the names of the Lord so much that he will wonder how any person gifted with a tongue could ever refrain from such an activity.

The tongue is a very powerful instrument, as it can not only bring about a purification in consciousness, it can also lead the conditioned soul astray. When the tongue is used to chant the names of Hari and eat the remnants of foodstuff offered to Him [prasadam], the true benefit of the wonderful tongue included with the human body is realized. In the absence of God consciousness, the tongue talks about all sorts of nonsense, curses others, can’t be controlled in speech, and takes to eating varieties of impure foods. As the aim of human life is to realize God through yoga, any engagement which prohibits this connection can be considered impure and a waste of time. Since eating is a necessity for any life form, it cannot be neglected by the aspiring transcendentalist. Fortunately, every angle is covered by bhakti. For eating, the devotee is advised to eat the remnants of sacrifice, or yajna-shishta. A sacrifice is typically a formal ritual aimed at pleasing the enjoyer of all sacrifice, Yajneshvara, which is another name for Hari.

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit, or water, I will accept it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.26)

In the Bhagavad-gita, the same Hari, in His original form of Lord Krishna, states that if someone offers Him a flower, a fruit, a leaf or some water with love and devotion, He gladly accepts it. This doesn’t apply just to Krishna the original person, but to His deity representation as well. God is Absolute, so the sound vibration of His name and the picture depicting His transcendental features are non-different from Him. When food items are sacrificed in this way, Hari accepts them and then returns the remnants to the person doing the offering. By eating prasadam the tongue gets purified and remains immune to the effects of the material world, which act at every moment to attack the vulnerable senses.

Impure actions by the tongue indicate that the material forces have a strong influence on the individual. When the tongue eats animal flesh, especially that of a cow mercilessly killed in a slaughterhouse, the individual’s lack of God consciousness is revealed. All forms of life are Brahman, or pure spirit. Therefore even the animals are in the same boat as the human beings. They may not have the potential for high intelligence and the ability to fully develop consciousness, but this doesn’t mean that we should unnaturally stop their progression through the various forms of body. A small infant is very unintelligent, as are many innocent human beings, but this doesn’t give us license to kill them. When the tongue engages in unauthorized meat eating, the love for the Supreme Lord that naturally exists within the heart is understood to still be in a dormant state.

When the tongue talks about Hari, His forms, names and activities, the true benefit of speech is achieved. Accompanying japa is kirtana, which means “to glorify”. Kirtana usually takes the form of songs sung that describe the glories of the Supreme Lord. Japa is usually performed quietly and alone, while kirtana typically involves groups of people. The tongue that regularly takes part in these two activities obviously lives in the mouth of a wise person. Such a tongue belongs to the body of an individual who is very fortunate; to whom the creator was favorable.

The opinion that those who don’t chant the names of Hari have tongues like snakes and mouths like serpent holes seems a bit harsh. After all, we may know many people who are kind, pious, sweet and caring but don’t take part in bhakti. Should we consider their tongues to be like snakes? Let’s think of it this way. If we see a student in a classroom who is nice and polite but does not do any of their homework nor pass their exams, will we say that they are a good student? If we work with someone at the office who never tells a lie and never says a mean word but at the same time fails to complete the tasks assigned to them, would we say that they are a valuable asset to the company?

As the aim of human life is to become God conscious, for as long as that mission is not furthered, the body parts granted by the creator are not taken full advantage of. When the tongue doesn’t chant the names of Hari and glorify Him through speech and song, it must glorify and praise other living entities and things. Since these objects are not God, the tongue cannot be said to be properly utilized. A snake is a cold-blooded reptile, and a snake hole is not something we prefer to see, as it probably scares us more than anything. If someone speaks regularly about the glories of material life, which is fueled by illicit sex and unhealthy desires, their influence must be considered poisonous, as it will do nothing to further awareness of life’s real mission. The news media serves as the most notable culprit in this regard. Every day they have another new lead story, which either blasts a person they don’t like or praises someone they view as worthy of adulation and fame at the time. Obviously the attention paid does nothing tangible for anyone, as news from a few days ago is rarely revisited. If you give someone a newspaper that is more than a day old, they will not have any desire to read it. As a newspaper’s worthiness comes from its content, it is to be understood that the stories themselves become worthless after a few days.

While it may be harsh to say that the tongue of the materially conscious individual is like a snake, it should be remembered that the snake in this instance can be turned into a swan very quickly. Those who have made the best use of their tongues through chanting the names of Hari can distribute the nectar of the holy names to others, inducing them to take up their constitutional engagement. The soul is meant to serve in a loving mood, so when there is no information about Hari available, the individual will take to serving its own interests or the desires of other materially conscious individuals. Through distribution of the names of God, which is the primary aim of the bona fide spiritual preachers and the Vaishnava poets, thousands of snakelike entities can turn into wonderful swans that always remain amidst the lotus flowers represented by the sweet, transcendental vibrations that glorify the Supreme Lord.

“From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 8.16)

Tulsidas states that the creator has been unfavorable to those who don’t have love for Lord Rama. In the absence of bhakti, how can any situation gained in any form of body be considered favorable? As death takes away all accumulated gains, nothing remains for the conditioned soul at the time of quitting their body other than a return ticket to the same cycle of acceptance and rejection, which repeats perpetually until consciousness is purified. Bhakti’s benefits, on the other hand, are always increasing, as is evidenced by the increase in fervor and attachment that results from continuous practice in devotional efforts. The materially conscious individual was not shown favor by the creator, but the spiritually attached liberated soul has the full blessings of the Supreme Lord, who is the creator of even the creator. These benedictions can be received at any time, even if the creator was not originally favorable to us. God’s mercy is open to everyone, just as the sun’s rays hit every corner of the earth. One who knows how to take advantage of the divine mercy will make the most of their human form of life. Even if the creator grants us birth in an aristocratic family, a home full of spiritually conscious individuals, or the most pleasant circumstances, unless and until we tap into the divine consciousness, we cannot validly claim to have been favored by him. But when pure love for Shri Rama, the same God that everyone naturally believes in, is established, every body part and every condition of life becomes favorable, as they only further increase one’s God consciousness.

In Closing:

Those who attention to chanting Hari’s names do not give,

Their tongue like a snake in its hole of the mouth does live.

Seems like a harsh comparison for poet to make,

But from it great lesson we can take.

Tongue indicates what the mind is thinking of,

Whether it wants material enjoyment or divine love.

Purify eating by using tongue for prasadam tasting,

No more on unclean foods senses indulging.

Purify speech by talking of God, whose glories are broad,

No more wasting time on entities who are flawed.

Those without love for Rama by creator are not favored,

With the pains of material life are they beleaguered.

But within a second the snake can turn into a swan,

By on holy names and form of Rama concentrating on.

This Life and the Next

“Tulsidas says that those who love Shri Rama’s holy name, view Rama as their only abode, and have full trust in Rama’s name find auspiciousness, well-being and fortunes in both this world and the next simply by remembering that name.” (Dohavali, 39)

rāma nāma rati rāma gati rāma nāma bisvāsa |
sumirata subha mangala kusala duhum̐ disi tulasīdāsa ||

This is a simplified, yet perfect presentation of the process for attaining well-being in both this life and the next. The soul does not cease to be at any point in time. Even when the body is slain, the soul remains alive; a fact we are so nicely reminded of by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the Bhagavad-gita, the Song of God delivered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra some five thousand years ago. Here a celebrated poet named Tulsidas is glorifying the holy name of Rama, which represents the same Krishna and is a non-different form of Godhead which is equally as worshipable as the original. The formula given applies specifically to chanting the holy name and the benefits that come from remembrance of that name. As the soul has two destinations that can be chosen, one present and one future, so the benefits derived from bhakti, or devotional service, apply to every circumstance the individual may find.

“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.20)

The gist of the recommendation provided here is that one should invest love and faith in the name of Rama, which is the address for the Personality of Godhead that references His incarnation as Lord Ramachandra, the jewel of the Raghu dynasty, a warrior prince who rid the world of one of the most powerful evil forces ever seen. Just as in modern times there are certain men who are the most wanted and whose capture or death brings elation and a sense of comfort to the innocent, during the Treta Yuga there was one particular person who was terrorizing the innocent and simultaneously amassing an awe-inspiring level of power. To do away with this fiend, the Supreme Person Himself, after being petitioned by the saintly class in the heavenly planets, descended to earth in what appeared to be the form of an ordinary human being.

From the behavior of His associates, we can understand that Rama was actually not an ordinary man. One person especially, His wife Sita Devi, exhibited all the qualities of a devotee, or one who follows the prescriptions provided above by Tulsidas. What to speak of following any system, exalted figures like Sita Devi, who is eternally the goddess of fortune and the mother of the creation, set the standard for devotional life, showing others how to remain always in a blissful state of mind through adhering to religious principles. During one moment in Sita’s life, where it appeared that she might be separated from her beloved husband, she gave us a hint into Rama’s nature and the benefits of worshiping Him.

To set the wheels in motion for the demise of Ravana, the world’s most wanted man, Rama needed an excuse to leave His kingdom of Ayodhya and entrap the demon in a situation that would call for his slaying. First, there was Rama’s exile from His kingdom of Ayodhya. Maharaja Dasharatha, the city’s king and Rama’s father, told Rama that He was not going to be the next king as planned and ordered his beloved son to leave the kingdom and not return for fourteen years. These painful requests actually came from the king’s youngest wife, Kaikeyi, who was jealous that her son Bharata was being passed over for the throne. To ensure that there would not be any interference in her son’s newly ordered coronation, Kaikeyi insisted that Rama leave the kingdom and renounce all ties to the royal army for the next fourteen years.

Rama, wanting to protect Sita from the dangers of the forest, insisted that she remain in the kingdom and wait for Him to return. But Sita did not know any other behavior except devotion to her husband. She had pure and ecstatic love, or rati, for Rama. She took complete shelter in Him and His name. She also had full faith in His ability to protect her. She could have kept these three feelings hidden from her husband and the rest of the world as well, but faced with an emergency, she was left with no choice but to fight for her beloved’s association. In her pleas, she revealed just how strong her love for Rama was.

To support her opinion that Rama should take her with Him to the forest, Sita referenced the many rules governing the behavior of wives given in the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India. In short, the Vedic version is that the human form of body is the most auspicious because it provides the best opportunity for becoming purely God conscious by the time death arrives. At the time of death, the state of being of the living entity is measured, and depending on the nature of the consciousness a specific new body type is created. If one thinks of God at the time of death, which is most likely to happen when in a human form, reincarnation ceases and the supreme destination of the spiritual sky is attained.

The wife can play a pivotal role in ensuring that this consciousness is established. Sex life or any strong urge brought on by the senses cannot be regulated in other forms of body. The animal has no idea why it should restrict its sense urges, therefore it does whatever it wants to. The human being has a more developed consciousness, so it can understand that satisfying the senses means taking shelter of material forces. What the mind takes shelter of is what consciousness will revolve around, thereby leading to the next destination. As sex life is so difficult to control, the marriage institution allows for a regulated version of it, with the wife serving as a support system to enable further progress on the march towards spiritual freedom for the husband.

In addition to mentioning the duties of a wife, in her speech Sita referenced the opinions of brahmanas, or priests, about her marriage to Rama. Sita told Rama that His company would be auspicious for her even in the afterlife, for the brahmanas had previously said that the wife religiously wedded to the husband shares in his fate in the afterlife. For this reason she wanted Rama to take her, as He was the only source of her happiness. Remaining in a kingdom without her beloved, her shelter, the person she had full faith in, was akin to becoming poverty stricken. In the end, Rama would be left with no choice but to take her.

Rama’s outward excuse for going after Ravana would come when the demon king would forcibly take Sita back to his island kingdom of Lanka and try to win her over. The opulence of the royal kingdom of Ayodhya couldn’t entice Sita to give up the cherished shelter that is Rama’s company, so obviously Ravana couldn’t either. Though she was in a troublesome situation, Sita continued to meditate on her husband by regularly chanting His name. Despite not having personal contact with her beloved, Sita maintained a steady link in consciousness, thereby practicing perfect yoga. Eventually she would be rescued and reunited with Rama, and the two are forever in each other’s company in the spiritual sky.

If we have deep love and attachment to something worldly, the benefits derived will not continue into the afterlife. If we love our car, dog, senses, or so many other things that are not God, there is no chance of that dedication benefitting us after the body is destroyed. Whatever we take full shelter of and put our faith into will determine what we think about the most. Therefore taking shelter in worldly objects will alter the consciousness to the point that the thoughts will remain on material association at the time of death. The type of body received is commensurate with the consciousness while quitting the body, and since there is variety in thought, so many different body types and natures can be granted to the spirit soul. Though in one sense there is variety in the body types awarded, there really is just a “yes” or “no” choice, an up or down vote. Do we want to go up to the spiritual sky or remain down in the material planets?

“From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 8.16)

An intermediary option is to take to dry renunciation, giving up attachment to everything. Starve the senses of satisfaction and abide strictly by the restrictions imposed by spiritual life. Avoid having any “fun” and remain focused on the duties given to you. Wait for happiness to come after death, through either promotion to a heavenly material realm or merging into a spiritual light devoid of material contamination. Such practices will certainly benefit us in the afterlife, as the promises of the Vedas are not hollow, but this model is very difficult to follow because the mind craves satisfaction. Lord Krishna is always in ananda, and since we are part and parcel of Him, our inclination is towards bliss as well. Therefore if there is no satisfaction in the current land, it will be difficult to adopt a process that promises to provide satisfaction later on, after death.

As we saw with Sita Devi, however, surrender unto Rama and His name is beneficial in both directions. Lovingly chanting the names of the Lord, as they are found in sacred formulas like the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, is an indication of a strong desire to be with the person being addressed. The name of Rama recited constantly in a mood of love says that we love the Lord like no other and that we take His happiness to be our only desire in life.

Lord Rama must also be the only abode. The place we call home is our safest place; it’s where we are most comfortable. We relax at home and enjoy the association of our friends and family. If the mind makes its most peaceful home at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, which are always acting for the Lord’s pleasure and taking part in His innumerable pastimes, the consciousness will always remain in a safe asylum. We can never recapture the feelings we had while growing up in our childhood home, but we can experience something even better by resting the mind comfortably in Rama.

To adopt any process in earnest, there must be faith. If we don’t believe in a particular task, if we don’t think that it will come out successful, the level of enthusiasm during the execution of the task will be unsteady. Therefore the lack of faith itself will be the cause of failure, the nonattainment of the stated objective. Having faith that regularly chanting the Lord’s name will give us the association of the only person we need to be with will be enough to secure success.

Tulsidas’ simple formula brings auspiciousness, well-being and good fortunes in both the current life and the next. If the mind constantly resides in the eternal city, the place where Shri Rama and His beloved associates enact their wonderful pastimes, how can there ever be inauspiciousness? How can there be a lasting distressful condition for one who has faith in the power of Rama to deliver them? How can there not be well-being for one who has love for the Supreme Lord?

Just as consciousness is the key in shaping our future destination, it is the determining factor of our current state of being as well. This fact is lost on those who lack God consciousness. The Darwinists have their theory of the survival of the fittest, but without understanding consciousness, fitness can never be properly measured. Ravana thought he was the fittest because of his massive kingdom and immense opulence. Since he lacked love for Shri Rama and His holy name, however, he would lose everything. Even his life on earth was hellish, as he was constantly worried about others attacking him and taking away his ill-gotten fortunes.

On the other hand, Sita Devi, whose consciousness was always tied to her husband Rama, was the fittest living entity roaming the world. Even when faced with circumstances that most of us would consider horrible, she remained in a pleasurable internal state by remembering her Lord. Thus remembering the name of Rama brought auspiciousness, good fortunes and well-being to her. The promises made by Tulsidas are not exaggerated, for countless devotees have proven that the name of the Lord is non-different from Him. If we want well-being in both directions, in the present life and the next, the holy name is our only safe shelter.

In Closing:

At time of death quitting soul decision does make,

To remain in material world or God’s company to take.

Consciousness does behavior in one’s life affect,

Which then chooses what type of shelter to erect.

Our safest place is in our cherished home,

With friends and family we don’t feel alone.

Bhaktas do regularly chant Shri Rama’s holy name,

Brings memories of His numerous acts and unending fame.

One option is to enjoy sensual pursuits right now,

Pay the price later on and to maya again bow.

Another is to take pain in life and then wait,

For the afterlife, reach the promised heaven’s gate.

In dry renunciation there is no pleasure,

But devotion to Rama proves to be endless treasure.

This fact was known to Sita Devi, Rama’s wife,

Who made devotion to her husband her life.

Found auspiciousness through both peril and delight,

Through her devotion was Ravana unable to strike.

Follow Tulsidas and in Rama have love and faith,

For bliss today and tomorrow no longer we’ll wait.

My Only Wish

“Tulsidas humbly asks to have trust in Rama, to take strength in Rama, and to have complete faith in Rama’s holy name, the remembrance of which brings auspiciousness, well-being and fortunes.” (Dohavali, 38)

rāma bharoso rāma bala rāma nāma bisvāsa |
sumirata subha mangala kusala māngata tulasīdāsa ||

Goswami Tulsidas is such a famous poet, his works are so widely sung, honored, read and studied, that his works pique the interests of the full spectrum of philosophers, scholars and religionists. Some have their own ultimate conclusions about spirituality – their primary guiding force in life, that one wish which when fulfilled will ideally bring them peace of mind and tranquility – so they try to attach themselves to the famous Vaishnava poet, who is best known for his devotion to Rama. Others will try to cut him down, as he is the “top dog” when it comes to popularity and influence in bhakti literature. If his works can be discredited, or his doctrine shown to be invalid, then hopefully others will stop reading his books and singing his songs. But despite the external viewpoints, Tulsidas’ doctrine, his foremost desire, or underlying philosophy, remains quite simple and straightforward. In this very nice verse from his Dohavali, the poet makes his cherished wish perfectly clear, leaving no room for doubt as to his intentions or the primary influence to his devotional efforts.

How can the poet’s teachings be interpreted otherwise? The Vedas, which are the original spiritual tradition of India dating back since time immemorial, provide different roadmaps towards ultimate salvation, the emancipation of the soul. Though religions today are often associated with dogmas, sectarian principles and sentimentalist traditions, the process of genuine self-realization can be described in scientific terms. Therefore the original Vedas never touch on different factions, for the concept of “religion” is not even mentioned. At the heart of self-realization is dharma, or an occupational duty. Since this duty never changes, it is known as sanatana, which means “that which has no beginning and no end”. At its root, dharma is an essential characteristic, so it can apply to different areas of endeavor. For instance, a doctor’s dharma is his ability to heal the sick. Therefore, whatever steps he needs to take to ensure that he can maintain this characteristic also becomes his dharma. This is how the term “dharma” can also be used to describe occupational duties, which can then be codified into law codes, regulations or recommended rituals.

Though there are different characteristics depending on specific desire, time and circumstance, there is one trait that trumps all others. At the heart of individuality is the spirit soul, the atma. Irrespective of body type, if life is present, there must be spirit. If there is an instance of life, there must be a soul residing within the living body form. Depending on the type of encasing assumed, different external characteristics result. For instance, tigers are prone towards eating other animals, while cows can survive on just eating grass. These features are specific to the outer covering and not related to the soul in any way.

Irrespective of the form assumed, the soul’s primary characteristic remains that of a lover of God. This is a law of spiritual science that transcends religious systems and dogmatic traditions. Just as the laws of gravity operate equally on all objects, even if people don’t believe in them, the properties of the soul remain intact even if not a single person is cognizant of them. The system of religion, or regulative practice, that recharges the soul’s most dominant characteristic, that makes the spiritual loving propensity take over the particular life form, thus becomes the highest dharma, or that occupational duty which cannot ever change in effectiveness.

For the human being to reach the point of reawakening their essential characteristic, some effort and conviction are required. At the time of birth identification is taken solely from the particular body accepted and the relationship it has to parents, friends and relatives. Just as it takes education to be able to read, write, and do arithmetic, it takes training under a bona fide spiritual guide to become familiar with the laws of spiritual science and then put them to good use.

“The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace because he offers the result of all activities to Me; whereas a person who is not in union with the Divine, who is greedy for the fruits of his labor, becomes entangled.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.12)

Though the specific practices implemented from a spiritual education can be many, the Vedas place them into three primary groups. One method is to follow fruitive activity and sacrifice the results to the object of worship, the Supreme Lord. The individual soul’s ultimate characteristic is to be a lover of God, and God’s position is to be loved. He too is spirit, but the quantitative presence of His features is much larger. He is the big soul, or Supersoul, while we are individual souls. In karma-yoga, the results of actions that normally benefit the body of the individual soul are sacrificed for the benefit of the Supreme Lord. Detachment steadily increases and the worker ideally realizes that their business is to serve God and no one else.

Another pathway towards attaining one’s dharma is jnana-yoga, wherein the individual learns about the different manifestations of matter and the properties of spirit. This discipline basically abstracts every type of activity. For instance, if we see one person playing baseball and another person playing soccer, we can abstract their activities into one category: playing sports. If we were to remove the nuance from every activity of the conditioned entities, we would learn that all material behavior is driven by an illusory energy known as maya. Maya is the agent that envelops the soul in delusion, keeping the foremost characteristic of the soul in a dormant state. The aim of jnana-yoga is to break through the illusion by understanding what is matter and what is spirit. As a result, the position of the Supreme Lord can be better understood.

Though there is another category of activity generally thrown into the mix, it is actually a combination of karma-yoga and jnana-yoga. Mystic meditation involves austerity and also concentration on the Absolute Truth. By remaining in particular sitting postures for long hours at a time and blocking out the influence of the senses, the soul coupled with the body can do many wonderful things. The ideal aim is still to break free of the conditioned mindset adopted at the time of birth.

The third pathway is actually the culmination of every other system of maintenance. Bhakti-yoga is all-inclusive, as yoga is meant to result in pure love for God. For those who are already on the platform of pure love for Godhead, there is no need to explicitly practice any other type of yoga. Goswami Tulsidas was a proponent of bhakti-yoga, as he was practicing it all the time. What’s so wonderful about loving God is that when you act out your love, you don’t even consider that you are doing yoga. Since it is the dharma of the soul to be a lover of God, when activities are driven by this characteristic, there is no consideration given to the type of engagement adopted or the meaning behind it. In the spiritual world, where the influence of maya is absent, there is no such thing as bhakti, karma, or jnana. Everyone loves God, so there is no divergent behavior that can introduce distinctions. Darkness is there when light is absent, but if we had constant full illumination, we could never properly understand darkness. Similarly, when there is only love for God, there is no consideration given to self-realization, matter, or spirit.

One of the favorite activities of the bhaktas, or devotees, is kirtana, which means “to glorify”. Kirtana can be performed by singing and chanting and also by writing. Tulsidas especially loved to write poems and songs about his beloved Lord Rama. The Vedas reveal that the Supreme Absolute Truth, the person most of us refer to as God, is a divine entity with spiritual forms, including an original one. Depending on the exact Vaishnava tradition followed, the original form of Godhead is taken to be Vishnu, Krishna, or Rama. Despite which one is taken as original, Lord Rama is a celebrated form of Godhead, who is loved and adored by millions. Since the incarnation, or personal expansion, is non-different from the person it expanded from, it can be worshiped just the same. Tulsidas doesn’t look at anyone as God except Shri Rama, as that is the example set by Hanuman, one of Rama’s dearest friends who had the wonderful opportunity to take up service to the Lord directly in His company many thousands of years ago.

In his glorification, Tulsidas touches on many subjects, as one of the byproducts of practicing bhakti properly is that you gain full knowledge of other systems of religion. Any occupational duty that is not rooted in love for God will be based on a personal desire of the practicing individual. Yet even the conditioned souls, those who are not aware of their true dharma, have their wishes granted by the forces of nature, which are instituted by the Supreme Lord. This means that our current body was shaped based on the reactions of our past work, which was driven by our desires.

Tulsidas knows that the Lord grants the wishes of those who have no desire to serve Him. If even the people driven by desires in karma, or fruitive activity, get the benefits or punishments that are due them, we can just imagine how much more seriously the desires of the devotees are taken. Tulsidas was very famous during his time, as his Ramacharitamanasa poem was regularly recited throughout India. The original accounts of Lord Rama’s life and pastimes are found in the Ramayana, which was written by Maharishi Valmiki during the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation. As we now live in the Kali Yuga, the fourth and final age, much time has passed since the original Sanskrit poem of Valmiki was crafted. Tulsidas therefore decided that to benefit both himself and the society around him, he would sing the glories of Shri Rama in a language that was easier to understand, one especially applying to those who didn’t know Sanskrit. The purpose of kirtana is to glorify, and the result is that more people learn about God and devotion to Him.

Just based off the time and effort he expended in writing and spreading the glories of Rama, Tulsidas was deserving of whatever he wanted. The poet was well aware of this, as every species gets the type of body that is commensurate with their actions. In the above referenced verse from the Dohavali, Tulsidas makes his desires well known, leaving no room for interpretation or misunderstanding. Those claiming that the poet was an impersonalist focused on studying Brahman are discredited by this verse, as are those who try to portray Tulsidas as anything but a pure lover of God. Through these three requests, the poet not only reveals his most confidential desires, but he also shows us the power of the holy name and the person it addresses.

Tulsidas asks not for eternal fame, wealth, a permanent home in the spiritual sky, freedom from the pangs of material existence, or even supreme knowledge. He asks to have reliance on the Lord. Depending on the dharma adopted, different people or objects will be relied upon. For instance, the athlete relies on the food he eats, the exercise machines he uses to train, and the person training him. The politician relies most on the votes of the public, for without popular support he cannot maintain his identity as a sitting political officeholder. The wife relies on the husband, the husband on the employer, the employer on the consumer, the consumer on the government, and so on. Everyone is relying on someone, as service is the spark of every activity. In spite of this reliance accepted in so many different ventures, Tulsidas asks to only hold on to Shri Rama as his giver of life.

The poet also asks that Shri Rama be his strength. Again, depending on the body type, different objects serve as fuel. The strength for the tiger is the animal flesh that it eats. For the teacher, his strength is the knowledge he acquires, for without it he couldn’t teach others. The source of strength is what sustains us, so by asking that Rama, through His name, be his only strength, Tulsidas doesn’t want to ever consider anything else as being the source of his existence, his reason for living. He wants that if he has to live, the source of his life breath, what gets him out of bed every morning, should be Rama and His name.

“But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 4.40)

The poet also asks to have full faith in the name of Rama. Having faith in someone means that you trust them to deliver what they promise. Since Rama will be his reliance and his strength, Tulsidas wants that he have firm faith in his surrendering to God. Full surrender actually cannot happen without faith, for if we have doubts, the level of satisfaction received and the benedictions provided by the bhakti process will be checked. Indeed, the level of the resulting satisfaction is linearly related to the degree of surrender accepted by the devotee. Having faith in Rama’s name is also a very nice gesture on the worshiper’s part, as it shows that the promises made by the Lord and the prescriptions presented by both Him and His followers are accepted without reservation.

Though he didn’t need to add this part, Tulsidas mentions just why anyone would want the three things he has asked for. Remembering the name of Rama brings all auspiciousness, well-being and fortunes. Those who regularly recite the holy names of the Lord, such as those found in the sacred maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, are never losers. How can someone who is in contact with the Supreme Soul, the person to whom the individual soul is naturally attached, ever be bereft of anything? The poor man is he who has no knowledge of the holy name and the benefits it brings to those who recite it.

The holy name of Rama transcends the boundaries of thought and endeavor because it is a direct representation of the Supreme Lord. We may chant the name of our beloved or the name of a particular object, but doing so will not bring us their association. But since God is absolute, His name is as powerful as His personal presence. This secret was well known to Tulsidas, and since he was deserving of so much, he made sure to ask his beloved Rama for the only worthwhile benediction. Just as the poet’s wish was to only have reliance on the holy name, our wish is to only have faith, reliance and strength in the poet’s wonderful works, for through them the power of bhakti and the benevolence of its beneficiary are revealed.

In Closing:

For three simple things are all he is asking,

Tulsidas the poet, Rama he is beseeching,

To have faith in the Lord’s holy name and in Rama trust,

Have strength in Rama, who makes even the weak robust.

Poet so popular that his influence so strong,

That others present theories of him that are wrong.

His real take on life is given for all to see,

Divine love is real business, of bhakti he is trustee.

Paths towards salvation Vedas do give many,

But bhakti is complete, equal it does not have any.

Follow full faith in Rama’s name, in it have no doubt,

From reciting it, Rama’s qualities in mind do sprout.

The holy name brings fortune and auspiciousness,

Well-being too, relief from constant sadness.

To bhakti principles give full compliance,

And in Rama’s holy name have full reliance.

A Suitable Habitat

“There are an infinite number of living beings, both moving and nonmoving, who have many different abodes, with some residing in the earth, some in the sky, and some in the water. But O helpless Tulsi, for you Shri Rama’s holy name is your only home.” (Dohavali, 37)

jala thala nabha gati amita ati aga jaga jīva aneka |
tulasī to se dīna kaham̐ rāma nāma gati eka ||

“What do you want my son? Ask for anything and I will give it to you?” Imagine being graced with such a benediction. If we met God, the Supreme Person, that individual whom we know is capable of delivering anything and protecting us from the worst fears and most distressing situations, face to face, what would we say to Him? What if somehow or other we managed to please Him through an act of charity, penance or sacrifice? What if He came and asked us to reveal to Him what we really wanted? What would our answer be? From the study of the nature around us, we have visual evidence that the answers are not always the same. Rather, they are just the opposite of uniform. There are millions of different answers, which result in placement in millions of different places. One poet in particular, however, knows that if we recite a sacred sound vibration over and over again, the result will be residence in a singular destination. Indeed, through this most comfortable of abodes, which safely houses a purified consciousness, the individual can then live in any situation and still feel like they are in their most precious home.

How do we know that different answers are given to God’s question? How do we even know that choices are made? From the ancient scriptures of India, the original authorized texts known as the Vedas and any literature which expounds upon their teachings, we learn that karma, or fruitive work and its results, manages the cause-and-effect chain with respect to action. This isn’t very difficult to understand, as we don’t even need to read books or hear from spiritual leaders to know that every action we perform has a reaction. Say, for instance, we place our hand into a fire. The resulting pain will be so sharp that the hand will involuntarily draw back. This result is guaranteed every single time that we place the hand into the fire. If we drop an object out of a window, it will immediately fall to the ground. Based on the influence of wind resistance on the object, the rate of descent may not be uniform, but the forces of gravity will operate nonetheless.

“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 15.8)

Karma is just the more complete definition of the cause-and-effect system that we can visually perceive. What we can’t see with our blunt senses is covered by the authorized statements of the Vedas, who get their notable distinction from having been instituted by the Supreme Person, the original Personality of Godhead. Just as the outward actions perceived by the mature human being have both immediate and long-term consequences, the sum total of every act, both large and small, committed by every single life form, intelligent and ignorant, has results that bear fruit not only in the current life, but in future ones as well. In this way we see that the circumstances of our present birth were determined by the results of actions previously performed. The system of cause-and-effect continues perpetually, as the soul itself does not decay. Though the body may perish at the time of death, the soul continues its travels through ethereal space. Just where it ends up is determined by karma, which is unbiased and guaranteed to deliver on time.

When apprised of this information, the sober individual will ponder the question, “If karma determined how I got to where I am now, what determined my previous circumstances? What was the origin of karma?” This issue is a little difficult to get a handle on for the human being, because as conditioned souls we cannot think beyond the bounds of time and space. In fact, if we were to sit down and seriously ponder these two wonders, we would be left even more puzzled than we were at the outset. Complete knowledge is available only to the Supreme Person, who is not limited by time or space. To give us some understanding of our original position, He institutes religious systems which detail the properties of our identifiable aspect, the soul. It is said that the soul, or atma, is the same in quality as the Supreme Lord, but vastly inferior in the quantitative estimation. This means that the soul is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, but since it is not God, it can choose an inferior realm as a home. Because there is a choice in the matter, the individual souls, the jivas, are considered to be in a marginal position, for they can take shelter under either matter or spirit.

The differences between these two fortresses can be better understood by further study of the scriptures, but as a crude example we can liken the differences to what results from worshiping an inanimate object like a car instead of a person like a mother or father. The car does not have an independently functioning brain. Even if there is a computer inside that tells it what to do, it had to be programmed by another person. Since the car is just composed of material elements, offering any obeisances to it, honoring it, telling it that we love it, or basing our identity off of it doesn’t bring anything tangible to the worshiper. On the other hand, respecting and honoring our parents, who are autonomous living entities at the core, keeps us under the protection of higher authority figures, those who can teach us about the difficulties in life and how to make the most use of our time. Our parents already protected us during our infant years, so honoring them instead of inanimate objects is always a wise choice.

Taking the same example and expanding it out fully, when divorced of their relationship to the Supreme Lord all of the elements of the visible world are akin to the automobile that is worshiped. Therefore matter is considered an inferior energy, one not directly related to God. Though He can never be separated from His energies, when the living entities view something as not related to the original person, the results of their actions are not beneficial in the long run. Contact with pure spirit, on the other hand, only brings benefits.

When the marginal position is exercised in favor of association with matter, the living entities are allowed to enter the material realm in a body suitable for performing the activities they specifically desire. This is where the scenario about being asked by God what you want applies. The same question is also asked in a non-explicit way at the time of death. In each material body, which is a sort of spacesuit required for residence in a specific area, there must come a time when the life ends, when the form assumed is no longer useful. When it comes time to quit the body, the desires of the soul are again measured. Desires are indicated by the previous work performed, which was driven by previous desires.

“The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 13.22)

There are so many varieties of species in the universe because desires are never the same. One soul wants to be wealthy and powerful, so it takes birth in a family that allows for that to happen. Another person wants to fly high in the sky and have a body composed mostly of the material element of air. Therefore they are given the body of a bird, which lacks intelligence but has the facility to meet the desire of the jiva who chose against God’s association. Then there are those who desire unending sex life and intoxication. They are rewarded with the body of a dog or a monkey. In this way we see that not only are different bodies crafted according to the various desires for material association, but so are suitable homes given to each form.

This wonder of nature is not lost on Goswami Tulsidas, a wonderful writer, person, devotee, lover of God and so many other things. In the above quoted verse from his Dohavali, Tulsidas mentions that there are countless living entities, both moving and nonmoving, that have their homes on earth, in the sky and in water. Indeed, the number of living entities and corresponding homes is aneka, or not one. The Supreme Lord is considered eka, or a singular entity, but His expansions, which include the jivas, are plural. Despite the number of expansions, God still remains complete and whole; such is the wonder of the spiritual nature.

The number of creatures residing in the different realms of the material world is too many to count, but Tulsidas says that for him he only wants one home. This abode is created through the regular chanting of the holy name of Rama, which means “one who gives transcendental pleasure”. The Supreme Lord is given thousands of names in the Vedic tradition, as each one references a different feature. The same original Person also descends to earth from time to time for various purposes. In His incarnation as Lord Rama, God appeared on earth to annihilate the miscreants headed by Ravana, give protection to the residents of Ayodhya and the sages being harassed in the forests, and give pleasure to countless purified individuals, both human and animal alike.

Though Rama appeared on earth many thousands of years ago, He still remains complete. He is the person from whom the many living entities have come, and He remains forever situated in the spiritual sky. In His Vishnu forms, Rama lives in the Vaikuntha planets, and in His original form as Krishna He remains in Goloka Vrindavana, which is considered the highest of the spiritual planets. Nevertheless, just because Rama lives in the spiritual world doesn’t mean that one can’t take shelter of Him. Tulsidas and his attitude are living proof of this. Through this wonderful verse the poet wholly appreciates God’s ability to grant the jivas whatever they want, and he also makes no judgment on their desires. Whether spirit souls want to live on the earth or in the water is of no concern, for the consciousness is what really matters. By regularly reciting the holy names of the Lord, especially those found in the sacred maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, one can live anywhere and remain satisfied.

If one person lives on the land and another in the sky, are not their abodes different? If the jiva identifies with the body and their surroundings, then surely their homes have different qualities. But for someone who regularly chants the name of Rama, which directly addresses the Supreme Person and thus brings His association immediately, they can live anywhere and remain unaffected by their surroundings. If we go back to the original scenario of God approaching a person and asking them what they want, the devotee only requests that they be able to remember their beloved Lord, who is full of transcendental form and bliss. To facilitate this desire, they request that they be able to recite and glorify the holy name wherever they go. The Supreme Lord therefore agrees to their request by placing them in different circumstances favorable for the performance of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service.

Those making the holy name of the Lord their home can live anywhere. While the jiva choosing in favor of matter must be granted a specific body type and a corresponding home in an area of a particular quality, the bhakta, or lover of God, is placed wherever he can benefit others by his example. Fortunately for us, Tulsidas was placed into just the right time and circumstance that allowed for a maximum benefit to not only the human population inhabiting the earth during his time but also to countless future generations. Since he took shelter of the holy name, he was able to thrive in his surroundings in medieval India, composing poetry praising Lord Rama that was so brilliant and wonderful that no literary work previous to that or since can ever even come close to it.

The Vedas, which sing the glories of Shri Rama and His dear devotees, are humbled by the wonderful works created by Tulsidas, who never had any desire to criticize others or defeat them in the arena of bhakti. He kept his home always with Shri Rama’s name, and the Lord in turn ensured that the poet’s fame and glory would continue forever and ever. Thus we see that the only suitable habitat for the jiva is the company of Shri Rama, who can be reached by regularly chanting His name. By reminding ourselves to chant on a daily basis, we too will get only one home, a shelter that will never crack even under the heaviest pressure.

In Closing:

For Tulsidas there is only one home,

Removed from this place he will always feel alone.

The shelter of Shri Rama and His holy name,

Brings one the highest happiness, the only worthy gain.

The jiva can live on earth, in the sky or in the water,

But by having Rama’s name, with matter why bother.

The jiva has a choice in his association,

Live with matter or take God’s protection.

The choice with matter leads to homes that are many,

In different body types and surroundings, joy there is not any.

But by following the formula of divine devotion,

Happiness found anywhere, regardless of commotion.

Rama places devotees into just the right place,

World honored by their work and their grace.

Immerse yourself in bhakti and live in happiness,

Erect shelter of Rama’s name, abode of goodness.

My Home

“There are an infinite number of living beings, both moving and nonmoving, who have many different abodes, with some residing on the earth, some in the sky, and some in the water. But O helpless Tulsi, for you Shri Rama’s holy name is your only home.” (Dohavali, 37)

jala thala nabha gati amita ati aga jaga jīva aneka |
tulasī to se dīna kaham̐ rāma nāma gati eka ||

Due to the false ego’s influence, the inclination is to think that life revolves around the individual, a tendency which makes it more difficult to understand the full breadth and scope of the universe. But the sober person, one who sees with a proper vision acquired through training and discipline, understands that there are countless living entities populating the earth. Even in the strangest of places, where no human being would ever dare think of calling home, can be found millions of creatures, who are so comfortable in their environment that they couldn’t survive anywhere else. The many dwellings are due to karma, the results of fruitive activity. “You get what you give”, as they say, so whatever action, time and effort are put in, the results manifest in the body type assumed and the living arrangements provided by nature. For the purest of the pure, however, regardless of their body type and the work they perform, there still only remains one home. Whether in the sky, water or earth, this home remains forever the shelter of the surrendered souls. Thus it serves as the greatest source of comfort and solace.

Why are there so many different homes? Why can’t everyone just live in one place with the same body type? What is the need for variety? The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, provide as much details as can be possibly consumed by the human brain on this subject. We say there is a limitation because fallibility accompanies the living entity, a pure spirit soul separated from the graces of the transcendental realm. There is always a singular superior entity. Most of the time He is referred to as God, but the Vedas provide thousands of names for Him to allow for pleasure to be aroused within the worshiper. We can refer to the Supreme Person as God, but this doesn’t necessarily speak to any of His attributes or features. If even a material realm can have variety, how can it be absent in the person who created it?

“This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.10)

God is full of spiritual form and attributes whose magnitude can never be properly measured. From one came many, so from the original person come countless tiny fragments, spiritual sparks that are autonomous in their desires and exercise of freedom. The results of their actions cannot be controlled fully as it can with God, but there is nevertheless full independence in consciousness. The sparks cannot be forced to remain associated with the source of energy, the original spiritual fire. And unlike an ordinary fire, which loses intensity when too many of its sparks fly away, the Supreme Source of Energy retains His vibrancy and potency even when countless sparks release from Him.

The perishable land – the place where worship of God is instituted as a higher discipline, a way out of a painful existence – comes into being when the tiny sparks decide to separate from their original life partner, the ultimate reservoir of pleasure. In the Vedas, the original person is called Krishna, which means all-attractive. Since He is not lacking anything in terms of features, He is naturally suited to serve as the pleasure-giver to anyone seeking it. Since He is also described as Rama, His capability of providing transcendental happiness to those who connect with Him is unmatched.

For free will to be valid, for the granted independence to mean something, there must be an exercise of every choice. If every spark were to always choose to be in God’s company, freedom as it is defined would lose its strength. Therefore there must be some souls who choose in favor of life away from Krishna. To facilitate their desire, a temporary playing field is created, a land where Rama’s personal presence is not active. Nothing can occur without God’s intervention, but in the temporary land the direct supervision and personal oversight from the Lord are absent. If everyone wants to spend their time forgetting God, there is no inhibiting action taken by the person who was forgotten, nor does He benefit by personal intervention or cajoled worship.

To enhance the experience of forgetting Krishna, activities and engagements must be created. Since every soul is unique in their constitution, not all the desires will be the same. Therefore different bodies, or uniforms, need to be crafted along with corresponding playing fields. If one wants to play ice hockey, they need a frozen rink on which to skate. A baseball player requires a field shaped like a diamond, and a tennis player needs a court made up of cement, grass or clay. On the largest scale of abstraction, the countless body types awarded to the souls separating from Krishna have their own suitable habitations, or homes.

The Vedas top the list of different body types off at 8,400,000. This high number is the result of the varying combinations of the three modes of material nature [goodness, passion and ignorance] that can go into each body type. Some forms have the mode of goodness in higher proportions, while others have more ignorance. Since the combinations are seemingly infinite, there are so many species that result. Though there is such a wide variety in body types, the homes are not so varied. Generally, there are three kinds of destinations for a resident of the material world: earth, water and sky. The birds and insects fly through the air, while the human beings and animals remain on land. The water is reserved for the aquatics. In each area, there are countless species, so many that scientists keep discovering new ones. It is not that the species evolve or that new ones come into being. Rather, the individual soul can transmigrate through different body types based on the laws of karma. There is evolution with respect to the body type assumed by the soul, but the bodies themselves do not undergo any constitutional shifts.

Spiritual evolution through karma can flow in different directions. First, there is the ascendency from the lower species to the higher ones. One can start off as the vilest of creatures, such as a snake or worm that makes its abode in the dirt and low ground. Even when a body is laid to rest in the earth, there are so many creatures that reside around it. Though the cemetery is the last place the human being wants to go, for certain species it is their most comfortable abode. The lowest creatures are those who reside in such areas. Through evolution, higher species are attained, such as fish and mammals. Even plants and trees are living entities. Therefore there can be both moving as well as nonmoving living entities. This is all due to desire and karma.

While there is evolution through the upward chain, there can also be demotion to a lower species. The human being is considered the most beneficial body type because only the human can take the steps necessary to transcend karma. Separation from Krishna does not have to continue perpetually. As soon as there is a sincere desire to return to the good graces of the spiritual land, a place where karma does not exist, release from the cycle of birth and death is granted. Needless to say, harboring this desire in earnest is very difficult to do. It can take many lifetimes in a human body just to realize the need for spiritual awakening. Then actually believing in what is passed down through the Vedas and following through on the prescriptions is another story.

“Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 14.18)

If in the human form of body the rules and regulations leading to spiritual advancement are not adhered to, punishment in a future life can occur through demotion to a lower species. A tree can stand naked for thousands of years. Thus one who follows a similar behavior during their human life can very likely become a tree in the next birth. Karma is driven by desire, so whatever the soul wants, it gets. The consciousness of the individual at the time of death determines their future body type. These facts of spiritual science are very nicely covered in the Bhagavad-gita, which is the Song of God sung by Krishna Himself.

To add further complexity to the equation, life doesn’t exist just on the earth. Rather, through the workings of karma, one can take birth in a heavenly planet or even a hellish one. The heavenly realm is attained through strict adherence to piety and virtue that is devoid of love and affection for God. If we follow all the rules of spiritual life, but still fail to harbor the desire to return to Krishna’s land, ascension to a heavenly realm, a place where material enjoyments are enhanced, is granted. Residence on these planets is not fixed, and when the merits from our good deeds expire, we return to earth. Those who live in the mode of goodness ascend to the higher planets, those in the mode of passion remain on earth, and those in the mode of ignorance get demoted to lower species and lower planets.

Goswami Tulsidas, a devotee of Lord Rama, touches on these issues in the above quoted verse. He accurately notes that there are countless living entities who call so many different places home. These destinations are the result of karma, or past fruitive activity driven by material desire. But for Tulsidas, who considers himself very poverty stricken, there is only one home: the name of Shri Rama. This wonderful verse nicely reveals Tulsidas’ devotion to Rama and his fervent desire to always remain in the Lord’s company, if not personally then at least in consciousness.

The different homes are the result of different work. In the human society, we see that some people live in palaces and mansions, while others can barely keep a roof over their head. The discrepancies relate to incomes, which are secured through work performed. Based on the results of action, a different abode is found, but the commonality in all the different homes is that the occupants nevertheless take rest. One person may sleep on a comfortable mattress that has different firmness levels that can be set electronically, while another person makes the bare ground their bed, but the activity of sleeping is still the same.

For Tulsidas, there is no concern paid to a higher or lower abode, to a better or worse resting cushion. His only desire is to be with Rama, who, as the Supreme Lord, is the best friend of every living entity. Whether he ascends to the heavenly realm or takes birth in the hellish region is of no concern to Tulsidas. Rather, if he is able to regularly chant the holy names of the Lord, such as those found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, he will call any place home.

This is not just blind sentiment or an over-exaggeration of affectionate feelings on the part of the poet. This verse reveals a technique that can be utilized by any person. The name of the Lord fully represents His forms, pastimes and qualities. By regularly reciting the name of Rama, we get consciousness of God’s divine activities performed on this earth many thousands of years ago. Sita Devi, Rama’s wife, immediately comes to mind, and her level of devotion and dedication to Rama are simultaneously appreciated. With Rama’s name comes Lakshmana, the faithful younger brother of the Lord who is always burning with a desire to protect his brother and see to His happiness. With Rama’s name comes Shri Hanuman, the powerful Vanara warrior whose only business in life is to think about the Lord and please Him with acts of devotion.

To make the holy name of Rama your only home is therefore a very good practice. Unlike the earth, sky, water and the different planets, the holy name does not ever go away. Nothing can dissolve the sound vibration representation of the Supreme Lord, especially when it plays constantly within the mind of the devotee. Bhakti-yoga, which is the ultimate system of spirituality, immediately burns up the results of karma, thus paving the way back to the spiritual land for the devotee. Just as Rama’s name is the abode for the wonderful Tulsidas, the poet’s beautiful writings and unmatched level of devotion and dedication to praising Rama forever remains our safe home, a place where the mind can always rest comfortably and enjoy the security that is devotion to God.

In Closing:

Living creatures in this world many there are,

Homes in earth, water and sky, in places near and far.

The abodes are results of past work performed,

From modes of nature are the body types formed.

Soul can travel from species low to high,

Can even descend from the heavenly sky.

From following karma there are many a destination,

Only one home for those choosing path of devotion.

With Shri Rama’s holy name does Tulsidas want to reside,

Is poor in life, but all is well with Rama by his side,

With Rama’s name comes Sita Devi His wife,

And Lakshmana, who makes protecting Rama his life.

Vanara hero also accompanies the holy name,

Shri Hanuman, devotion to Rama source of his fame.

Just as Rama’s name insulates one from grief,

Find shelter in Vaishnava’s words, from pains get relief.

It Only Rains On Me

“Those who perform the sacrifice of chanting Shri Rama’s holy name with love, faith and full attention receive their share of rewards from the Creator; thereby making even the unfortunate person fortunate.” (Dohavali, 36)

tulasī prīti pratīti soṃ rāma nāma japa jāga |
kiem̐ hoi bidhi dāhino dei abhāgehi bhāga ||

Those who believe in a God, a higher power who is in charge of the complex workings of nature and the fate of man, follow standard religious practices and rituals. Indeed, to say that you perform something “religiously” shows that you have dedication to adherence and practice, without deviation due to sentiment, emotion, or the desire to meet a specific end. Since God is the most powerful person, following His regulations would mean that other priorities could be neglected and life still maintained, while the law codes given by Him shouldn’t be cast aside as being secondary in importance. While the adherence to rituals and regulations shows great deference on the part of the worshiper, a level of respect held towards the esteemed Lord that should be praised, there is a higher platform that can be reached. Not only does this higher state of consciousness bring about more personal and fulfilling interactions with the Supreme Person, it also takes care of the previous obligations pertaining to religious life. The same can’t be said when the reverse order is followed.

What does this mean exactly? Let’s cover some of the basic regulations and rituals to see what effect they have on consciousness. Our thought processes serve as the key determining factor in our happiness and well-being. We may work hard to procure some material reward or to remove distress, but in the end the real change comes in the situation of the mind, its ability to concentrate on thoughts and ideas that don’t cause pain. Since consciousness plays an integral role in every area of life, its importance is not diminished when worshiping God, or that Supreme Controller in the sky that we are looking to not offend.

For a large portion of the world, a common regulation adhered to is that of attending church on Sundays. “Go to church at least once a week to thank the Lord for His blessings and pray to Him for the well-being of yourself and your family. You spend the other six days of the week frantically engaged in your own business, so why not dedicate a few hours during one day each week to prayer and healing?” This is certainly a wonderful practice, as it is very easy to get caught up in our own affairs and forget that there is a higher power, someone who is guiding the workings of matter. In the Bhagavad-gita, the Song of God sung on the battlefield of Kurukshetra a long time ago, it is said that all beings, moving and nonmoving, are working under the direction of the Supreme Lord Krishna, who is the same God that has been worshiped since time immemorial by people of every persuasion. Though some may refer to the Lord by a specific name, this doesn’t mean that there are many different Gods. Even the atheists acknowledge God through His form of death. God is the higher power, the supreme controlling force. Though the atheist will not acknowledge the presence of this person, they must bow down to death, which can come at any time and doesn’t leave without getting what it wants.

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.61)

Besides going to church every Sunday, there are other regulations such as observing holidays and fasting periods and going through different rites performed by priests. In other traditions, the regulations are similar, with people praying a certain number of times each day, worshiping celestial figures through rituals, or visiting temples and other houses of worship. In the Vedic tradition, the oldest system of spirituality in the world, the basic functional unit of religious life is the yajna, or sacrifice. In a standard yajna, there is a pit of fire created inside of a square, with the different participants seated around the pit. The head priest manages the ceremony and chants the mantras necessary to ensure the ritual’s success. The participants give offerings with the right hand into the fire, saying “svaha” after each pour.

How the yajna operates and yields results is pretty straightforward. In addition to the Supreme Lord, there are numerous elevated living entities who are in charge of managing the different departments of creation. One person is in charge of air, another water, another the sun, and so on. The offerings in the fire sacrifice, which usually consist of clarified butter, or ghee, are then eaten up by these different controllers, who are known as devas, or demigods. Therefore the secondary purpose of the yajna is to satisfy the higher authorities, who in turn will kindly bestow their benedictions on man. The process is similar to having a plant in the garden that needs regular watering and sunlight. Through proper care, the plant will yield fruits in the form of flowers, vegetables, grains and other items that can be utilized.

“In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Vishnu, and blessed them by saying, ‘Be thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you all desirable things.’” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 3.10)

When the demigods are pleased, there is no chance of drought, natural disasters, and so many other calamities. Yajna is also a great way for the individual to realize their fallibility and their inferior position with respect to the higher authorities. Each of us is God in a sense since we control the movement of our body. But this godly power is very limited, as our consciousness does not spread beyond our own experiences. Moreover, we still must succumb to the forces of nature and suffer through the threefold miseries of life [those brought on by the demigods, the mind and body, and other living entities].

While pleasing the demigods through yajna and adhering to other regulations can help to insulate us from trouble, there is still a higher platform to be reached in spiritual life. The soul, which is the identifiable aspect within all forms of life, has distinct properties, the foremost of which are eternality, bliss and knowledge. Not surprisingly, these traits are inherited from the Supreme Soul, that person we refer to as God. Since the soul has these wonderful features, its primary business cannot be to avoid fear and pain by performing ritualistic functions and adhering to dictates and law codes. Rather, the highest engagement for the soul is to find that one person who gives it the most pleasure. Not surprisingly, that person is God.

The followers of the bhakti school, the highest system of philosophy and sentiment that can exist, take exclusively to loving the Supreme Lord in any of His non-different forms. In His original feature as Bhagavan, God is the most fortunate. He possesses the qualities of beauty, wealth, strength, fame, renunciation and wisdom to the fullest degree and simultaneously. According to the Vedas, His original form is called Krishna, which means all-attractive. Krishna has many incarnations, of which one of the most celebrated and worshiped is Lord Rama, whose name means one who gives transcendental pleasure to others.

Bhakti-yoga, the system of linking the individual’s consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness through acts of love and devotion, is meant exclusively for Lord Krishna or one of His different Vishnu forms. Goswami Tulsidas, a celebrated Vaishnava poet, especially loves Shri Rama. Even when discussing topics and incidents pertaining to Lord Krishna, Vishnu, or any other non-different form of Godhead, Tulsidas identifies them as being the same Rama, the beloved lord of his life breath.

How do we practice bhakti? How is it any different from going to church once a week or performing a yajna with a fire? Bhakti can actually be practiced through any activity, provided the beneficiary is properly identified and satisfied. For instance, when we sing songs on stage or in the car to ourselves, the beneficiaries are the audience or our mind. If we take the same practice, however, and make Bhagavan the beneficiary, the activity can be considered bhakti. If we prepare elaborate food for our own pleasure or the pleasure of others, the activity is of the material variety, as it aims to please the material senses. But when the same food is prepared and offered to Krishna, the effort becomes the most sublime activity, a central component of a bhakti-yoga routine.

The most universally appealing and applicable activity of bhakti is the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. The holy name is the key; it allows any person at any time to link to the spiritual world. No need to wait until Sunday to worship if you have the holy name resting comfortably on the tip of your tongue. This non-different expansion of God, a sound vibration which perfectly represents His ultimate feature as Bhagavan, can be produced and enjoyed at any time. The same can’t be said of any other religious practice. Therefore the bhaktas, the devotees, chant the holy name as often as possible and expound on its glories to others.

In the above referenced verse from his Dohavali, Tulsidas says that anyone who lovingly, attentively and knowingly chants the holy name of the Lord gets all fortunes, for their chanting is their yajna. This is a very important point to understand because it addresses the misgivings that those new to bhakti may have about the process. The initial concern is over the neglect of the previously performed rituals and regulations. “Sure, loving God is great, but won’t I get punished for not going to church? What if I don’t perform my rituals? Won’t the demigods be angry and punish me as a result?” The fear of punishment from the Supreme Lord and the higher authorities is quite natural, as one who is more powerful has the ability to make the lives of the inferiors unpleasant.

But Rama is Bhagavan, or the most fortunate and powerful living entity. Anyone who connects with Him through love and devotion, regularly chanting His name, has no need to fear anyone or anything. In fact, all the rituals and regulations of spiritual life are meant to eventually lead one to the bhakti platform. It is rare to find bhakti active at full levels in a conditioned living entity, someone who is forgetful of their position as eternal servant of God. Therefore other processes are introduced and recommended as a way to maintain some link to religious life. The hope is that the more one maintains their adherence to the rules and regulations of religious life, the greater their chances for ascending to the bhakti platform will be.

By comparing the chanting, or japa, of Rama’s name to a sacrifice where rewards are distributed to the right hand of the worshiper by Vidhi, or Lord Brahma, Tulsidas advises that instead of worrying about what will happen as a result of giving other religious processes secondary importance, just understand that your japa is itself the highest yajna. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna confirms that He is the enjoyer of sacrifice, Yajneshvara. Even a yajna aimed at pleasing the demigods must go through Vishnu first; only then can the demigods take their portion of the sacrifice and thus be satisfied. Though Vishnu is the ultimate enjoyer, if the consciousness of the performer isn’t focused on the Lord, the benefit of bhakti is not there. But when there is love and devotion, an awakening of transcendental attachment to the Supreme Lord, the chanting process itself becomes the most potent yajna, a sacrifice that yields the greatest benefits.

As if these truths weren’t enough to allay the fears of those newly initiated into bhakti, Tulsidas touches on another issue to further solidify the supremacy of divine love. When we go to church or perform a ritual, there is typically an accompanying prayer, an inherent understanding that by showing deference to the law codes of God, one will be insulated from punishment and misfortune. As we all know, though, sometimes bad things can happen anyway, despite the most heartfelt and sincere prayers. If our loved one is terminally ill and we pray to God every day to save them, there is still the chance that they will die.

This happens because of karma, or fruitive work. The managers of the departments of the material creation use the basic cause and effect of fruitive activity to instigate outcomes. This is quite easy to understand, for we see how this works all the time. If we drop something out of our hands, it will fall to the ground. If we eat too much food, we will feel discomfort later. If we don’t sleep enough at night, we will be tired throughout the day. Expanding out to the largest scope, all of the results we see in life pertaining to the material body are due to karma. Even the rituals and adherence to religious sacrifice are acts of karma, as they have accompanying results. Therefore at every second the results of past work are coming in, like the election returns that pour in, even from those who voted weeks prior. One person may have voted by an absentee ballot and sent their ballot in the mail many weeks before election day. Thus their votes can be tallied later on, sometimes weeks after the election was held. Similarly, the results of our past work can come to us many years later, sometimes even in another lifetime. Only the Supreme Lord can make sense of these results and predict them.

Chanting Rama’s name with love and devotion guarantees the performer their share of the results of the sacrifice, even if they are the most unfortunate. In this way we see that not only does bhakti insulate one from the potential negative reactions of neglecting other spiritual practices, but it actually delivers better results in the long run. The most unfortunate person, one who has very bad karma, can follow dry regulations and procedures all they want, but they will still never become fortunate, as that is not in their destiny. With Rama there is no consideration taken about one’s caste, family heritage, level of sinfulness, wealth, gender, or overall karma. Just the fact that one wants to associate with Him in a mood of love and devotion is enough to satisfy the Lord, who in turn will effuse some of His tremendous fortune onto the worshiper.

There are many historical incidents that support these claims. Probably the most famous example was when Krishna cajoled the residents of Vrindavana to neglect the annual puja to Lord Indra, the king of the heavenly realm, the leader of the demigods. Nanda Maharaja, Krishna’s foster father during the Lord’s time on earth in Vrindavana some five thousand years ago, was set to offer sacrifice to Lord Indra when Krishna stepped in and asked him to perform a puja for the neighboring Govardhana Hill instead. The residents were a little hesitant to follow this advice for fear of the consequences, but since Krishna was asking they did not deny the request. They had taken complete shelter of the Lord, the jewel of Vrindavana. Performing the puja inaugurated by Krishna, the residents faced an onslaught of rain from a vengeful Indra afterwards. The residents took to bhakti by obeying and satisfying Krishna, and now they were seemingly being punished for it.

Krishna then stepped in to save the day by holding up the massive hill that had just been worshiped. Keeping it above the residents for seven days as an umbrella, Indra was forced to give up and beg forgiveness for his sin. In this way the residents performed their sacrifice at the Supreme Lord’s direction and received their share of the offerings in the form of God’s protection and association. The higher authority figures may be unhappy if we neglect to pay them tribute, but the Supreme Lord’s satisfaction supersedes anyone else’s concerns. If Rama is happy, no one can do anything to harm His devotee and their exercise of bhakti. On the other hand, if one is unfortunate due to their karma, no demigod or repeated sacrifice can bring them the tremendous fortune that is Bhagavan’s mercy. Presented with the two options, the wise and sober man would always follow the prescription so nicely passed on by Tulsidas.

In Closing:

If in the Supreme Lord of creatures you do believe,

Follow sacrifices and rituals, rewards to receive.

Pious around the world do take their seat on church pew,

Every Sunday worship God, pray for benedictions they do.

Vedic tradition calls for yajna, demigods to please,

Sit around pit of fire, drop oblations of ghee with ease.

Yet of all rituals and rites is Vishnu the enjoyer,

Supreme Godhead, of misfortunes He is the destroyer.

One who worships Him through chanting His name,

The Lord’s favor and company do they gain.

Rama means the Lord who gives transcendental pleasure,

His vision so sublime, His name the saints do treasure.

Tulsidas says do japa of Rama’s name with full attention,

Harbor love for the holy name, give to it your affection.

By this formula does the Creator become favorable,

Lord Brahma, who in his rewards can be most charitable.

If one is unfortunate karma will always cause them pain,

But luck even they can find by chanting Rama’s name.

By avoiding bhakti, rituals may or may not help us.

But Rama can favor the unlucky, in His name do you trust.

Following Authority

“Shri Rama’s holy name eliminates all misfortunes and sins and brings all auspiciousness in every way. This is why Lord Shiva always chants it and the Vedas and Puranas sing of its glories.” (Dohavali, 35)

harana amangala agha akhila karana sakala kalyāna |
rāmanāma nita kahata hara gāvata beda purāna ||

“Take my word for it. Trust me; I know what I’m doing. I won’t disappoint you; just follow what I’m saying.” No matter how sincere these recommendations may be, the human being will be hesitant to trust someone simply on their word, their opinions and sentiments relating to a particular subject. Someone who has helped us in the past and proven their ability to deliver worthy recommendations may be more trusted than others, but when speaking about important topics like the meaning to life, what actions should be taken and which ones should be avoided, and the potency of a particular formula, the truths are presented to a wide audience, as the more important the subject matter the larger scope of applicability the statements will have. When presented with personal dealings and problems, the one-on-one advice applies to a specific situation, but when a piece of information will be universally beneficial, it is distributed to as many people as possible. Since the human being will naturally be skeptical of advice coming from foreign sources, the givers of information, despite their full assuredness and confidence in their own views, will nevertheless point to authority figures to substantiate their claims. A similar tact is followed by Goswami Tulsidas in the above quoted verse from his Dohavali.

Tulsidas recommends that one chant the holy name of Lord Rama and be delivered from all sinful reactions and distresses. The name of Rama removes or eliminates all amangala, or misfortunes, and agha, or sins. Favorable and unfavorable fortunes are the result of past work. This isn’t very difficult to understand, for if we do something the wrong way a negative reaction follows. For instance, if we fill up the gasoline tank in the car with water instead of the proper grade of gasoline, there will be problems. If the human being ingests too much alcohol in a short period of time, health problems, the most obvious of which is inebriation, subsequently follow.

The holy name of the Lord is so powerful that it removes all misfortunes, especially as they relate to the reactions of karma. It is to be understood that one who chants the holy name with firm faith and love starts with a clean slate in karma. At every second we are reaping the rewards and punishments of past work, even if we are unaware of it. Though the results are sometimes unseen and indefinite in their manifestation, it is true that no result can occur without some initial action. That action may have been taken in this lifetime or in a previous one, but nevertheless some impetus was there. This also explains why the Supreme Lord is described as sarva-karana-karanam, or the cause of all causes. At the root of all action and reaction is God, who started everything off with the creation and its population of creatures.

It would make sense then that if we chant a sound vibration that addresses the cause of all causes, the negative reactions coming our way will immediately be removed. This isn’t a promise of some magical or imaginary benediction. We can’t chant the name of Rama and expect that negative reactions won’t occur with other activities. While chanting the name of Rama if we prick our skin with a pin, it will most certainly hurt. When the promise is made for all misfortunes being removed, it applies to past work and the future fortunes of the soul, for karma does not affect the devotee whose mind has been turned over to the spiritual world, the land where matter in its inhibiting form does not exist.

Rama is more than just an eliminator, someone to remove negative aspects from life. If there is an incessant beeping sound that is bothering us, simply turning it off will not provide any tangible benefit. Once the botheration leaves, the mind is still left to contemplate over what it wants and lament over what it doesn’t have. The name of Rama is two-sided; in addition to removing sins and misfortunes it also brings all good fortune and auspiciousness. The name of Rama represents the Supreme Lord’s incarnation, or avatara, of Lord Ramachandra, who appeared on this earth many thousands of years ago during the Treta Yuga. Rama is non-different from Bhagavan, so He possesses the qualities of beauty, wealth, strength, fame, renunciation and wisdom simultaneously and to the fullest degree. The name connects with Rama, so by chanting it one is in the association of the most fortunate living entity. Therefore how could any condition besides universal auspiciousness be received by those who regularly think of the Lord?

The blind sentimentalist and neophyte spiritualist following a different spiritual tradition will claim that Rama is simply a man-made god, a worshipable figure concocted by those who are destined for hell. These accusations are certainly humorous to encounter, because they come from those who know nothing about the position of the soul, the workings of matter, the influence of time and nature, the need for changing consciousness, the presence of spirit within forms other than human beings, and a host of other basic concepts understood by even the least knowledgeable student of the Vedas. The central argument of the ardent sectarian is that anyone who doesn’t acknowledge their particular worshipable figure will be doomed in the afterlife.

The prescriptions accompanying these sentiments logically don’t make sense. Rather, through their fear mongering and threats, the radicals put forth a proposition that would certainly attract anyone who wasn’t thinking properly. “Wait a second, so if I acknowledge the supremacy of this one person, I can go on committing as many sins as I want and not suffer in the afterlife? Such and such person will absolve me of all my sins if I simply acknowledge His supremacy and His position as being God? I can go on killing as many animals as I want, engaging in debauchery, lying, cheating, stealing, etc. and I won’t have to suffer simply because I professed an allegiance of faith? Sign me up!”

A declaration of allegiance is certainly nice, and as Tulsidas says the Supreme Lord is capable of removing all negative reactions, but if there is to be real love and devotion to God, should not behavior be altered? This is why the chanting of the holy name is the central aspect of any bona fide religion. Chanting alters consciousness to the point where the devotee is always thinking of their beloved. If there are constant thoughts flowing to the spiritual world, desires will shift to the point where the pleasure of the Supreme Lord is sought out without fail. With our friends and family, the primary benediction they want from us is our association. Since God has everything, there is nothing we can really give Him in terms of a gift. What He wants more than anything else is our time; and this is precisely what chanting the holy names of the Lord, especially those found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, accomplishes.

It shouldn’t surprise us at all then that when we spend time with God, we gain insulation from bad fortune and receive everything favorable in life. If we want to spend time with God, He, as the cause of all causes, will ensure that circumstances are favorable for the continuation of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. There have been countless incidents in history where the obstructions placed in the path of the lovers of God have been removed by the Lord Himself. The most auspicious condition, kalyana, is one where chanting can continue, as recitation of the name brings remembrance, which is the key ingredient in shaping consciousness for the better. Experiences and enjoyments pass by very quickly, but consciousness remains for a much longer time. Through a properly situated consciousness even the time when one is falling asleep can become the most thrilling and bliss-evoking.

The assertion about Rama’s name made by Tulsidas is validated through logic and understanding, but nevertheless, there will be doubters and skeptics. To add further support to his claim, to ensure that people really believe in the power of the holy name – as that will bring them everything beneficial in life, and who isn’t looking for benefits? – Tulsidas points to authority figures who not only agree with his position but actually act upon the prescription. The first reference is to Lord Shiva, who is also known as Mahadeva. Lord Vishnu is considered the original form of Godhead, the Supreme Lord for every single person, regardless of their spiritual tradition. Vishnu is beyond duality, karma, and the changing nature of the material world. Some spiritual traditions refer to the Almighty as “God” or by some other name, but in any case they are referring to Vishnu. Vishnu has many different forms and expansions that are worshiped as well. Even the form of Lord Krishna, which is considered the original form of Godhead by many followers of the Vedic tradition, is non-different from Vishnu. Whether one accepts Vishnu or Krishna as the original, there is virtually no difference in the benefit. One side gets a certain kind of liberation while another gets an even more enhanced version of freedom from the cycle of birth and death.

Hara, or Lord Shiva, is somewhere in between a living entity and Vishnu Himself. The living entities are jivas, so they are in the marginal position with respect to the material and spiritual energies. The jiva is spiritual by constitution, but he has a choice as to whether to remain in the spiritual world or go to the material world. When descending from the purified realm, the jiva must suffer through birth, old age, disease and death in repeating cycles until consciousness is altered. Lord Shiva remains far above the perishable material realm, but still underneath the eternal realm of Vaikuntha, where Vishnu resides. Lord Shiva, though he is very powerful and capable of granting boons to anyone who pleases him, is best known for being the greatest Vaishnava, or devotee of Vishnu. His Vishnu form of choice is Lord Rama; hence the strong attachment Tulsidas feels towards Mahadeva. Lord Shiva is an authority figure for Tulsidas and many other Vaishnavas because he spends all his time reciting the holy name of Rama. Indeed, in the Adhyatma Ramayana, which served as the primary reference for the wonderful poem authored by Tulsidas known as the Ramacharitamanasa, Mahadeva is the narrator of the life and pastimes of Lord Rama. He speaks about Rama and His glories to his wife Parvati, who is also known as Goddess Durga; thus showing the ideal example of how a husband should behave. The husband’s main business is to protect the wife and give her tremendous pleasure through discussing Vishnu and His pastimes. The aim of human life is to become God conscious, so even married life is meant to fulfill this purpose. If the husband can discuss spiritual topics with his wife, or vice versa, then both parties are benefitted immensely.

Just the fact that Lord Shiva chants Rama’s name is enough to support the claims made by Tulsidas pertaining to the name’s ability to remove all misfortunes and grant everything auspicious. This reference also reminds the followers of Lord Shiva, of which there are many, of just exactly what the nature of their worshipable object is. The true benefit of honoring and worshiping Mahadeva is to hopefully one day have just an ounce of the devotion and love that he harbors for his beloved Rama. No one is dearer to Rama than Shiva and no one transcendental sound vibration is more recited and contemplated on in Shiva’s mind than Rama’s holy name.

But what if people don’t want to take Lord Shiva as an authority figure? What if they are deferent to the Vedas and Puranas, two central aspects of the Vedic tradition which touch on many subject matters and topics? Lest we think there is a contradiction, these two authority figures, which are in the form of written texts, also support Tulsidas’ claim about the potency of the name of Rama. Even the seemingly cryptic Vedanta-sutras are all about devotion to God and chanting His name. The Puranas are descriptions of historical events that are meant to bring one to the bhakti platform. Indeed, Rama’s life and pastimes are described in many Puranas in different levels of detail. The Adhyatma Ramayana itself is part of the Brahmanda Purana, which was compiled by Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of Vishnu. So if one claims to follow the Vedas, or if one ever cites the Vedas to support any claim, they must immediately accept Rama as the Supreme Lord and the chanting of His glorious name as the most important practice in life, the essence of the bhakti process, which itself represents the pinnacle of yoga practice. If this acknowledgment is absent, it is to be understood that the person referencing the Vedas and Puranas has no understanding of the texts.

The Vedas are non-different from Vishnu, as their predominant message is devotion to God in His personal forms. All the supporting information found, such as the various descriptions of yoga and the workings of the three modes of material nature found in the Bhagavad-gita – the song of God sung by Lord Krishna, who is the very same Shri Rama but in a different form – are meant to bring one to the bhakti platform, that of total surrender, or sharanagati, to God. Without the final conclusion being reached, the information absorbed never gets properly utilized. The Vedas and Puranas sing the glories of Shri Rama, and since the Vedas bring auspiciousness to those who read and understand them, it is to be understood that the source of this benefit is the name itself. In the absence of the holy name, the Vedas and Puranas would be meaningless; they would be equivalent to the countless books that are published about topics not relating to God.

Even if one is still doubtful about the glories of the holy name, they should chant it nonetheless. The true authority of a preacher is substantiated through the results that come from following their prescriptions. By regularly chanting the holy name of the Lord through love and devotion, following the tradition set forth by Lord Shiva, the Vedas and the Puranas, one will see that their consciousness will change for the better, thus eliminating all misfortunes and bringing all auspiciousness. When this position is reached, we can better appreciate the preaching efforts and the benevolent work so kindly offered by the exalted Vaishnavas, the nicest and most inclusive welfare workers the world has ever known.

In Closing:

To accept instructions of others we hesitate,

For why on holy name should we meditate?

Their authority and audacity to teach come from where?

Tell me what to do, whom to worship, how do they dare?

Tulsidas says that name of Rama removes all sin,

Gives all auspiciousness at the same time, a win win.

That God could do this for His devotees makes sense,

Accept these words with your mind, no need for defense.

From skepticism in power of the holy name we doubt,

Therefore take authority of Shiva, who has the greatest clout.

Trust the Vedas if him you don’t want to believe,

The Puranas too, on their pages Rama’s name to retrieve.

Tulsidas makes claims that are true in their own right,

Yet cites authority to give his words more might.

Follow the prescription and constantly name do chant,

Happiness and freedom from sin to you God will grant.

What Do You Want

“Vibhishana obtained Lanka, Sugriva became king, and Hanuman and Jatayu also received wonderful rewards, but the fallen Tulsidas only wants love for Shri Rama’s holy name.” (Dohavali, 34)

lanka bibhīsana rāja kapi pati mārūti khaga mīca |
lahī rāma soṃ nāma rati cāhata tulasī nīca ||

What can’t God give to those who love Him, honor Him, and cherish His very existence during every second of the day? The human being tries to find lasting happiness through so many different pursuits, only to fail every time. With each success in mundane ventures comes a renewal of activity, a further attachment and obligation imposed on the person who has bucked the odds and found their way to a desired end. Yet once the thrill of victory is tasted, future defeats and setbacks become more difficult to swallow, as the memory and happiness of the previous gains quickly erode. With the Supreme Lord, however, there are no defects in the benedictions He grants to those who are sincerely interested in serving Him without motive. Even though God has the whole world in His hands and can bring anything to anyone, for the devotees, the bhaktas swimming in an ocean of transcendental bliss emerging from the very mention of the name that addresses the Supreme Person, there is no other desire except to continue reciting this name, day after day, lifetime after lifetime.

The spirit soul, the essence of individuality, exists forever. Long after the current life is over and long before the present birth from our mother’s womb, the soul holds onto its constitutional makeup. The understanding of the soul’s presence and its qualitative composition is the most elusive information to the conditioned being, even though such knowledge is readily available, provided one is fortunate enough to approach the right person and then have the good sense to accept the instruction presented them without reservation. The knowledge of the soul and its relationship to a higher power is found in many sacred texts, but it is most clearly described in the Bhagavad-gita, a poem sung by Lord Krishna on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra.

God is a universal figure; He is the original Divine Being that everyone is open to worship. While one sect may have allegiance to their version of God, or their version of a son of the Creator, this doesn’t mean that the Supreme Lord is only available to a certain section of mankind. Rather, just as our own bodies can change during our lifetime without our identities being altered, the Supreme Lord can take many non-different forms that are equally as worshipable. Lord Krishna is considered the original form, as He is the most attractive. Just one look at His smiling face is enough to turn the heads of even the most ardent supporters of sense gratification as a way of life. The sound of Krishna’s flute is considered the most mesmerizing and enchanting, as it captures the hearts and minds of the eternally liberated souls residing in the spiritual world.

The soul is described in the Bhagavad-gita as being immutable, unchangeable and primeval. The soul is not slain when the body is slain. This is very powerful information to those who identify solely with the body. Therefore hearing from the Gita in the aftermath of a death of a close friend or family member is beneficial, as it comforts the grieving person, letting them know that the departed lives on. While their existence continues, what determines the next body type, their future destination? Karma, or fruitive activity, along with guna, or material qualities, shapes future fortunes. This doesn’t just take effect at the time of death either. Rather, at every second we are suffering or enjoying the reactions of our work. The qualities we assumed at the time of birth were the direct result of previous desires and actions performed.

God, as the creator of karma, is the only person who can put a stop to its effect. While karma shapes the future fortunes of the soul when it is embodied, the Supreme Lord, through His divine power, can rescue the soul from the ocean of nescience and bring it back to wherever it wants to go, which is preferably its original home, the spiritual sky. Since the soul is eternal, it would make sense that its ideal abode would be an imperishable land, a place where there are no differences between body and spirit. When under the jurisdiction of karma, the body must change at every second, leading to temporary pains and pleasures. Just as the seasons come and go at their own time, happiness and sadness arrive on their own schedule. When one is free from karma, however, there is no change to the dwelling of the soul; hence in the liberated state the body assumes the same spiritual qualities as the individual soul.

While karma pretty much works on its own through the forces of nature instituted by the Supreme Lord, this doesn’t preclude God from personally intervening and offering rewards to those who are intimately associated with Him. Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice and a rise in irreligion, the Supreme Lord descends personally from the spiritual world to the earthly realm. The spiritual form that appears on earth is referred to as an avatara, or “one who descends”. One of God’s most famous avataras is Lord Rama, the warrior prince of Ayodhya who appeared on earth many thousands of years ago during the Treta Yuga. Goswami Tulsidas, the famous Vaishnava poet, is especially fond of Lord Rama, as he doesn’t see God as being anyone else. Even when discussing the pastimes of Lord Krishna or other Vishnu forms, Tulsidas makes no distinctions between them, considering them all to be the same Shri Rama.

Lord Rama performed many glorious deeds during His time on earth, and through His dealings with others He was able to grant many wonderful benedictions. If you own everything to start with, what will stop you from rewarding those who are kind to you and help you out? The gifts given by Rama are too many to count, but Tulsidas mentions a few of the notable ones above. Rama’s wife during His time on earth was Sita Devi, the princess of Videha. Just as Rama is an incarnation of God’s form of Vishnu, Sita is an incarnation of Lakshmi Devi, the eternal consort, or wife, of Lord Vishnu. To eliminate the demoniac element concentrated on the island of Lanka at the time, Rama came to earth in a seemingly human form, for the ruler of the evil ogres in Lanka had immunity in battle against every type of creature except humans. Rama was still dedicated to dharma, or religiosity, so He wasn’t going to just fight Ravana without justification.

The excuse would come in the form of Sita’s rescue. Hearing of her beauty, Ravana decided that he had to have her. Since Rama would utterly route him in battle, Ravana decided to hatch a plot to steal Sita away. When Sita was brought to the island kingdom of Lanka, Rama outwardly didn’t know where she was. This was also part of the Lord’s plan, as it created an opportunity for others to offer their service. God has everything, so under normal circumstances what help can any of us be to Him?

The spirit soul is naturally inclined towards service. In the conditioned state, the loving propensity is directed to friends, family, spouses, pets, and even sports teams. The fan of their favorite team will be elated when they win a championship and greatly saddened when they lose, especially if the loss comes in a heartbreaking manner, such as with a sudden-death overtime loss in a game seven of a playoff series in ice hockey.

When consciousness is purified, love is directed at God. Rama allowed many individuals to exercise pure bhakti, or love for God, when it came time to find Sita. First, Rama and His younger brother Lakshmana made friends with a Vanara king named Sugriva. The monkeys of the Treta Yuga were advanced, so they had many human-like tendencies. Sugriva had been driven out of his kingdom by his brother Vali over an unfortunate misunderstanding. Sugriva could surely help Rama, but he needed his kingdom back first. If someone becomes friends with God, they are never bereft of anything. Therefore Rama vowed to get Sugriva his kingdom back from Vali. This is exactly what would happen, as Rama would shoot Vali in the back, allowing Sugriva to live without fear, giving him reign over the monkey kingdom. Simply because he agreed to help Rama find Sita, Sugriva, the lord of monkeys, became king.

Similarly, Vibhishana, the younger brother of Ravana, attained the crown of Lanka by submitting Himself before Rama. Ravana refused to let Sita go, even after the heartfelt pleas of Vibhishana, who was only looking out for his brother’s interests. Realizing that Ravana would not change his ways, Vibhishana turned tail and asked to join the other side, the opposition led by Rama and Sugriva’s monkey-army. Under the material estimation, Vibhishana was the biggest turncoat, the original “Benedict Arnold” if you will. Many of the members of the monkey party were hesitant to accept a Rakshasa into their ranks, especially one who was so closely tied to Ravana.

“It is My vow that if one only once seriously surrenders unto Me, saying, ‘My dear Lord, from this day I am Yours,’ and prays to Me for courage, I shall immediately award courage to that person, and he will always remain safe from that time on.” (Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kand, 18.33)

Despite the hesitancy from the monkeys, Lord Rama firmly asserted that He grants protection to and removes fears from anyone who surrenders unto Him. Vibhishana had come over in earnest, and his character was vouched for by Hanuman, Sugriva’s chief minister and warrior. As soon as Vibhishana came to Rama’s camp, the Lord crowned him as the new king of Lanka. Ravana was obviously still the acting king, but this ceremony indicated that Rama would dethrone Ravana, rescue Sita, and then install Vibhishana as king of Lanka as a reward for his loyalty. Shri Rama, being the Absolute Truth, would make good on His promise.

Shri Hanuman, the valiant warrior fighting for Sugriva’s side, made his way first into Lanka to find where Sita was. His trek was not easy in the least bit, as he faced many obstacles and had to remain determined in mind. The opulence and massive power of the Rakshasas were enough to suppress the enthusiasm of even the most perseverant fighter, but Hanuman was not deterred. He would find Sita, allay her fears, return to Rama with information of her whereabouts, and then play an important role in the victorious outcome of the final battle with Ravana and the Rakshasas. Due to his bravery and kind efforts, Hanuman was rewarded with eternal fame and devotion to Sita, Rama and Lakshmana.

Jatayu, the wonderful and kind vulture, attained one of the greatest benedictions anyone could ever think of: dying in the arms of the Supreme Lord. When Ravana had taken Sita from the forest, his aerial path was initially obstructed by Jatayu, who saw what was happening and protested. Jatayu was good friends with Rama’s father, Maharaja Dasharatha, the King of Ayodhya. Fighting his hardest to stop Ravana, Jatayu eventually was badly wounded and fell to the ground. Later on, Rama and Lakshmana would find him just before he quit his body. Lord Rama took the vulture in His arms, thus allowing Jatayu to have the divine vision right before quitting his body. In the Bhagavad-gita, it is stated that anyone who thinks of God at the time of death never has to take birth again. In this way Jatayu attained salvation by looking directly at the Lord while dying.

Even knowing that these wonderful benedictions were granted by the Lord to His devotees, Goswami Tulsidas, who considers himself lower than the lowest, still only wants love for Rama’s name. This heartfelt request doesn’t imply that the aforementioned devotees specifically wanted something more from Rama. The references are made solely for comparison purposes, as Vibhishana, Hanuman, Jatayu and Sugriva are considered Rama’s dearest friends, devotees who are celebrated and highly regarded for their wonderful courage, bravery and devotion to the jewel of the Raghu dynasty. Hanuman is the most famous of the group, but even the attention and adoration shown his way were never explicitly sought after. Hanuman only wants to think of Rama and His family and try his best to keep smiles on their faces.

Tulsidas, following in the standard of devotion set by Hanuman, similarly doesn’t want any personal benediction from the Lord, nor does he feel he is worthy of anything. Rather, he only wants to have love and attachment, or rati, for chanting the holy name of Rama. The name of God is everything, as it represents His forms, pastimes and qualities. Though God is formless and nameless according to our estimation, He still has a spiritual body which is full of attributes and thousands of names assigned to Him by those who wish to remember and honor Him. To Tulsidas, Rama is the preferred name, the favorite sound vibration. The poet’s attitude revealed in his request represents the height of devotional practice, the perfection of consciousness. Though he is the most glorious of writers and the kindest of human beings, Tulsidas doesn’t feel he is above anyone else or deserving of wonderful rewards. Rama’s name is his only wealth, for this sound vibration is all that is needed to maintain a link in consciousness to the Supreme Lord. When this bond of love is firmly established, the previously lost individual is said to be in yoga, where he has a direct connection to pure spirit.

Attaining the state of consciousness where the only thing we want is to chant God’s names is very difficult, but it serves as the ideal aim of spiritual practice. Rama can grant anything to anyone, but devotion is rarely found because it is seldom sought after. Kingdoms, material opulence, fame and good standing are available even through activity in karma, so why wouldn’t the Supreme Lord be able to grant these benedictions to His devotees? Affection for Rama and His name through a mood of pure love, however, can only be received from the Supreme Lord and the devotees who chant His glories. Anyone who regularly chants, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, with firm attachment in a loving mood is the wealthiest person, capable of distributing the precious gem that is the holy name to others. Once we figure out that love for God is what we really want, we will never be bereft of it, as Shri Rama will guarantee that our request is not denied.

In Closing:

Shri Rama, of Raghu’s fame,

So glorious is His name.

From the Supreme Lord He is not different,

Yet still in honoring Him we are hesitant.

To many Rama granted wonderful boons in the past,

On serving His lotus feet their efforts were cast.

In material estimation, as turncoat Vibhishana was the biggest,

Renounced his brother Ravana, in favor of Rama the kindest.

Received from the Lord the kingdom of Lanka in an instant,

Ravana’s demise sealed through Rama’s arrows flying constant.

Sugriva, plagued by the fear of Vali his brother,

Through Rama regained his kingdom, no more worry to bother.

Hanuman received fame through Shri Rama’s grace,

Jatayu salvation by looking at the Lord’s face.

As God Himself, what is there that Rama cannot give?

Yet Tulsidas wants only with love for holy name to live.

This gift is granted to anyone, if their heart is pure,

Chant Rama’s name always, His love you’ll have for sure.

Collection

“Those who trust in Shri Rama’s holy name, who have confidence in it and love for it, collect all good qualities and auspiciousness simply by remembering it, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 33)

rāma nāma para nāma teṃ prīti pratiti bharosa |
so tulasī sumirata sakala saguna sumangala kosa ||

A very simple formula for attaining success in life coupled with a wonderful reputation is provided by Goswami Tulsidas, a devotee of Lord Rama, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of a warrior prince. Though He might be given second billing because He is considered an incarnation of Krishna or Vishnu, Rama is lacking nothing in spiritual attributes, as He is the same Bhagavan, full of fortune and opulence. He holds the qualities of beauty, wealth, renunciation, strength, wisdom and fame to the highest degree and simultaneously.

Another way to praise Rama is to view Him as the storehouse of all good qualities and virtues. If we’re looking for a particular item or object, it is best to search for it in a place that has it in full supply; this way we’ll know that the seller is familiar with the item in question and that they have dealt with it before. If we acquire our desired objects from a reputable source, we’ll know that they are genuine. Thus we can feel safe knowing that our product is of a good quality. In a similar manner, if we want to acquire the noteworthy qualities of piety, virtue, kindness, honesty, wealth, beauty and fame, we can strive for each one separately or we can go directly to the source of all goodness and collect on what we are due. The Supreme Lord is not stingy in this respect, as He is the most generous benefactor to those who know how to interact with Him properly. The nature of the interaction is the key, and thanks to the nice formula provided by Tulsidas, the proper exchange of emotion can be found very quickly.

Would God withhold His opulence from His children, those sons and daughters who are always linked to Him despite their forgetfulness of a higher power and His wonderful magnificence? Let’s think of it this way. Say one of our children approached us for some money. “Dad, can I have fifty dollars?” “Well, son, what are you going to use it for?” “I want to place a bet on tonight’s football game. I need fifty dollars to give to the bookmaker.” For the father in this example, fifty dollars is not a large sum of money, as he earns much more than that in the course of a week to support his family. In this particular instance money is not the issue, but rather how it will be spent. Gambling is certainly not a constructive activity, as it is delineated as one of the four primary sinful activities by the Vedas. Meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex are considered the most detrimental activities in terms of their effect on the consciousness, which is the determining factor in whether or not a living entity remains in the association of God. Therefore whatever activities can purify consciousness should be accepted, and anything that is harmful should be rejected.

Aside from the negative influence on fostering a spiritual consciousness, the father knows that the son has much better things to do than to waste his money on a wager. Therefore the father will deny the request, even though he is fully equipped to supply the fifty dollars. The Supreme Lord, who is the richest person in the world, can provide endless amounts of money to people that approach Him, but He will not do so without first evaluating the potential damage that can occur. With other spiritual personalities, who are known as devas, or demigods, the aforementioned evaluation is missing. These exalted figures are tasked with distributing benedictions to whoever pleases them properly, irrespective of the underlying motives. With the Supreme Lord, who can be worshiped as an abstract energy or through one of His non-different forms like Vishnu, Krishna, Rama and several others, you don’t always get what you want. He first surveys the situation and then decides if the benediction will be beneficial to the person asking for it. For these reasons many other spiritual personalities are often approached first, as the Supreme Lord is known to scrutinize in this manner.

In the eyes of the Lord, what reasons are considered legitimate for giving out rewards? How can we get wonderful qualities, saguna, and everything auspicious, sakala sumangala, from the person who is never bereft of anything? The father may provide fifty dollars to the son, but once that money leaves him, his net bank balance decreases. With the Supreme Lord, however, there is never a loss. He can dish out millions of dollars and still not suffer any loss to His personal fortune. Such apparent contradictions can only take place in the spiritual realm, where the proprietor defies all laws of logic, math and science. In the spiritual realm, one plus one can equal five, should the Supreme Lord declare it to be so.

The key to gaining Rama’s favor is to find out what He desires. Can God actually desire anything? Isn’t personal satisfaction a resort of the conditioned souls bewildered by the dualities of material existence and the mortality of every life form? As the storehouse of every beneficial virtue and quality, Shri Rama is certainly capable of desire, though His wants are spiritual and pure in every way. It shouldn’t surprise us that His desire actually corresponds with our own primary want, that of loving association. Nothing pleases the Supreme Lord more than to have the most intimate of relationships with His fragmental sparks, which include all the various forms of life on earth. But only in the human form of body can familiarity with Rama’s earnest wishes be acquired. Only in the human life can the fruit of existence be properly identified and hopefully tasted.

That goal can be reached through many different avenues, as the necessary requirement is a sincere desire to associate with God. Though the solution seems easy, convincing the mind of the validity of the mission is not. Over many lifetimes on earth, the spirit souls inhabiting the world have steadily increased their aversion to loving God. Evidence of this is seen with the degraded practices that pass for virtue today. As an example, in earlier times killing an innocent animal for no justifiable reason was considered the greatest sin, especially if the animal was a cow. A cow kindly provides milk to the human being at no cost. The cow is still able to maintain its life and take care of its dependents after the milk is pumped, so there are only benefits to go around. Therefore killing the cow is worse than killing any other animal, as no other animal is as kind and benevolent.

We know that today killing cows is a lucrative business, as their milk is taken first, processed into other food products like cream, butter and cheese, and then the cow is mercilessly killed. The same milk products are then placed on top of the cooked meat, beef, to enhance the flavor. We could go on and on describing the sordid tale, but the point is that only through much elapsed time and increased deviation in thought from God and real religion can the situation evolve to the point where it is today, wherein slaughterhouses are seen as not a problem in the least bit, even by those who claim to be devoted to God.

The newly concocted dharmas, or systems of religiosity, make it difficult for the mind to be convinced of the need to serve God, as the basic demands of the body can seemingly be met without any attention paid whatsoever to spirituality. Fortunately for us, the saints, the true devotees who never deviated in thought, word, or deed from loving God, supplied us information on how to achieve life’s mission. In the above referenced verse from the Dohavali, Tulsidas provides a very simple formula, one that is complete in every way. The key ingredient to his formula, which is by no means a secret or one concocted personally by the poet, is the holy name, as this sound vibration brings direct audience with the Supreme Lord.

If we regularly chant, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, we are basically telling Lord Rama that we want to be by His side. We want Him always with us, and if we can’t see Him or if we somehow forget His beautiful form for even a second, we will simply chant His name again to revive our divine consciousness. In this respect even forgetfulness is auspicious, as it presents new opportunities to remember God. Since reciting the name of God signals a direct desire to be with the Supreme Lord, He will naturally oblige and give us His association.

Chanting alone can only take us so far, though. If we still have desires to use benedictions from the Supreme Lord for other purposes, we will not receive the full storehouse of attributes that the kind Lord and His beloved wife, Sita Devi, are ready to bestow upon us. Sita is considered an incarnation of Lakshmi Devi, the wife of Lord Vishnu in the spiritual sky. Nevertheless, Sita is an eternally existing figure, just like Rama. During her time on earth, she would charitably distribute the couple’s wealth to various persons who were deserving of it. She was always eager to go into the forest to visit sages and gift them with gold and jewelry. Sita is always anxious to bestow benedictions upon those who recite her husband’s name.

While the name of the Lord is the key ingredient in religious practice, the mood in which this sound vibration is chanted is the determining factor of whether or not the proper benedictions are received. Tulsidas says that the name of Rama should be chanted with confidence and love, with the devotee having full trust in its potency, depending on the sound vibration as their life and soul. When the name of Rama is chanted in this way, whenever the name is remembered, i.e. whenever it is heard or recited within the mind, all auspiciousness and benedictions come. In this way we see that there is a three step process. First, the name of God must be found and recited. Secondly, there must be love and faith in the chanting, along with trust in the person it represents. Dependence on the holy name means not holding on to any other process of religion or aspect of material life as being a more generous benefactor. This mindset is very difficult to achieve, because it is the natural tendency of man to believe that if he fails to perform a specific activity, he will become destitute or a loser. “If I fail to do my work properly, all my possessions and relationships will vanish. If I fail to eat properly, I will be unhealthy and lose my life.” These concerns are certainly valid, but having dependence on the name of Rama means putting the focus of concern into the chanting process. When the primary concern becomes the fear of the effects that will result from not chanting Rama’s name, the attitude of trust and dependence is adopted properly.

When the proper mood is there in chanting, all one has to do is remember the name of Rama and good things will come. More than just a rosy picture painted by Tulsidas, we know that this is a fact that can be proved by real life examples. Shri Hanuman, the faithful servant of Lord Rama, is proof positive that when the right mood is adopted, one will never be bereft of anything. Hanuman spends all his time chanting the names of Sita and Rama, and thus he is never lacking anything. In life he just requires the bare essentials to keep his devotional practices going. Sita Devi ensures that Hanuman is never without what he needs. But the greatest benediction he receives, aside from the wonderful qualities and virtues that belong to him and never exhaust, is the ability to continue to remember his beloved Rama. Hanuman is himself a storehouse of good qualities, so anyone who remembers him and his foremost occupational duty in life, devotion to Rama, will similarly be able to collect all good characteristics and auspicious qualities.

When there is dependence on the holy name acquired through a steady purification in consciousness that is concomitant with practice in bhakti, or devotion, Rama takes it as an indication of the devotee’s fervent desire to have His association. Therefore Rama will never deny their requests, nor will He hold back on sharing His limitless opulence. Rama is known as Bhagavan because of the fortunes He possesses, but the exalted devotees are also sometimes addressed as Bhagavan. They collect good qualities through their virtuous mindset, and they also have the greatest treasure of all, association with God through His holy name. Therefore there is no reason not to follow the formula outlined above, as one only becomes the greatest gainer by abandoning all other varieties of religion and surrendering unto the holy name and its potency.

In Closing:

Not all requests will the good father grant,

If harm will come, to son he will say, “I can’t”.

Shri Rama, the Supreme Lord, follows the same tact,

That He is Bhagavan, full of fortune, is a known fact.

If you want temporary rewards, demigods do you ask,

Unconcerned with motive, giving boons is their task.

Through time, the real religion man does forget,

Forges concocted dharmas and thinks they are the best.

Fruit of existence is the Supreme Lord’s association,

This comes from a sound vibration and its glorification.

Follow the formula of Tulsidas, poet and devotee of Rama,

Chant the name with love, and collect all good qualities as alms.

Have trust and confidence in the name,

Remember Shri Hanuman, of glorious fame.

Those who follow this formula have all their needs met,

By remembering Rama’s name, eternal bliss they get.

Singing the Glories

“Shri Rama personally gave liberation to Shabari, the vulture Jatayu and those who performed wonderful devotional service, whereas the holy name has liberated countless wretches; a fact well-established in the Vedas, which sing of its glories.” (Dohavali, 32)

sabarī gīdha susevakani sugati dīnhi raghunātha |
nāma udhāre amita khala beda bidita guna gātha ||

The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, have many branches of information, fruits of knowledge which illuminate the path to success in various ventures. Look in one direction and you’ll find information on how to maintain a successful business, what it takes to earn a profit and produce a steady output of the good or service that you are trying to sell. Look in another direction and you’ll find information on how to stand up to enemies, how to remain firm in the face of fear and trepidation. Any type of enjoyment you covet is covered by this wonderful set of guidelines for mankind, information which emanates from the original person. Despite the comprehensiveness of the information contained, at their core the Vedas are a collection of songs. These songs don’t speak of pain, misery, or scorned love. Rather, they simply glorify one person, whose good qualities can never be fully enumerated. This still doesn’t stop the Vedas from trying. In this effort the key ingredient is the holy name, a sound vibration which has liberated countless individuals, including some of the worst people.

How is liberation secured? Moreover, what is the difference between saving someone who is a wretch and someone who is pious? Liberation in the spiritual sense refers to the future destination, the place someone is going. Think of boarding a train headed for a specific place. The passenger being kind, envious, or foolish has no bearing on whether or not the train will reach its target. In this respect, no one is above anyone else; all the passengers are in the same boat. Where there is a difference, however, is with discrimination, the ability to think critically and decide which train to board.

A wise person may know a lot about the nature around them and how to manipulate things in their favor, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they will know where to go in life. For instance, I may know what it takes to succeed in politics. I can look at the current political landscape and figure out what it takes to get elected to office. This pursuit requires creating a contrast between myself and the opposing politicians. If the present conditions in society are favorable, the best course of action is to resist change. Double down on the current policies and say that I will do them even better. If things aren’t going so well at the moment, the best choice is to offer change, a different approach. I will say that I’ll do things differently and that I won’t repeat the same mistakes.

One who can figure out how to continually get elected to office using these techniques certainly will be considered intelligent, but what about actually governing? What if the intelligent campaigner doesn’t know where to steer the country, where to direct the citizens that kindly offered their votes? In this sense the intelligence used to gain personal favor really has no lasting benefit. Any person can find their own temporary happiness, for in many instances just the absence of distress brings a positive condition. If the sun is shining brightly on a particular day, scorching its rays upon the ground, a way to gain relief is to find shade. But does this represent a permanent positive condition? If we sit all day in a tiny corner that is shaded, will we be happy?

The wretched person is one who flaunts the laws of society and pays no concern for even their own temporary wellbeing. Thus they are considered worse off, for they don’t even have the ability to assess whether or not a particular path will lead them to the proper destination. The intelligent person finding temporary comfort can at least make the proper assessment if they are presented with enough information. The wretched person mired in ignorance will not accept any sound advice offered to them, no matter how sincere the person who is offering it is.

The Vedas, which emanate from the wisest person, whose home is the proper destination for every single soul, are relevant to every type of person. This means that even the wretches can be sent to the sugati, or supreme destination, provided they take hold of one particular aspect of spirituality. When this aspect is ignored or wholly rejected, then the requirements for finding the ultimate destination are much stricter. In the above referenced verse from the Dohavali, Goswami Tulsidas nicely illustrates the difference.

In the first section of this verse, the Vaishnava poet mentions Shabari, the vulture Jatayu and others who performed wonderful devotional service. They each found the supreme destination directly through the personal influence of Shri Raghunatha, who is also known as Lord Rama, the jewel of the Raghu dynasty. The Supreme Lord, the person from whom the Vedas emanate, has a spiritual form. Though He is described as formless and attributeless, these descriptions are meant to show that He is never limited in His abilities in the way human beings are. To give a glimpse into His spiritual bliss and the completeness of His qualities, He appears on earth every now and then in wonderful forms. His appearances are not like those of the spirit souls, who assume material elements and then discard them through the laws of karma. Reincarnation only acts upon us living entities looking for the right train in life. For the Supreme Lord, He is never beholden to karma, for He is the conductor of every train operating within the material existence.

As Lord Rama, God shows us His sweet smiling face and His dedication to dharma, or piety. The main benefit of seeing God is having the ability to serve Him. Service is what takes place in the supreme destination anyway, so those who are given the opportunity to follow the same path in their present home are thus granted tremendous favor. This opportunity is not exclusive to the human beings or even the most intelligent class of men. Shabari was a female sage who lived a life of austerity and penance at the guidance of her spiritual teachers. While Rama was roaming the forests, He and His younger brother Lakshmana met her and ate the kind berries she offered. As a reward for her austerities, Shabari got to meet Rama, who subsequently granted her liberation.

“That supreme abode is called unmanifested and infallible, and it is the supreme destination. When one goes there, he never comes back. That is My supreme abode.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.21)

Final liberation, or mukti, is the release from the cycle of birth and death. This comes about by finding a home that never gets destroyed. If the area we reside in never goes away, the body types we assume also never change when we live there. In the material world, everything must change, as the land itself is ultimately destroyed after many millions of years. In the supreme destination, however, there is never destruction. This land is described as unmanifest because it is beyond the perception of the senses, just as the Supreme Lord’s spiritual form is described as adhokshaja, or incapable of being observed by ordinary sense perception.

The vulture Jatayu was given liberation when he died in Rama’s arms. Rama’s wife Sita Devi was taken against her will to the island of Lanka by a Rakshasa king named Ravana. Ravana perpetrated the iniquitous deed when Rama was not by Sita’s side to defend her. Almost getting away without any opposition, Ravana’s journey home was abruptly interrupted by Jatayu, who was a friend of Rama’s father, King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. Though he tried his best to stop Ravana, Jatayu ultimately was mortally wounded in the battle. While taking his last breaths he met Rama and died in His arms. Seeing the Lord’s divine vision before him as he breathed his last, the vulture was given the reward of ascension to the supreme destination.

Others were similarly awarded liberation when they performed wonderful devotional service, susevakani, for the Lord when He roamed the earth. While it may seem like personal association with God is the only way to break free from the cycle of birth and death, it is not. The holy name has actually liberated countless wretches throughout history. This fact is well established in the Vedas, which constantly sing of the glories of the holy name. Rama’s name is not different from Him; we only see a difference because we don’t know any better. Just as we say that the sun is not in the sky on a particular day, while in fact it hasn’t gone anywhere, we perceive that the Lord has different aspects, such as His name, form, qualities and activities, when in fact none of these things are different from one another.

The holy name is especially potent because it can be invoked by any person. There are many mantras in the Vedas aimed at furthering specific purposes. If you want to bless your home with auspiciousness, you call a priest over and he performs a special sacrifice. During this ceremony, he must recite the specific mantras perfectly in order to get the intended effect. Just as someone is sworn into an office by reciting an oath, the sacrifice matures once the required words are uttered perfectly by a qualified priest.

With the holy name the purpose is to increase attachment and love for God. Therefore it doesn’t even need to be recited in a formal setting or by someone who is trained in the process. Rather, simply by saying sacred formulas like, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, the mind can gradually be cleansed of all impurities. The worst wretch can be cured of his mental ailments, his sinful behavior and his tendency towards activities driven by ignorance. Most important of all, the sinner is placed on the train headed for the supreme destination.

This train doesn’t require any entry fee except love for God. Thus the wise and the unintelligent are both allowed entry, provided they have purified themselves through devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. While those who directly offered their service to Rama were blessed with the supreme destination, this doesn’t mean that the service and its benefits are kept from those who don’t have the luxury of meeting Rama face to face. The holy name facilitates the exchange of blissful emotions with the Supreme Spirit for any person, regardless of their particular spiritual tradition. Real religion is meant to bring one to the platform of loving God, so there can be no question of sectarian boundaries when dealing with divine love, which is best practiced through chanting the holy names.

The Vedas continue to sing the never-ending song, which is made up of the holy names and its glories. There are countless names for the Lord, with each one addressing a specific feature or pastime. Just reciting the name “Rama” over and over again brings the kind husband of Sita into our consciousness. As Rama is glorious, so are those who are intimately associated with him, the liberated souls who never give up His service. The holy name brings with it Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman. With this spiritual family residing always in your consciousness, how can any destination except the supreme abode be in your future?