by Dr. K. Parvathi Kumar

Book Presentation Overview Wisdom

The teacher of the teachers, the teacher of the Devas and the humans, the celestial seer, Narada is ever engaged in chanting this mantra. His breath sings this mantra while his fingers play the mantra on his celestial musical instrument, Mahati. He is the cosmic initiator of the Narayana mantra. He initiated this mantra to many a seer and many individuals. Dhruva is the foremost of them, Prahlada and Vedavyasa were also initiated by him. The very name Narada means, the one who gives the experience of Na-Ra. Da in Sanskrit stands for giving. So, Narada is Nara giver or initiator. He is the closest associate to Narayana in Puranas. It is he who transmits the principle of Narayana in all the fourteen planes. He is the cosmic Mercury principle who has the facility to move in all seven worlds (planes) and seven infernal worlds (planes) also. The mantra of Narayana is inseparable with this grand teacher Narada. His lips sing out the mantra purifying the atmosphere when he is at leisure. The mantra can be sung mentally or vocally. Mental singing enables purification of the subjective side of the being, while vocal singing enables purification of the surrounding. Group singing of the mantra is generally used to heal the places of suffering.

Sri Ramanuja is the acharya who popularized this mantra among the masses in Kali Yuga. Until the advent of Ramanuja, the mantra was practiced only by those who were initiated into the mantra. Initiation was from mouth to ear. It was secretive and was exclusive. Ramanuja who belongs to the ‘path of grace’ was initiated from mouth to ear by his teacher in a very famous temple, Srirangam. The temple of Srirangam is a huge temple with vast sprawling land compounded on all four sides. It has four entrances on the east, west, south and north. Each entrance has a very tall gopura (a pyramidal structure). Within the temple, from ancient most times the mantra was practiced by those who were initiated authentically.

Ramanuja while he was in his youthful years, his attitude, devotion and discipline were admired by a teacher of Vaishnava cult. He drew Ramanuja near and initiated him with the mantra by uttering forth the mantra into the left ear of Sri Ramanuja. Ramanuja was instructed to chant the mantra incessantly and silently associating the mantra with the breath. He was instructed to be secretive of the initiation. The teacher told Ramanuja that the mantra enables the latter to stand liberated from the world. He also said that the liberated ones can serve the world better. Ramanuja was inspired by the mantra and its power. He could not contain it in himself. He quickly climbed up the eastern gopura of the temple of Srirangam, called out the habitants of the village with a loud voice. Seeing the youth on the top of the temple, crowds gathered. Ramanuja spoke in loud voice, “The grace of Lord visited me. I am given the sound which enables us to get liberated from the world. I wish to share this with all of you, for I see in you my brothers and sisters who are entangled in the world in varieties of ways. Listen to the mantra that I utter forth and chant forth the mantra as much as you can every day. This will enable you to stay afloat in this worldly life.”

Saying so Ramanuja gave out the 8-syllabled mantra. The people at large rejoiced. But, the teacher who initiated Ramanuja turned furious. He looked at Ramanuja and said, “No one ever did such a crime as you did today. I feel that you have stabbed me with a dagger in the centre of my heart. The pain that I feel shall curse you for your utter irresponsible act.” Ramanuja prostrated at the feet of his teacher and said, “Master, even if I am condemned into the bottom of the hell, I care not. The joy of transmitting the key of liberation to the masses at large keeps me and you joyful eternally, no matter where we are. When we are with Narayana it makes no difference where we are sent to after this life.” The teacher was stunned at the reply. He picked up Ramanuja by his shoulders and hugged him saying, “You are the One. You have come to save the simple, the gullible and the common. You are the child of the grace. May your path of grace gracefully alleviate the sufferings of the ignorant and elevate them into the kingdom of light.” Such was the profundity of Ramanuja. He lived in South India for a 100 years initiating the masses into the mantra of Narayana. The name of Ramanujacharya thus became inseparable with the mantra and hence mentioning this episode is inevitable when one speaks of Narayana. In tune with ‘The Plan’, twelve apostles called Alwars happened to be around him, to practice and propagate the mantra. The stories of the twelve Alwars are outstanding examples of self-surrender in the ‘path of grace’.