NAMASMARANA
Words have tremondous power. They can arouse emotions and the can also calm them. They direct or infuriate, they reveal or confuse. They are potent forces that bring up great reserves of strength and wisdom. The tongue should be used for pronouncing the Name of the Lord. It should not be used to hiss like a serpent, or growl or roar with intention to strike terror. That is not the purpose for which the tongue is granted to man. Dwell on the Name, and its sweetness will saturate your tongue and improve your taste. Speech is so powerful that it indicates one's character, reveals one's personality, educates others and communicates experience and information. So be vigilant about words. Slip while walking, the injury can be repaired; but slip with talking, the injury is irreparable.
The present age is described in the scriptures as very conducive to Liberation for, while in past Ages, rigorous penance was prescribed as the means, the present Kali Age requires only Namasmarana to win Liberation. When the Name of the Lord is remembered with all the Glory that is associated with It, a great flood of happiness wells up in the mind. The Lord is full of Bliss and in fact He is Bliss Itself. All this Bliss is to be tasted through the Name. Vyasa himself knew this, for when some sages once went to him to find out which Yuga is most conducive to success in man's efforts for Liberation, Vyasa anticipated their question and repeated to himself aloud, `How fortunate are those destined to be born in the Kali Yuga! It is so easy to win the Grace of the Lord by Namasmarana in the Kali Age.'
The Name of God, if recited with Love and Faith, has the power to bring upon the eager aspirant the Grace of God. The Name has the over-mastering power of even leaping over the ocean. It can award unimagined strength and courage. When questioned whether it was Ramanama that strengthened Hanuman to cross the ocean, Rama replied that since His Body was called Rama, the Name that combines the Bijaakshras of both Siva and Vishnu, He Himself was able to conquer Ravana and his hordes. The name has such efficacy. By repeating the Name, the Lord and His Attributes can easily be identified. The tongue must be sanctified by repetition of the Name. It has also to be used for sweet expressions which will spread contentment and joy. Remember that God, in whom you move, the God Who makes you move, the God who is all this Vast Universe- every little atom and every huge star, rememeber Him! Select some Name and Form for this All-pervasive Immanent God and keep It on your tongue and before your mental eye. That is what is called Japa-sahita-dhyanam. Recitation of the Name-cum-meditation. When you select one Name and one Form for Smarana, do not talk ill of other Names and Forms. Behave like the woman of a joint family. She respects and serves the elders of the family, such as the father-in-law and his brothers and her own brothers-in-law, but her heart is dedicated to her husband, whom she loves and reveres in a special manner. If you carp at the faith of others your devotion is fake. If you are sincere, you will appreciate the sincerity of others too. The Lord has thousands of Names. There is no Name that is not His. Krishna, Shrinivasa, Sai Baba- all Names are of the same Entity.
[Excerpted from pages 1 and 2 of `Discourses of Sri Sathya Sai Baba on His Forty-third Birthday,' as published by Sathya Sai Seva Samithi of Poona, 18 pages softcover, 1968. Printed by W. Q. Judge Press, 97 Residency Road, Bangalore 560025.]