When simple solutions are offered for highly complex problems, more often than not, people tend to adopt a skeptical attitude.
It is stated that in Kaliyuga, people are generally indolent, dull witted, suffer from serious diseases, endowed with short life span and can not indulge in elaborate rituals to mitigate their past karmas. However, certain simple solutions were made available for such people and these remedies are effective only in this Kaliyuga. One among such remedies is Nama Sankeertana. The enormous karmic effects of men can be offset just by doing Nama Sankeertana of God constantly. This is an exclusive remedy prescribed only for people of Kaliyuga.
Everybody is eligible to engage in this ritual of Nama Sankeertana at any point of time and in any situation. Constant chanting of God’s ‘namam’ effectively purifies the mind, elevates the soul and nullifies all ill effects of past ‘karma’, according to Bhagavata Purana.
Amma introduced Akhanda Namam in the precincts of HYmalayam precisely with this objective. The ostensible reason is to fulfill the last desire of Hyma that she should hear Amma Namam continuously. In fact, Hyma’s wish is also aimed at the larger interests of mankind. As per Hyma’s wish, that area is being reverberated with Amma Namam day in and day out chanted by the devotees on rotation basis.
Quite a few fortunate, evolved, committed and dedicated persons kept chanting Amma namam in Jillellamudi. Prominent among them were Late Kasu Radhakrishna Reddy, Ravuri Narasimha Murthy. Yarlagadda Bhaskara Rao, Pothukuchi Vidya Sagar, Tirumalakkayya, Annapurnammaakkayya and many more. Many of these people are no more now. They reached Amma setting an example to the future generation.
Kasu Radhakrishna Reddy was congenitally blind, yet a great exponent of music. He used to go into ecstatic state once he started chanting Amma namam. Consciously or otherwise, he used to chant and sing Amma namam in various ragas.
On one occasion, when he was all alone in the middle of night at Akhanda Namam site, Radhakrishna Reddy started singing Amma Namam in different Carnatic and Hindustani ragas. A dog gently approached him and settled in his lap. He sensed the presence of the animal in his lap. However, he was neither disturbed nor perturbed and continued the chanting. The dog in his lap was secreting saliva from its mouth. It was so hot and almost made a burning sensation on the body of Radha Annayya. Undeterred, he continued the chanting. After a while the dog joined him in chanting namam in a clear human voice! Radhaannayya could perceive that the voice came from none other than the dog in his lap.
Yet, he continued his chanting and started singing in a variety of ragas changing the tempo from time to time. The dog equally matching him in his proficiency kept pace with him. It continued for quite some time.
Amma was sitting on her cot on the Southern side of the Balcony and late Sri Komaravolu Gopala Rao garu was serving Amma and keeping guard. It was almost 1.00 a.m. in the night. Amma asked Sri Gopala Rao garu, who was the other person to sing along with Radhakrishna Reddy Gopala Rao garu, reluctant to move away from Amma, replied nonchalantly that it could be Venkateswara Reddy, the brother of Radhakrishna Reddy, since he was also a good exponent of music, thus missing the unique opportunity to watch the rare, incredible incident.
Next day morning. Sri Radha annayya narrated this incident to Amma. The obvious inference is that rendering of Amma Namam on that night by Radha annayya effectively touched and stirred the soul in that animal and chanting came out naturally.
Sri Ravuri Narasimha Murthy garu was another great devotee and was chanting Amma namam constantly. He spent most of the nights chanting and singing Amma namam. His two sons Sri Ravuri Prasad, Lakshminarayana and his daughter used to join him frequently in chanting Amma namam. He used to spend most of his waking time chanting Amma namam.
When Sri Narasimha Murthy passed away, after the funeral rites were performed by his eldest son Sri Ravuri Prasad, his relatives asked him when he was going to perform the further rituals normally done for the next ten or eleven days. The young Prasad, who is unaware of all these practices, went straight to Amma and requested for her guidance. Amma in an authoritative voice categorically replied “His entire karma is mitigated as a result of his constant chanting of namam. There is no need to perform any further rituals. You may go and perform Abhishekam to Hyma in the temple for the next eleven days.”
Amma, thus made a unique revelation to the world that constant chanting of namam with devotion and commitment is capable of mitigating all past karma and elevating the soul into eternal salvation.
With a note of caution, I venture to mention that the statement made by Amma is exclusive and conditional. It applies only in respect of people with the above stated qualities. It should not be taken as a sanction given by Amma to avoid the last rites by the descendants, which is their bounden duty.
Amma said ‘Namam’ is greater than ‘Nami’ (the object of Namam). Once somebody asked Amma “What happens when we walk along Mount Road Madras chanting your namam?” Amma replied “I will be walking ahead of you while you keep chanting namam”.
We can all take this opportunity and keep chanting Amma Namam. It should become a part of our body and soul and derive all the benefits that are incidental.
Sree Viswajanani Parishat appealed to our brethren to chant Amma Namam 100 crore times (Thousand Million Times) as part of Amma Centenary Celebrations and submit the collective offering to Amma.
COME, JOIN and CHANT AMMA NAMAM. That is the least we can do.