Passage 1
नल उवाच— साधु भोः साधु हनुमन् भवान् यदुपदिष्टवान्। जगत्संतारणं नाम रामस्य करुणानिधेः॥१॥
Nala said: “Excellent, Hanumān, excellent! You have taught how the name of Rāma, the treasury of compassion, carries the world across.
Passage 2
सत्यमस्मत्प्रभुरयं नराकारो नरोत्तमः। कोऽस्य स्वरूपं जानीयात्त्वामृते विदुषां वर॥२॥
“Our Lord truly bears a human form as the highest of men. Apart from you, foremost of the wise, who could know his essential nature?
Passage 3
भूयस्त्वां परिपृच्छामि वैयात्येनेव मास्तु ते। क्षमस्व तन्ममात्यन्तं बहुधा मूढचेतसः॥३॥
“I ask you again; please do not regard it as insolence. Completely forgive this repeated questioning from my foolish mind.
Passage 4
भवस्याम्भोनिधेश्चापि त्वया पारं प्रदर्शितम्। विस्तरेण पुनर्ब्रूहि रामनाम्नोऽस्य वैभवम्॥४॥
“You have shown the far shore both of worldly existence and of this ocean. Now explain to me in detail the majesty of Rāma's name.
Passage 5
शृण्वन्नस्मत्प्रभोर्नाममाहात्म्यमिदमद्भुतम्। न तृप्यामि मरुत्सूनो कथयस्व ततो मम॥५॥
“I am not satisfied, son of the Wind, though I hear this wondrous greatness of our Lord's name. Therefore tell me more.” Hanumān Declares Its Supremacy
Passage 6
श्रीहनुमानुवाच— श्रूयतां सावधानेन रामनामफलं त्वया। यच्छ्रुत्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः॥६॥
Śrī Hanumān said: “Listen attentively to the fruit of Rāma's name. By hearing it, one is freed from every sin; there is no doubt of this.
Passage 7
एकतः सकला मन्त्राः एकतो ज्ञानकोटयः। एकतो नाम रामस्य तदपि स्यान्न तैः समम्॥७॥
“Place all mantras on one side and countless forms of knowledge on another; place Rāma's name by itself, and even all those are not its equal.
Passage 8
देशकालक्रियाज्ञानाद्यनपेक्षं स्वरूपतः। अनन्तकोटिफलदं नाममन्त्रं जगत्पतेः॥८॥
“By its very nature, the Lord of the world's name-mantra depends upon no place, time, ritual, knowledge, or other condition, and bestows infinitely multiplied fruit.
Passage 9
गङ्गास्नानसहस्रेण यज्ञान्तस्नानकोटिभिः। या न शुद्धिर्भवेज्जातु सा रामेत्यर्णकीर्तनात्॥९॥
“The purity never attained through a thousand baths in the Gaṅgā or millions of ablution baths at the close of sacrifices arises from uttering the syllables 'Rāma.'
Passage 10
अन्यदेव फलं ज्ञाने श्रवणे चान्यदेव तत्। कीर्तने चान्यदेवापि अन्यदावर्तने फलम्॥१०॥
“Knowing it yields one fruit, hearing it another, praising it another, and repeating it still another.
Passage 11
ये जानन्ति जनास्तत्त्वं रामनाम्नो महीयसः। न ते दुष्कृतसंदोहैर्लिप्यन्ते जन्मकोटिजैः॥११॥
“Those who know the truth of Rāma's exalted name are not stained by masses of wrongdoing accumulated through millions of births.
Passage 12
शिव एवास्य जानाति सरहस्यं स्वरूपकम्। उपदिश्य सकृज्जीवान् यस्तारयति मोहतः॥१२॥
“Śiva alone knows its essential nature together with its secret; teaching it once, he carries living beings beyond delusion.
Passage 13
अन्यदाराधनशतैर्मन्त्रं फलति नाथवा। गृहीतमात्रं फलदं रामनाम स्वरूपतः॥१३॥
“Another mantra may or may not bear fruit after hundreds of acts of worship; Rāma's name, by its very nature, bears fruit as soon as it is received.
Passage 14
न शौचनियमाद्यत्र न सिद्धारिविचारणम्। कल्पवृक्षस्वरूपत्वाज्जनानां रामनामकम्॥१४॥
“No rules of purification apply to it, nor any calculation of whether it is congenial or hostile, for Rāma's name is a wish-fulfilling tree for humankind. A Single Repetition and Its Fruits
Passage 15
सकृज्जप्तं धुनोत्याशु पापमाजन्मसम्भवम्। द्विरावृत्त्या पुनर्जप्तं कोटियज्ञफलप्रदम्॥१५॥
“Repeated once, it quickly shakes away the sin accumulated from birth; repeated a second time, it grants the fruit of ten million sacrifices.
Passage 16
त्रिरावृत्त्या तु तज्जप्तं स्वरूपस्थं करोत्यमुम्। चतुरावृत्तिजप्तं तु ऋणीभवति राघवः॥१६॥
“Repeated a third time, it establishes a person in their true nature; when repeated four times, Rāghava becomes indebted to that person.
Passage 17
चिन्तामणिः कल्पतरुः कामधेनुश्च वै नृणाम्। अनल्पफलसंदोहभवनं रामनाम वै॥१७॥
“Rāma's name is indeed the wish-fulfilling jewel, the celestial tree, and the wish-granting cow for humankind—the dwelling place of an immeasurable abundance of fruits.
Passage 18
नास्य रूपं विजानन्ति ब्रह्माद्या अपि देवताः। वाग्वल्लीबीजमेतद्वै रामनाम सीतापतेः॥१८॥
“Even Brahmā and the other gods do not know its form. Rāma's name, belonging to Sītā's Lord, is the seed of the vine of speech.
Passage 19
अमृतस्याकरं विद्यादेतदेवमहोर्जितम्। सर्वलोकमहामोहतिमिरौघनिवारणम्॥१९॥
“Know it as the mighty source of nectar, the remover of the vast flood of darkness formed by the great delusion of every world.
Passage 20
अनन्तकोटिसूर्येन्दुवह्निदीधितिदीप्तिमत्। बाह्याभ्यन्तरसंछन्नतमोवृन्दनिरासकम्॥२०॥
“It shines with the radiance of infinitely many suns, moons, and fires, dispelling the masses of darkness that conceal both the outer and inner worlds.
Passage 21
ज्ञानधारामृतरसैरात्मनः स्नपनं भवेत्। हृत्पद्मभवने नित्यं दीप्तिकृद्दीपकोपमम्॥२१॥
“Through streams of the nectarean essence of knowledge, it bathes the self. Within the dwelling of the heart-lotus, it is like a lamp that forever gives light.
Passage 22
सर्ववेदान्तविद्यानां सारमेतदुदीरितम्। रामनामाखिलाज्ञानरजनीभेदभास्करम्॥२२॥
“It is proclaimed to be the essence of all Vedānta knowledge. Rāma's name is the sun that splits apart the entire night of ignorance. The Name Across the Ages
Passage 23
पुरा कृतयुगे केचिज्जनाः सुकृतिनो नल। सरहस्यं रामनाम सत्प्रसाद्य सद्गुरोः॥२३॥
“Long ago in the Kṛta age, Nala, certain meritorious people received Rāma's name together with its secret through the grace of their true Guru.
Passage 24
भित्त्वाज्ञानतमोराशिं कृत्वा स्वात्मप्रकाशनम्। परे ब्रह्मणि संलीनाः सिद्धिं प्राप्ता विना श्रमम्॥२४॥
“Breaking apart the massed darkness of ignorance and revealing their own self, they merged into the supreme Brahman and attained perfection without effort.
Passage 25
ततः परं साधनानि बभूवुः कोटिशो नृणाम्। मुनीनां मतभेदेन येष्वायासो महान् भवेत्॥२५॥
“Afterward, millions of disciplines arose for humankind through differences among the sages' teachings, and those disciplines require immense exertion.
Passage 26
कलावशक्यानुष्ठानात्तेषां सिद्धिर्न विद्यते। अतो भूयोऽपि रामस्य नामैव शरणं मतम्॥२६॥
“Because those disciplines cannot be performed in the Kali age, they do not reach fulfillment. Therefore Rāma's name is once again regarded as the sole refuge.
Passage 27
ध्यानतो रामचन्द्रस्य रामचन्द्रस्य भक्तितः। रामचन्द्रस्य यजनान्नाम्ना रामस्य मुच्यते॥२७॥
“Through meditation upon Rāmacandra, devotion to Rāmacandra, worship of Rāmacandra, and Rāma's name, one is liberated.
Passage 28
नामैव यस्य बहिरान्तरपापकोटिनिर्वासनैककरणं शरणं जनानाम्। कस्तस्य कोसलपुराधिपराजसूनोरन्यावतारनिबहस्तुलनां प्रयातु॥२८॥
“His name alone is people's refuge and the single means of banishing millions of inner and outer sins. What host of other incarnations could compare with that royal son of the lord of Kosala?
Passage 29
यावन्ति नामानि रघूत्तमस्य तेषामिदं मुख्यतमं प्रदिष्टम्। यज्ज्ञानमात्रेण विमुक्तबन्धः स्वरूपनिष्ठां लभतेऽधमोऽपि॥२९॥
“Of all the names of the supreme Raghu, this is proclaimed the foremost. By merely knowing it, even a lowly person is freed from bondage and attains steadfastness in their true nature.
Passage 30
प्रारब्धकर्मापहृतिप्रवीणं रामेति नामैव बुधैर्निरुक्तम्। यज्ज्ञानमात्रादधमा किराती मुनीन्द्रवृन्दैरभवत्समर्च्या॥३०॥
“The wise declare that the name 'Rāma' is expert at removing even begun karma. Merely by knowing it, a lowly huntress became worthy of worship by hosts of great sages. The Name as Protection and Liberation
Passage 31
अज्ञानेन्धननिर्दाहो ज्ञानदीपप्रदीपनम्। एकमेव मतं नाम्नि रामेति द्व्यक्षरात्मके॥३१॥
“Burning up the fuel of ignorance and kindling the lamp of knowledge are held to reside solely in the two-syllabled name 'Rāma.'
Passage 32
जिह्वाग्रे यस्य लिखितं रामेति द्व्यक्षरं महः। कथं स्पृशन्ति तं दूता यमस्य क्रोधभीषणाः॥३२॥
“How could Yama's wrathful, terrifying messengers touch someone upon whose tongue-tip the two-syllabled radiance 'Rāma' is inscribed?
Passage 33
रामनामाङ्किता मुद्रा प्रत्यङ्गं येन वै धृता। आबद्धं तेन कवचं मोहारिचमूजये॥३३॥
“One who bears the seal of Rāma's name upon every limb has fastened on armor for conquering the enemy army of delusion.
Passage 34
जाग्रत्तिष्ठन् स्वपन् क्रीडन् विहरन्नाहरन्नपि। उन्मिषन्निमिषंश्चैव रामनाम सदा जपेत्॥३४॥
“Awake or standing, sleeping or playing, moving about or eating, opening or closing the eyes—one should always repeat Rāma's name.
Passage 35
पापं कृत्स्नं विधूयाशु मुक्तभारः स मानुषः। अनायासेन मोहाख्यं सिन्धुं तरति दुस्तरम्॥३५॥
“Quickly shaking off all sin and relieved of its burden, that person effortlessly crosses the otherwise impassable ocean called delusion.
Passage 36
कस्तेन तुल्यः सुकृती भवेऽस्मिन् कस्तेन तुल्यश्च सदा प्रकाशः। कस्तेन तुल्यश्च विशोकमोहो यो नाम रामेति जपेदजस्रम्॥३६॥
“Who in this world equals the merit of one who repeats Rāma's name without cease? Who is equally radiant, equally free of sorrow and delusion?
Passage 37
एतन्मया सम्परिपृच्छते ते भूयः प्रदिष्टं परमं रहस्यम्। हृदावधार्यं स्वयमेव विद्धि वाच्यं त्वजिज्ञासति नो परस्मिन्॥३७॥
“Because you questioned me so thoroughly, I have taught you this supreme secret once more. Hold it firmly in your heart and know it directly; speak it to one who seeks to know, but not to another.”