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Efficacy of God’s name

CHENNAI: The sanctifying effect of God’s name is extolled in the scriptures, the Itihasas and the Puranas, and its greatness is shown to be capable of uprooting all sins. While narrating the episode of Ajamila, the Bhagavata Purana says that the name of the Lord uttered by one in distress absolves him of the punishment of hell.

In a discourse on the Narayaneeyam, Damal Sri Ramakrishnan and Srimati Perundevi drew attention to the devout poet Narayana Bhattadri’s interpretation of Ajamila’s good fortune gained through good deeds in the past that had decided his lot at the most crucial time of death. By calling out to his son named Narayana in fear when he sensed that his end was near, he had unwittingly invoked the Lord’s name. Since Ajamila had fallen into bad ways, the messengers of Yama were present; but the frantic utterance of the Lord’s name had brought the messengers of Vishnu to his side.

In the ensuing argument between the messengers of Yama and the Lord, it is clearly established that the Lord’s name is capable of washing away the sins, no matter what the intention or attitude of the individual be when uttering His name.

Real atonement is in service to the Lord where both sins and sinful tendencies in an individual get eradicated because of God’s compassionate nature. God’s name has an inherent power to transform the sinful even as a medicine works on a patient without any dependence on the patient’s attitude or understanding. The Jivatma is reformed and is able to realise God because of God’s compassion; for it is God who finds some excuse to reward him, even if a casual mention of His name or His place is made. Great saints and the devout have eulogised this compassionate nature of God as exemplifying mother’s love. Andal in her Tiruppavai echoes this truth and says that God’s name when uttered with purity and faith is capable of removing sins as easily as cotton would be burnt by fire. Azhwars have deemed it a great fortune to be able to remember God or call out His name at the time of one’s death.

Fear of death is latent in every human being, but faith in God takes away the frightening aspect in death.

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