One Hundred and Eight Names of Rama

Vasishtha said:

1. That goddess, thus addressed by her lord, the Tridentholder, saluted the noble one, and with the palms of her hands joined, then spoke: Parvati said:

2-3. O lord, you have well described the excellent practices of (i.e. sacred to) Vishnu, and the nature of the highest lord Vishnu, which is the greater secret than a secret (i.e. the greatest secret). O you saluted by all gods, I am fortunate; I am blessed. Due to your favour I (shall) worship the eternal lord of gods.

Vasishtha said:

4. Then hearing her words Shiva, the destroyer of Tripura, with his heart pleased, embraced the goddess (and said): Rudra said:

5-7. Well (said), well (said), O great goddess, O you of an excellent face. Worship Hrslkesa, Acyuta, the lord of Laksml. O good one, with you as my wife, devoted to Vishnu, I am fortunate. O you of a beautiful body, permitted by your intelligent preceptor, Vamadeva, worship the ancient lord, Vishnu. O you daughter of the (Himalaya) Mountain, by worshipping Vishnu in the way of (i.e. according to) the advice of the preceptor, a man obtains every desire (object), not otherwise. Vasishtha said:

8-9. The goddess, thus addressed, and being delighted and desirous of worshipping Vishnu, then suddenly approached Vamadeva, O king. The goddess, after approaching, honouring the preceptor and saluting the best sage with the palms of her hands joined, said (to him): Pdrvatf said:

10. O revered one, O best brahmana, by your grace I shall properly worship Vishnu. Please permit me. Vasishtha said:

11-12. Thus addressed by the goddess, the preceptor, the great sage Vamadeva, duly gave her an excellent mystic formula. The best sage told (her) the thousand names of Vishnu. The preceptor, after telling her the manner of worship, also spoke with great love to ParvatI who had fulfilled her vow. Vamadeva said:

13. O you of an excellent face, having everyday worshipped Vishnu in the morning, repeat the thousand names of Vishnu after that. Vasishtha said:

14-16. ParvatI who was advised by that preceptor Varnadeva, thus addressed by that preceptor, worshipped (Vishnu) with her mind delighted, saluted (him), and again came to her abode. Then after a few days, the bull-bannered Shankara, having worshipped Vishnu on a Dvadasi-day, was seated on a charming peak of Kailasa. He then spoke to Parvati to take food. Shankara said:

17a. O Parvati, saluted by the world, come to eat with me. Vasishtha said:

17b-18. Goddess Parvati said to him: " O god, I shall eat after I repeat the thousand names (of Vishnu). O lord, you may eat food." Then the highest lord, smiling, said to her: Shankara said:

19-22a. O Parvati, you are fortunate; you are blessed. You are Vishnu's devotee. O goddess, without good luck, devotion to Vishnu is difficult to have. O you charming one, O you of an excellent face, I, saying 'Rama, Rama', am interested in Rama. Rama's name is equal to the thousand names (of Vishnu). O Parvati, my mind, hearing the names beginning with (the letter) 'ra', becomes pleased, due to the expectation of their being Rama's names. O great goddess, uttering (the word) Rama, now eat with me. Vasishtha said:

22b-23. Then uttering the name Rama Parvati ate with (Shankara). Then the great goddess Parvati, seated with (Shankara, uttered the name Rama, and with her mind disposed to love, asked god Shankara: Parvati said:

24. You said Rama's name is equivalent to the thousand names (of Vishnu). The enemy of Ravana has other names (also). O lord of gods, tell them to me. Devotion (for them) has arisen in me. Shri Mahadeva said:

25-29. O Parvati, listen. I shall tell the names of Rama. O Parvati, whatever common and Vaidika words are there, they are Ramachandra's names. Among them the (Vishnu-)sahasra (-nama) is superior; and among them the hundred and eight names (told) below are chief. Just one name of Vishnu is said to be superior to all Vedas; so also are the thousand names equal to Rama's names. O dear one, that fruit which one who recites the hymns of all Vedas, gets is obtained crorefold by Rama's name only. O you of an auspicious appearance, listen to the principal names of Rama. O dear one, I shall tell you those which are sung by the sages:

30-47. Om, Shrirama; Ramachandra; the eternal Ramabhadra; the lotus-eyed one; the glorious lord of kings; the best among the Raghus; the lord of Janakl; the conqueror; the victorious one; Janardana; the one dear to Visvamitra; the controlled one; the one who is exclusively devoted to the protection of those who have sought his shelter; the destroyer of Valin; the eloquent one; the truth-speaking one; the one of genuine valour; the one true to his word; the one getting the fruit of his vow; always the resort of Hanumat; the son of Kausalya; the destroyer of Khara; skilled in killing Viradha; the protector of Bibhisana; the one who cut off the head of Ravana; the breaker of seven talas; the one who broke Shiva's bow; the one who broke down the great pride of (Parasurama) the son of Jamadagni; the one who killed Tadaka; the one who mastered Vedanta; the soul of the Vedas; the only medicine for the bondage to the mundane existence; the enemy of Dusana and Trisiras; the one having three forms; having three qualities and (of the form of the) triad (i.e. the three Vedas); the one having three strides; the soul of the three worlds; the one whose acts are said to be meritorious; the protector of the three worlds; the archer; the one who lived in Dandaka forest; the one who sanctified Ahalya; the one devoted to his parents; the one who grants boons; the one who has controlled his senses and anger, his greed; and who is the preceptor of the world; the one who associated himself with bears and monkeys; the one who resorted to Chitrakuta; the one who gave the boon of protection of Jayanta; and the one who was served by Sumitra's son; the one who is the superior lord of all gods; the one who brought the dead monkeys back to life; the killer of the deceitful Marica; the one who is illustrious; and who has large arms; the one who is praised by all gods; who is gentle; who is friendly; who is the best sage; who is a great meditating saint; who is very generous; the one who gave a stable kingdom to Sugriva; the one who is said to give greater fruit than (one due to) all religious merit; who destroys all sins; the one who is the first god; and also the greatest god; the one who is the dawn of good fortune; who has great strength; who is the ancient and best Purusa (the Supreme Being); the one who has a smiling face; who speaks measured words; who speaks first; (who is called) Raghava; the one who is grave with infinite virtues; who is wise and uncommon due to the quality of control; who does human acts due to his Maya (illusory power); the one who is honoured by Mahadeva (i.e. Shiva); the one who constructed the bridge; the one who vanquished the Ocean; who is full of all holy places; who is Vishnu; whose body is dark, handsome, brave; who wears yellow garments; who is an archer; who is the lord of all sacrifices; who (himself) is the sacrifice; who is free from old age and death; the one who installed diva's Phallus; who is free from primitive qualities; the one who is the highest lord; who is the highest Brahman; who has the body of consciousness and joy; who is the highest light; the one who is the highest abode; the highest sky; and the higher than the high; who is the highest lord; who has gone to the other side; who is the opposite bank; who is of the nature of all souls; is auspicious. These are the hundred and eight names of Shri Ramachandra.

48-51. O goddess, I have told you this secret of secrets through love for you. He who would recite or listen to these (names) with a devoted heart, is freed from all sins (committed) even during crores of kalpas. Watery places turn into dry grounds, and foes become friends. Kings become servants, and fires become mild. Spirits become favourable, and unstable wealth becomes stable for the man who recites them devoutly; so also planets become favourable; calamities are removed, of the man who recites (them) devoutly, O daughter of the (Himalaya) Mountain.

52-57. He who would recite it with great devotion, has the three worlds under his control. By narrating (them) he obtains whatever object he desires. With five ancestors and five successors, he always delights in Vaikuntha for thousands of crores of kalpas, and hundreds of crores of kalpas. Those men who praise Rama who is dark like durva-blades, who is lotus-eyed, who has put on yellow garments, with divine names, are not worldly spirits. Salutation to Rama, Ramabhadra, Ramachandra, the Creator, to Raghunatha, to the lord, and the husband of Sita. O goddess, a man, repeating this hymn day and night, is free from all sins, and would obtain absorption into Vishnu. O you having beautiful brows, through love for you I have thus told you Rama's greatness contained in the Vedas and called auspicious. Vasishtha said:

58-59a. Having heard that greatness of the highest lord told by iShankara, she, with her eyes full of tears of joy, obtained incomparable delight. Having saluted her husband, the bullbannered, lord of gods. Parvatf said:

59b-60. Oh, matchless is the greatness of Rama, the highest soul. Even (after hearing it) for hundreds of kalpas my ears would not be satisfied. I am fortunate: I am blessed. Osinless one, you have told me everything. May I have, through your grace, devotion for Rama in every existence. Vasishtha said:

61-69. Speaking like this, Parvati, the best devotee of Vishnu, lived happily in all conditions with her husband on the Kailasa mountain, repeating the formula: 'Salutation to Rama, Ramabhadra, Ramachandra, the Creator, to Raghunatha, the lord, the husband of Sita.' O king, I have told you all this topmost secret. O king the religious treatises proclaimed by Rudra are vicious (tamasa). The bull-bannered (god) narrated them for deluding people. Lord Shiva told this one in private to the goddess. The lord, highly devoted to her, told the goddess this significant gist of the hymn, with a hidden meaning, through love for her, O king. He who would listen to or recite with a mind full of devotion, this wonderful dialogue between Uma and the great Lord, would be an omniscient and great devotee of Vishnu. Being free from all practices, he obtains the highest position. O very mighty lord of kings, in your dynasty Vishnu, the propitious highest lord will be born as Dasaratha's son for the good of all people. Therefore, the Iksvakus, among whom lord Rama, of lotus-like eyes, is born, are honoured even by gods, O king.

 

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