Nama Japam or Nama Sankeertanam is the ''

japa ''Japa'' ( sa, जप) is the meditative repetition of a mantra or a divine name. It is a practice found in Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, with parallels found in other religions. ''Japa'' may be performed while sitting in a medit ...

'' (repetition) or '' Sankirtana'' of ''nama'' (name) of the Almighty. The devotee chooses '' Ishta-deva'' or ''

Ishta devata Ishta may refer to: * ''Ishta'' (film), a 2011 Kannada-language film * Ishta (Stargate) Over its decade of existence, science fiction TV series ''Stargate SG-1'' developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the ch ...

'' (Sanskrit ', literally "cherished

divinity Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine< ...

" from ''iṣṭa'' "desired, liked, cherished" and '' devatā'' "godhead, divinity," or ''

deva Deva may refer to: Entertainment * ''Deva'' (1989 film), a 1989 Kannada film * ''Deva'' (1995 film), a 1995 Tamil film * ''Deva'' (2002 film), a 2002 Bengali film * Deva (2007 Telugu film) * ''Deva'' (2017 film), a 2017 Marathi film * Deva ...

'' "deity") and picks up a name of the Ishta deva to repeatedly

chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of n ...

the name vocally or in the mind any time, anywhere. Devotees can form a group and do sankeertanam or singing together of name of the Almighty. The trinities of Namasankeerthanam ''

Bodhendra Saraswathi Bodhendra Saraswathi was a 17th-century Hindu pontiff and the 59th ''Jagathguru'' (head) of the Kanchi matha, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, India. He spent his later life in Govindapuram. Early life Bodhendra was born to Kesavapanduranga Yogi and ...

'',''

Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval Sridhara Venkatesa Dikshitar (13 August 1635–1720), popularly known as Ayyaval, was a Hindu saint and composer who lived in the village of Thiruvisanallur in the then Thanjavur Maratha kingdom. Ancestry and early life Sridhara Ayyaval w ...

'' and ''

Marudanallur Marudanallur is a village in the Kumbakonam taluk of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and l ...

''Sadguru Swamigal compiled the Bhajana Sampradaya. Namasankeerthanam also gained momentum through stalwarts such as Pudukottai Gopalakrishna Bhagavathar and '' Haridhos Giri'' who popularized it with adherence to paddathi(tradition). '' Gita Govinda'',''

Tarangini (music) Raga Tarangini or just Tarangini is the most prominent musical compositions of Narayana Teertha, the 17th century Carnatic music composer and the author of a Sanskrit opera called Sri Krishna Leela Tarangini. ''Tharangams'' of the ''Krishna Le ...

'',''

Abhang Abhanga () is a form of Hindu devotional movements, devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hinduism, Hindu god Vithoba, Vitthal, also known as Vithoba. The word "abhang" comes from ''a'' for "non-" and ''bhang'' for "ending" or "interrupting", in o ...

'' and Namavalis(''

Tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

'') are few common genres. Devotional songs were sung by '' Mirabai'',''

Surdas Surdas (IAST: Sūr, Devanagari: सूर) was a 16th-century blind Hindu devotional poet and singer, who was known for his works written in praise of Krishna, the supreme lord. He was a Vaishnava devotee of Lord Krishna, and he was also a ...

'',''

Samarth Ramdas Samarth Ramdas (c. 1608 - c. 1681), also known as Sant Ramdas or Ramdas Swami, was an Indian Hindu saint, philosopher, poet, writer and spiritual master. He was a devotee of the Hindu deities Rama and Hanuman. Early life Ramdas or previously N ...

'',''

Sant Eknath Eknath (IAST: Eka-nātha, Marathi pronunciation: knath (1533–1599), commonly known as Sant Eknath was an Indian Hindu saint, philosopher and poet. He was a devotee of the Hindu deity Vitthal and is a major figure of the Warkari movemen ...

'',''

Chokhamela Chokhamela was a Hindu saint in Maharashtra, India in the 14th century. He belonged to the Mahar caste, present day, which is considered one of the untouchable castes in India. He was born at Mehuna Raja, a village in Deulgaon Raja Taluka of B ...

'',''

Purandara Dasa Purandara Dasa ( IAST: Purandara dāsa) ( 1470 – 1565) was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding-pr ...

'' and several other saints. It is believed that Namasankeerthanam helps overcome the effects of Kali and karmic impressions in ''

Kali Yuga ''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a '' Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which i ...

''. It is an inclusive form of ''

Bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

'', agnostic to gender and caste differences.

Bhishma Bhishma ( Sanskrit: भीष्‍म, , ), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, played an integral role in Mahabharata. He was the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces during the Kurukshetra War mentioned in the Hindu epi ...

considered chanting of the '' Vishnu sahasranama'' the best and easiest of all dharmas, or the means to attain relief from all bondage.

Adi Sankaracharya Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

, the

Advaita ''Advaita Vedanta'' (; sa, अद्वैत वेदान्त, ) is a Hindu sādhanā, a path of spiritual discipline and experience, and the oldest extant tradition of the orthodox Hindu school Vedānta. The term ''Advaita'' ( ...

enlightened master, in verse 27 of his hymn,

Bhaja Govindam "Bhaja Govindam" ( sa, भज गोविन्दं, meaning "Praise/Seek Govinda"), also known as "Moha Mudgara" ("Destroyer of illusion"), is a popular Hindu devotional poem in Sanskrit composed by Adi Shankara. This work of Adi Shankara ...

,Bhaja Govindam: kamakoti.org
/ref> said that the

Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' ( ...

and Vishnu sahasranama should be chanted and the form of the Lord of

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with '' Maya'' ("Illusion"). A ...

-Narayana should always be meditated on. He also said that the Sahasranama bestowed all noble virtues on those who chanted it.

References

External links

Significance of Nama Sankeertanam

ISKCON

Summary of Padma Purana
{{Hindu-philo-stub Hindu philosophical concepts Bhakti movement Meditation Hindu practices Kirtan mr:स्वामी रामदास

See also

References

External links