Core
Teachings
The essential spiritual instructions of Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Dev — a direct path to divine realization through the power of the Holy Name.
Teachings of
Sri Omkarnath Dev
The repetition of these names removes the sixteen coverings that veil the soul and leads one to the direct realization of Brahman.
The chanting of these sixteen holy names dissolves the sixteen sheaths covering the self: prana (vital force), faith, space, air, fire, water, earth, the senses, mind, food, vitality, austerity, mantra, action, all worlds, and name itself.
Sri Omkarnath Dev during Nāma-Prachāra Līlā
All that is visible is impermanent — it did not exist before and will not remain in the future. Only the Divine Name is eternal. Strive, as far as possible, to remain in the company of the Name. By remaining with the Name, you remain with the Lord Himself. Glory to His Name, glory to His Name, glory to His Name.
If you wish to keep me with you, then sing my Name continuously. By constant chanting of my Name, you alone can become my devotee. Chant my Name unceasingly. If you cannot do that, then listen to the Name — that too is sufficient.
Whoever chants my Name surely attains me. The chanting of my Name is the precise and certain path to realize me. This path is made of joy and love. Wherever you may be, and however you call upon me, I will surely hear you when you chant my Name.
Whoever chants my Name — I remove all their sins. Whether one utters my Name with devotion or indifference, I embrace them. I am always ahead of you, clearing your path — follow me by taking my Name and looking toward me.
Chant my Name constantly, and you shall not have to take birth again. The “Name” is the supreme guide to God-realization. Even the chanting of the two syllables “Ha-re” can raise one to the highest state, attained otherwise only through millions of births of effort.
By merely uttering His Name, God can be realized. Chant always — whether with faith or without, lying down or walking, in joy or sorrow, in prosperity or want, in illness or health, in calmness or restlessness, alone or in a crowd, in light or darkness, with rhythm or without.
O beloved, do not fear loss, scriptural injunctions, or the burden of countless births. If you have received the opportunity to utter my Name, I shall surely grant its fruit.
You may not yet be detached from worldly objects — what harm is there? Continue chanting the Name. Dispassion will arise on its own and quickly carry you beyond worldly life.
I tell you hundreds, thousands, millions of times: one who takes refuge in the Name attains the goal, realizes the Divine, and reaches the supreme state after death. Even if one utters “Rama” once, even carelessly, all sins are destroyed. Even one steeped in unrighteousness and disturbed states of mind will come to know the eternal Self through the chanting of the Name.
The scriptures declare that the bondage of karma cannot be broken even in millions of years. Do not be discouraged. I shall destroy the accumulated karmic bonds of countless births — past, present, and future. Chant my Name, chant my Name, chant only my Name.
“The Name is God. If you can hold onto it, there is nothing to worry about. Discrimination, dispassion, longing for liberation, and the sixfold virtues will follow the one who takes refuge in the Name. One who chants the Name need not even seek liberation — it comes automatically.”
Destroy trivial worldly sufferings with the powerful cannon of the Divine Name and move toward supreme bliss. Victory to my Guru, victory to the Name, and victory to the company of saints! O Hari, Your play can make even a stone blossom like a lotus — chant the Name, chant the Name, chant the Name!
In any condition and by any method, chanting the Name is the simplest and most joyful means to attain divine peace. The Name is a divine seed — eternal, changeless, fear-destroying. It accompanies the soul through lifetimes, purifies it, and leads it to its rightful state. Never doubt this.
“When a devotee chants or hears the Name, God considers it His own grace upon that devotee. The Name and the Named are non-different. The Name is consciousness; the Name itself is God.”
One who takes the Name needs nothing else. After some time, the Name itself takes hold of the devotee. The devotee no longer needs to make effort — the Name begins to resonate on its own in the heart like a divine melody.
The Name is greater even than nectar. One who drinks this life-giving elixir remains immersed in bliss and free from worry about this life or the next. Such a person lives in the world yet is not of it; everything becomes Brahman for them — what they see, hear, taste, speak, and experience.
Through the repetition of the Name alone, you can attain the highest state and fulfill the four aims of life: dharma, artha, kama, and moksha.
Even seeing, touching, or bowing to one who chants the Name destroys sins. This is why people seek the company of saints. Merely beholding such a person can purify one without formal spiritual practice.
“Name is the very incarnation of the Divine Reality” — hold this firmly in your heart. It is said that chanting the Name of Rama absolves all sins; there is nothing purer or higher than the Name in heaven or on earth.
The realization of the Supreme can be attained solely through the chanting of the Name. It is an independent spiritual path, not dependent on other practices such as rituals, meditation, or prayer. By chanting alone, one reaches the goal of life.
The Name is infinitely compassionate — it makes no distinction between sinner and virtuous; it blesses all equally. Even the lowest sinner is not abandoned; the Name frees them from the sins of many births.
Chant for the love of God, chant for the Name itself, chant for divine realization. Even if you lack faith, chant — the Name will reveal its own power to you.
Chant in play or in seriousness, with or without faith — as you can, in whatever way you can — the grace of the Name will come to you. The Name does not demand devotion, faith, or love — it is itself the infinite source of all these.
In this age of Kali, only the Name can restrain the destructive chaos. By singing the praise of God, one attains the supreme state. Whatever a seeker desires — wealth, honor, enjoyment, bliss, or liberation — can be attained through the Name. The Name is supreme bliss and the root of detachment.
Even the most fallen should take refuge in the Name — it alone can purify completely. One who continuously chants the Name with enthusiasm becomes free from all worldly bondage and realizes the Supreme.
Even hearing or uttering the two syllables “Hari” destroys all sin. Obstacles may arise — anger, desires, impurities — but never abandon the chanting of the Name. The Name is not ordinary; all powers reside within it.
Just as sunrise removes darkness, the chanting of the Name destroys even the gravest sins. Whether by chanting, hearing, or even thinking of it, all sins are eradicated completely.
Continue chanting without worrying whether you feel joy or not. Knowledge, meditation, austerity, and discipline cannot equal the power of the Name. All spiritual attainments are achieved through it alone.
The Name and the Lord are one. Chanting the Name is the complete music of divine praise, where all levels of sound merge in harmony.
Even a single utterance of “Narayana” grants the merit of bathing in sacred rivers for ages. God protects the one who takes His Name, saying, “This person is mine.”
Chanting the Name is the greatest atonement for sin — knowingly or unknowingly, it burns all sins. Even if your faith is weak, say “Narayana, Narayana” — that alone is enough.
Where even the Vedas cannot act, the Name has power. By repeating the Name, one directly experiences the Divine through all the senses.
Continue with the Name alone — everything else will follow. Love, liberation, and the Divine Himself surround the one who chants.
If you seek joy, come forward and chant the Name. The more you chant, the more bliss you receive. Eventually, everything becomes filled with Narayana — you see, taste, speak, and think only of Him.
As you chant, your life-force becomes steady and peaceful. Chant with waves of love, dance in divine ecstasy — this alone will carry you beyond the ocean of worldly existence. There is no other path.
Surrender and chant — such a person becomes completely fearless in this life and beyond. The power of the Name is boundless — nothing is unattainable through it.
The goal of life is concentration of the mind, and the simplest way is chanting the Name — no difficult rules are required. In this age, the Name is a straight, safe, and illuminated royal road.
Bow, chant, surrender — place yourself under the protection of the Name. By the Name alone, one transcends time and is uplifted to the Divine presence.
Sri Omkarnath Dev in Samādhi — The Ultimate Absorption
“The Name is the essence of all forms of worship. O my lips, utter only His Name — it removes all suffering. The Name is the boat that carries you across the ocean of worldly existence. There is no other path to liberation than the chanting of the Name.”
Jai Sitaram