by Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath
Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath (1892–1982) was a Bengali Vaishnava saint who devoted his life to propagating Naam Yoga — the practice of continuous divine Name-remembrance as the primary path to liberation. In this teaching, drawn from his extensive writings and shared to soc.religion.hindu in April 2008 by a devotee, he takes up a claim from the Padma Purana: that Hari Naam alone surpasses Jnana (knowledge), Deva-Archanam (worship of the gods), Dhyana (meditation), Dharana (concentration), Niyama and Yama (the ethical disciplines), Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), and Samadhi — all eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. His method is systematic: he explains what each limb requires, demonstrates how demanding its proper performance is, and then shows how the Name achieves the same end without any of those conditions. The Sanskrit is his own selection; the teaching is his own; the rendering into English was by a disciple.
This text was posted to soc.religion.hindu on April 8, 2008, as part of a series of brief teachings from Omkarnath's works shared by the devotee posting under the handle jaiguru. The source book is not identified in the post. English rendering by Kinkar Vishwananda (Sri B.N. Mullik).
Jnānam, Deva-Archanam, Dhyānam, Dhāranā, Niyamah, Yamah,
Pratyāhārah Samādhi-śca Hari-Nāma Samam Na Ca.
Jnana, Worshipping Gods, Dhyan, Dharana, Niyam, Yama, Pratyahar, Samadhi — all the different stages of Ashtanga Yoga leading to Samadhi — are not comparable to Hari Naam.
Jnana is of two kinds — Paroksha, that which you learn from books or Acharyas, and Aparoksha, that which you learn by your own Anubhuti or realization.
Asti Brahmeti Chet Veda Paroksha-Jnānam-Eva Tat
Aham Brahmeti Chet Veda Sākshātkārah Sa Uchyatey.
To know that there is Brahma is Paroksha Jnana; the knowledge that "I am Brahma" is Aparoksha or direct knowledge. In order to acquire this Jnana one has to have faith in the words of the Sat-Guru and the Shastras. A Sat-Guru is difficult to get, and in this difficult age, how many persons are fortunate enough to read the Vedas and the Scriptures? It is doubtful if one amongst a thousand gets this facility. A Bhakta, whose desire is to gain Paramananda, can attain it easily by singing Hari Naam.
Worshipping Gods has five parts.
Abhigaman — to clean the temple, remove all stains and dried leaves and flowers.
Upadan — to collect scented flowers for Puja.
Yoga — to think of one's Ista as one with oneself.
Swadhyaya — to practice and recite Japa, Sukta, Stotra, Tatwa, and so forth after properly understanding their sense.
Ijya — to worship one's Ista according to proper rules and rituals. To worship God, one requires a temple for God and all the materials needed for the Puja. Only the learned can do the Path of Sukta and Stotra. How many people have the power to imagine that their Atma is Bhagawan? To do Ijya correctly — the mental Manaspuja and the ritualistic Puja which requires sixteen different ingredients — is difficult. In this Kaliyuga, how many people, who do not observe Brahmacharya, who eat whatever they like, or behave in whatever way they desire, have the strength and the patience to do Puja daily in this way? You will realize that to worship God is not a very simple affair.
Devah Bhūtvā Devam Yajet — Worship God after becoming God-like. Unless one purifies the Bhutas, one cannot do proper Puja. Whatever the worshipper gains by this Puja, the Bhakta also gains — and gains also the Anandamai, He who is full of Bliss — by singing Hari Hari.
Yama consists of Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (not to steal), Brahmacharya (continence), and Aparigraha (non-acceptance of gifts). Ahimsa consists of completely giving up violence by thought, word, and deed. It is Satya only when the thought and the word are the same. Not to steal or covet others' property is Asteya. To give up sex by thought, word, and deed amounts to Brahmacharya. Aparigraha consists of accepting only enough for maintaining and covering one's body.
After giving up everything, if a Sadhak goes to a lonely place like a cave in a mountain, which is favorable for Yoga-Sadhana, he then becomes fit to practice Yama, Niyama, and so forth. Cleanliness (internal and external), contentment, penance, and fixing one's mind on God — all these are parts of Niyama. Pratyahara consists of forcibly drawing one's senses away from material objects. To fix one's thought on any spiritual object or any image of God amounts to Dharana. When the Jivatma meets and becomes one with Paramatma, it is Samadhi.
A person who is fit to do this Ashtanga Yoga-Sadhana is very rare. The complete liberation which a Yogi gains with very great difficulty and after giving up everything material — this the Bhakta can gain by Hari Naam alone. Because any Bhakta, irrespective of place or environment, can gain the Paramatma, which is solidified Sat-Chit-Ananda, Vyas Deva has said in the Padma Purana that worshipping of Gods or practicing Ashtanga Yoga are not comparable to Hari Naam.
The proper performance of Ashtanga Yoga depends on many factors: the proper Sadhak, the proper place for practice, finding a real Guru, control of one's food, and many other restraints and controls. But the Hari Naam does not depend on anything. Every condition is automatically satisfied if one takes to Hari Naam.
Vedānta-Siddhānta-Vicintanañ-ca
Śāstrokta-Devādika-Pūjanañ-ca
Vihāya Sarvam Satatam Smaratvam
Govinda, Dāmodara, Mādhava Iti.
You give up the study of the conclusions of Vedanta, the repeated practice of Dhyana, all the Pujas as ordained by the Shastras — and think constantly of Govinda, Damodara, and Madhav.
It is from the merit acquired after doing Puja during millions of previous births that one gains the good fortune of thinking constantly of God. The Bhakta who thinks of God all the time does not himself give up Puja and Sadhana — these themselves leave him.
If one sings Naam constantly, then the Shakti — the Kundalini — wakes up. As soon as the Sadhak tries to concentrate his mind, his Prana enters the Sushumna and he loses all movement. Vilwamangal said:
Sandhyā-Vandana Bhadram Astu Bhavatey Bho Snāna, Tubhyam Namah,
Bho Deva Pitarah Ca Tarpana-Vidhow Nāham Kshamah Kshamyatām,
Yatra Kwāpi Nishadya Yādava-Kullottamasya Kamsa-Dvisham,
Smaran Smaram-Agham Harāmi Tat Alam Manye Kim Anyena Mey.
Blessed be you Sandhya-Vandana; Oh Snana, my namaskar to you. Oh Gods and ancestors, I am unable to satisfy you by doing Tarpan; please excuse me. I shall sit at any place and I shall destroy my sins by thinking of Sri Krishna, the jewel of the Yadavas and the enemy of Kansa. I have no need of anything else.
If those who have the strength to do Sandhya-Vandana give it up, boasting that they are Sadhaks of a high order and so need not perform it, they commit the sin of giving up Karma laid down by the Shastra. But giving up Sandhya-Vandana is no sin to those who have had the Darshan of the Saguna God and who have become one with the Ishta-Mantra. After that there will be no strength left to do Karma. Their Puja consists of saying, "Oh Mother, take this flower" — "Oh God, take this flower." As soon as they try to concentrate their mind, they lose movement and have no strength left to move their hands. They have no independence of will about trying to do Puja or not. The Shakti, through whose medium God maintains the creation, makes them do the Puja in that way. All big Mantras disappear. All that remains behind is: "Take this flower" — "Eat this rice" — "Drink this water."
One can certainly reach that state through Hari Naam alone.
You sing Naam, sing Naam.
Colophon
Teaching by Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath (1892–1982), Bengali Vaishnava saint and propagator of Naam Yoga. English rendering by Kinkar Vishwananda (Sri B.N. Mullik). Source book not identified in the original post; content is consistent with Omkarnath's teachings on the superiority of Naam to other forms of sadhana.
Posted to soc.religion.hindu on April 8, 2008, by the devotee jaiguru, as part of a series of teachings from Omkarnath's works shared to the group. Original Message-ID: <625f2bf5-87dd-4194-b9f8-ac4e95fde3f4@u12g2000prd.googlegroups.com>.
Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath founded the Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Mission in Kolkata. His teaching placed Naam — continuous remembrance of God's Name in any of its forms — as the supreme practice for the Kali Yuga, accessible to practitioners of any qualification, caste, or condition. This teaching is the doctrinal foundation of that position.
Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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