The power of a divine chant! Ramraksha Stotram!
Rama is the seventh incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu.
He is one of the most widely worshipped Hindu deities, the embodiment of chivalry and virtue and addressed as Maryada Purushottam Ram.
The Rama Raksha Stotra is a Sanskrit stotra, a hymn of praise dedicated to Sri Rama, used as a prayer for protection. It
is a stotra and within it contains a mantra 'stutiroopimantra'.
The ‘Mantra’ is recognized as the medium that allows the devotee to concentrate and focus all spiritual thought just by repetition of the ‘shlokas’.
The author, Budha Kousika Rishi, explains that Lord Shiva appeared in his dream, recited the Ramraksha stotra and ordered the sage to write it down.
Budha Kaushika alias Sage Vishvamitra composed the stotra containing 38 shlokas in the early hours of dawn. There is a reference to this divine hymn in Rig-Veda. This ancient mantra has the power of syllables called “Bijaaksharaas within it. When uttered, they create a certain vibration that enhances physical and spiritual health, builds confidence, and improves memory and positivity. Combined with devotion, it is spiritually uplifting and brings one closer to the Divinity.
Sages and wise men have always advocated control over the mind through different tools like yoga, meditation and the Bhagvadgita lays emphasis on practice and detachment. Divine chants possess immense power to heal a person and protection from all evils.
Considered to be one of the most scared chants, the Ramraksha Stotra holds the strength of providing protection from negativity and enhancing mental well-being.
The eleven stanzas of the total thirty-eight in the Sri Ramraksha Stotra denote the actual 'Ram-raksha', i.e., protection by Rama.
The first stanza of Ram Raksha Stotra is-
Charitam Raghunathasya Shatakoti Pravistaram
Ekekamaksharam Punsam Mahapataknashanam
The first stanza explains that the character of Shri Rama has a wide expanse and every word of the stotra is capable of destroying all our sins, making us pure, virtuous and imbibing the qualities of Shri Rama.
The Sri Ramraksha Stotra can easily be recited and though written in Sanskrit, the words are simple and easy to learn. The recitation and rendition of the stanzas and the rhythm within them, help the devotee to sing without error. The truest pleasure is in the repeated recitation of the Sri Ramraksha Stotra, with the utterance of each word and in the lilt of the rhyme in each stanza. The simplicity of the phonology of the Stotra, in juxtaposition to the complex nature of its morphology, is what makes the Sri Ram Raksha Stotra unique and respects the genius of the Budha Koushika Rishi.
As one regularly chants the Ramraksha stotram, the realization dawns that God resides everywhere, both inside and outside of us and he can protect us everywhere.
The magic of SriRamraksha stotram lies in the following verse:
"Rama rame rameti,
rame rame manorame |
Sahasra naama tatulyam,
rama naama varanane" ||
This verse was revealed by Lord Shiva to his divine consort Parvati in the presence of Skanda/Kartikeya. Shiva instructed her to do the protection rituals for Skanda to help him defeat and destroy Tārakasura. For, as Shiva explains, the recitation of the word ‘Rama’ is equal to the recitation of the word ‘Vishnu’, for a thousand times (= sahasra).
The significance of Ramraksha stotram is that the devotee worships Rama by an internal journey throughout one's own body and supplicating oneself for protection and blessings. Thus, the devotee surrenders his own body to Rama, acknowledging that divine armour from Rama is required for one's own protection. The omniscience, omnivalence, and omnipresence of the Lord are experienced through chanting the Ramraksha stotram.
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