The Power of Unbroken Divine Name Chanting

Regularly reciting the name of one’s chosen deity (Ishta Dev), such as ‘Ram, Ram, Ram,’ ‘Krishna, Krishna, Krishna,’ or ‘Radha, Radha, Radha,’ is a very good practice.” It helps us concentrate the mind. But chanting without any pause is considered the highest practice. It grants the ultimate state that one can experience while still living in duality. Within the realm of duality, there is no higher state.

As long as we are in the play of dualities—good and bad, positive and negative, day and night, black and white—we must keep up regular recitation of the Divine Name without pause.

In Ramcharitmanas it is said:

नाम लेत भव सिंधु सुखाहिं। करहु बिचार सुजन मन माहिं॥

(By taking the divine name, the ocean of worldly life dries up. Think about this, O noble minds.)

This means: taking the divine name dries up the ocean of worldly suffering. But the effect lasts only as long as the name is being repeated. If we stop, the ocean of worldly life floods back again.

Chanting the divine name does not require perfect concentration at all times. Even simple repetition with the tongue has great power and reduces worldly suffering.

But there is one deeper point. If we chant with full concentration, linking the name with each breath, without any pause, then the ocean of the world (bhavsindhu) becomes an ocean of bliss (ras sindhu). The dryness of life disappears. We start enjoying life and see the purpose of creation. Saints compare such unbroken chanting to a steady stream of oil pouring from one vessel into another—continuous and smooth, without interruption.

That is why saints have always motivated people to chant the Naam with concentration. Kabir Das ji explains in his couplet (doha):

माला फेरत जुग भया, फिरा न मन का फेर।
कर का मनका डार दे, मन का मनका फेर॥

(For years I turned the rosary beads, but my mind did not turn. Abandon the beads in your hand, and instead turn the beads of your mind.)

So, it must be clear that Naam Jap is a very powerful practice.

• If we chant aloud, with tongue and mouth, without break—we have won the world. (The part “without any break” is important.)

• If we chant inwardly with every breath, without break, the world itself appears as a joyful playground, full of divine bliss.

Even if our chanting has breaks, it is still valuable. At times it may not feel joyful, but it gradually leads us toward unbroken chanting, which is always blissful. It is like sowing seeds that will yield great fruit.

That is why saints compare the Name with true wealth. Kabir Das ji has said:

कबीरा सब जग निर्धना, धनवंता न कोय।
धनवंता सोइ जानिए, जापे राम नाम धन होय॥

(Kabir says—the whole world is poor. The one who chants the divine name is truly rich.)

Our true wealth is only the Divine Name. In Vrindavan, people continuously sing

हमारो धन राधा, श्री राधा, श्री राधा।
परम धन राधा, राधा, राधा, राधा।
हमारो धन राधा, श्री राधा, श्री राधा।

(Our true wealth is Radha. Our supreme treasure is Radha, Radha, Radha, Radha.)