THE medieval bhakti movement opened the doors of Salvation for all — irrespective, of birth, gender, scriptural erudition or status as householder Or nyasin. A landmark in the history of India, the bhakti , reanissance is attributed

to the Vaishnava acharyas and to the galaxy of vernacular poet saints. The single greatest gift of these exalted personalities to the world is their glorification of the names of god

The philosophy of bhakti yoga advocates several methods for the cultivation of bhakti. Archana or temple worship, study of shastras, meditation on the Lord’s lilas and service & to the guns are given varying degrees of emphasis in different traditions and in different ages.

The principles of dharna are, said to gradually diminish in each succeding age . Therefore different methods of attaining salvation are recommended in each age . In satya yuga it is dhyana, meditation, in treta yuga, yajna, fire sacrifice,archana temples workship, in dwapara yuga, and in kali yuga it is naam japa. Naam japa involves repetitive chanting of the names of God, usually in the form of a mantra, which produces sound vibrations of immense spiritual potency

Chanting the Lord’s name has been spoken of as the most practical method for the present age where people have neither the leisure for scriptural study nor the endurance for arduous practices such as ashtan ga yoga. A mantra when chanted repetitively, aloud or silently, while meditating upon its meaning, produces vibrations which, are effective on the subtle at astral levels of reality. This results in profound changes in the mind and consciousness of devotee. Apart from the concept of a mantra ,there is a spetial value in the names of God as mentioned in the shastras.

The Naradas Pancharasra and the padyavali of Rupa Gosvami equate the presence of the divine name on the devotee’s tongue to the actual presence of the Lord himself According to the Ramayana~ "Rama’s name is greater than Rama." Rama had to build a bridge to cross the ocean between Bharata and Lanka, but his great devotee Hanumana crossed it merely by uttering Rama’s name. Valmiki attained illumination even by incorrectly chanting Rama’s name .Dhruva Maharaj attained the darshan of Lord Krishna by chanting his name in mantra given to him by Narada Muni.

The name of god has glory which cannot be circumscribed in words .An his name in the form of a mantra renders it all the more effective , thus rewarding the devotee with love and devotion to god in addition to liberation or moksha. The chanting of god’s name also washes away sins of several lifetimes.Some scholars undervalue the efficacy of the devine name and regard naam japa as an inferior method meant for those unable to take to other supposedly superior spirutal practices.The glory of the divine name is underestimated because the process appears too easy. It is said in the Bhagvata Purana that the Lord is non-different from His name and that the name is His sound Incarnation. The puranic literature spare no elaboration of the symptoms of this debased age and always mention this great . concession not so easily available and as effective in the other ages. The Brihad Naradiya Purana declares the names of Hari to be the only means of salvation for Kaliyuga, thereby reducing all other spirutal practices to mere adjunctives.

The prospect of attaining salvation by a simple method must not drive us to regard it as a cheap easy affair. One must adopt the process sincerely, systematically and rationally. A mantra is to be given by a qualified guns descending from a bonafied parampara and sampradaya, all of which must conform to the standards laid down in the shastras. Other injunctions of the scriptures must be obeyed. If these criteria are not met, the practice is likely to degenerate into ritualism and sentimentality or result in loss of faith altogether.

It is the natural human desire for simplification of complex realities that has resulted in a trend for quick –fix solutions. It is natural for the limited human mind to seek simplification, but reality is complex and will not alter itself to suit us. In this age of hypocrisy and confusion, while traditional and time tested-methods seem anachronistic, the Lord has given one great concession. He has extended to us His otherwise inaccessible Self by His name. The philosophy underlying the divine name demonstrates that there is hope for our redemption even at a time when religiosity appears caricatured by corruption and distortion.