Rama Nama Tarakam: The Taraka Mantra of Sri Rama — Meaning, Benefits, Chanting
Rama Nama Tarakam - Sanskrit Text
राम राम राम राम नाम तारकम् ।
राम कृष्ण वासुदेव भक्ति-मुक्ति-दायकम् ॥
जानकी-मनोहरं सर्वलोक-नायकम् ।
शङ्करादि-सेव्यमान-पुण्य-नाम-कीर्तनम् ॥
वीर-शूर-वन्दितं रावणादि-नाशकम् ।
आञ्जनेय-जीवनं राज-मन्त्र-रूपकम् ॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
Rāma Rāma Rāma Rāma nāma tārakam,
Rāma Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva bhakti-mukti-dāyakam.
Jānakī-manoharaṁ sarva-loka-nāyakam,
Śaṅkarādi-sevyamāna-puṇya-nāma-kīrtanam.
Vīra-śūra-vanditaṁ rāvaṇādi-nāśakam,
Āñjaneya-jīvanaṁ rāja-mantra-rūpakam.
Meaning
The name “Rama” is the tāraka — the ferry-boat that carries the soul across the ocean of worldly existence. The same Lord who is Rama, Krishna and Vasudeva grants both devotion and liberation. He is the delight of Janaki (Sita) and the master of all the worlds; chanting His holy name is the very worship that Shankara and the gods perform. He is praised by the brave and the heroic, the destroyer of Ravana and his kind, the very life-breath of Hanuman (Anjaneya), and the king among all mantras.
About this Mantra
Rama Nama Tarakam celebrates the name of Sri Rama as the Taraka Mantra — literally the “mantra that ferries one across.” In the tradition of Kashi (Varanasi) it is held that Lord Shiva himself whispers the Rama-name into the ear of every soul that dies on the sacred ghats, granting it instant liberation. This short hymn distils that faith: it repeats the name, links it to Krishna and Vasudeva, and names the great devotees — Shiva, the heroes of the Ramayana, and Hanuman — for whom the Rama-name is everything.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
The hymn rests on the conviction that the divine name is identical with the divine person, and that no spiritual qualification is needed beyond sincere repetition. Chanting it is said to dissolve fear, burn accumulated sins, and steady a wavering mind. Because Rama is the very life of Hanuman, devotees who chant the name also draw on Hanuman’s strength, courage and protection. For householders it promises both bhakti (loving devotion) in this life and mukti (liberation) at its close — the two gifts the verse explicitly names.
Astrological Relevance
Sri Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu and is traditionally linked with the Sun (Surya), being born in the solar dynasty (Surya-vamsha). Chanting the Rama-name is therefore a classic remedy to strengthen a weak or afflicted Sun — the karaka of soul, vitality, authority and the father. Through Hanuman, the hymn also carries the grace of Mangala (Mars); reciting it on Tuesdays is recommended for those troubled by Mangala dosha, low courage, or disputes. As a name of Vishnu it likewise supports a debilitated Jupiter and lends protection during difficult Saturn periods.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
Bathe and sit before an image of Sri Rama or Rama-Sita-Hanuman. Light a lamp, and chant the verses with attention, ideally completing 3, 11 or 21 rounds. Many devotees combine it with continuous repetition of the two-syllable name “Rā-ma” on a tulsi mala of 108 beads. Conclude by bowing to Hanuman and praying for steadiness of devotion.
Best Day & Time
Tuesdays and Saturdays (linked to Hanuman) and Ram Navami are especially auspicious, as is the early morning. The name itself, however, may be chanted at any time and in any condition — this universality is the heart of the Taraka tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Rama-name called “Taraka”?
Tāraka means “that which ferries across.” The Rama-name is believed to carry the soul across the ocean of birth and death, which is why it is called the Taraka Mantra, supremely associated with liberation at Kashi.
Do I need initiation to chant it?
No. The divine name is considered open to all, in any state of purity, which is precisely the teaching this hymn embodies. Sincere, regular repetition is the only requirement.
What is the connection with Hanuman?
The verse calls Rama “Anjaneya-jivanam” — the very life of Hanuman, son of Anjana. Hanuman is the supreme devotee whose entire being rests on the Rama-name, so chanting it naturally invokes his protection and strength.
The Taraka Mantra: why Ram Naam is called the ferry-boat of liberation
In the bhakti tradition of India, the two syllables Ra and Ma together form what is called the Taraka Mantra - the mantra that carries the soul across (from the Sanskrit root tri, to cross). The Rama Nama Tarakam explores this conviction through a series of Sanskrit verses that are less theological argument than devotional testimony: they speak from within the experience of one for whom the name of Rama has become the most real and most reliable anchor in existence. The name is praised not only as a means to liberation but as something alive in itself - a presence that dwells within the breath, returning with each inhalation and exhalation as so'ham (He I am) in reverse, which the tradition sometimes reads as the spontaneous two-syllable mantra of the living breath. This identification of the Rama-name with the breath itself makes its practice available at every moment, without any special equipment or formal setting.
In the Jyotish tradition, Sri Rama is associated with the Sun (Surya) - the planet of dharma, self-respect, leadership, and the vital life-force - and the Rama Nama Tarakam is traditionally recited to strengthen a weak or afflicted Sun in the natal chart, or to cultivate the solar qualities of courage, uprightness, and clarity. Devotees recite it on Sundays, on Ram Navami, and during the Rama-navami season with particular devotion. The hymn's repeated return to the two syllables as the ultimate refuge invites the devotee to let the practice become less a scheduled recitation and more a continuous undercurrent of remembrance - Ram Naam flowing beneath all other activity like a quiet river beneath the noise of the world.