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Is it necessary that I should chant the holy name for example shrirama at a holy place and with specific methodology (sit on asana, etc) only?

Will it not show its effects if I chant it while walking on street, travelling or doing any other worldly activity?

If I chant shrirama while walking on street then does it become a good / punnya karma?

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    yes ofcourse. one of the ways to think of the God is as one's own father or mother. It doesn't matter when you call upon Him. He will take care of you. Upon spiritual maturity., one understands that God takes care of you, even if you don't ask for anything. Then only love of God remains, without expectation of results (punya or papa) all the best sir. Good thought
    – Sai
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 14:31
  • nope i read different things on internet which are contradictory and they pulled me in more confusing state of mind regarding pap punnya karma and chant god's name ,e etc
    – C Sharper
    Commented Apr 30, 2015 at 4:51
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    If you really want to know the answers to your questions then you must exercise ur discrimination. As u think so do u become. If u think that a specific time is required to call upon God then so it will become. If u think God will help you then he will. If u don't have the faith that God will help u then He wont. Initially the devotee has lack of faith in God. Therefore He performs various elaborate rites and yagnas to please God. But later He realizes that God is beloved. God will reapond instantly to a child who calls with Love.
    – Sai
    Commented Apr 30, 2015 at 6:41
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    I dont want to confuse u further so I would suggest u read the gospel of sri ramakrishna that will clear all ur doubts. All the best sir. Ur questions are thought provoking and excellent. Thanks
    – Sai
    Commented Apr 30, 2015 at 6:41
  • Ohh. I will really read the gospal of shri ramakrishana .. (Ramakrishana kathamrut in our marathi) .. I am associated with ramakrishna math/mission. Really thank you.
    – C Sharper
    Commented Apr 30, 2015 at 10:14

2 Answers 2

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You can do Japa(chanting of Holy names of GOD) at anytime anywhere. No restriction for that. Please note that good karma doesnt come if you chant few times a day. Chanting must be part of your life just like how you breathe. And the best benefit you get is your mind will become calm. Hence you will have better control over anger, lust, greed etc.

Ultimately it will induce Bhakti in you(over a long period, sometimes maybe in next lifetime) and will help you in spiritual enlightenment.

But be careful if you want to do Japa like Gayatri Mantra. You CANNOT do it anywhere /anytime. There is a mathod for it.

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  • atleast bad karmas burn ??
    – C Sharper
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 10:27
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    Sri Chaitanya's poem "Chant the Name of the Lord" has in the 1st stanza "Chant the Name of the Lord and His glory unceasingly..." and in the 3rd stanza - "No times are set, no rites are needful, for chanting of Thy Name. So vast is Thy mercy." and Swami Vivekananda said "Repeating the Om continually is the only true worship. It is not a word, it is God Himself."
    – Swami Vishwananda
    Commented Apr 29, 2015 at 11:49
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You must be knowing that there are kinds of japa or chanting viz- vAchika, upAnsu and mAnasika.

The Visuddheswara Tantram defines them as follows:

NijakarnAgocharohayam Sajapo MAnasah Smrito | UpAnsunijakarnasya Gocharaha Parikirtitaha | MantromucchArayedvAchA Sajapo VAchika Smrito ||

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When the chants are completely done in one's mind and they are not audible even to oneself its called mAnasa. When its done like whispers and the chants are audible to one's own ears then its called upAnsu. Loud japa which everyone around can hear is called vAchika japa.

Among these 3 kinds of japa, the scriptures say that the mAnasika japa is the best followed by upAnsu followed by vAchika.

The ShivAgama states:

TasmAcchatagunopansuhu Sahasro MAnasah Smritoho |

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UpAnsu japa is 100 times more fruitful than vAchika and mAnasa 1000 times.

Now, if you are doing japa loudly (vAchika) then there are many rules to be followed. Your purity matters, the purity of the place of japa matters etc. But in case of mental chanting (mAnasa) there are absolutely no such restrictions.

See the following verses from VaRahi Tantram:

Ushnishi Kanchuki Nagno Muktakeso Ganabritoho | Apavitrakarohoshuddhah Pralapanna Japeth Kacchit || AnAsanaha SayAno VA Gacchana BhunjAn Eva VA | ApPrAvritokarou KritvA SirovA PrAvritopi VA..... PrsArya Na Japeth PAdAvuthkatAsna Eva VA ||...

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Japa becomes fruitless if done with head gear, chest gears on, while naked, while hair not tied, while surrounded by friends, with impure hands, while traveling or walking, while lying down on bed, while eating, while one is hungry, while one's mind is disturbed, while one is angry or sad..., while on roads, in impure places, with shoes on, while sitting on the utkata asana etc..

Now, the above rules apply for loud japa. For mAnasa japa there are no rules as stated in the following verses:

MAnase Tu Niyamo NAstyeva | TathAcha Asuchirbba SuchirvApi Gacchan Stishthan Swapannapi | ... Na Dosha MAnase JApye Sarvadesepi SarvadAhA ||

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There are no rules for mAnasa japa. Whether one is pure or impure , whether one is traveling, eating or while lying on bed mental japa can always be done.... There are no sthanAdi doshas in mAnasa japa. (That is there is no need to consider purity of place of japa etc).

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    Nice answer!.. also Manu 2.85 states: "85. An oering, consisting of muttered prayers, is ten times more ecacious than a sacrice performed according to the rules (of the Veda); a (prayer) which is inaudible (to others) surpasses it a hundred times, and the mental (recitation of sacred texts) a thousand times."
    – Tezz
    Commented May 26, 2017 at 6:14

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