1. NAMASMARAN
AND
STRESS
DR.
SHRINIWAS
KASHALIKAR

2. NAMASMARAN & NEUROSIS
Indulgence and asceticism, atheism and theism, romance
and renunciation; and such variety of apparently
conflicting phenomena render completion to life. If you
try to take away anyone of these, the life appears
incomplete.
In fact even as I was convinced intellectually about the
value of NAMSMARAN in life and wrote books on it
right from 1992, one of the major hurdles in appreciating
and experiencing the cosmic benevolence of
NAMASMARAN was its depiction (or my erroneous
perception of the depiction) as an activity of elderly,
neurotic, inactive, pessimists, escapists and failed
individuals. Even the books, movies, and dramas on
saints and bhakti sangeet (devotional music) made
saintly life and the practice of NAMASMARAN appear
miserable and pathetic. I never thought this was the A
grade happiness, implied in spiritualism or self
realization.
Partly because of this and partly because of the social
justice and freedom implied in the atheism, which I
cherish even today, I could not be involved completely in
any particular theist tradition of NAMASMARAN.
But even as I, due to my repulsion for the pathetic life
style (as depicted or interpreted by me) felt material
pleasures could not be amputated arbitrarily from one’s

3. life if one were to evolve healthily, I was not at ease even
in the “best” of petty pleasures, which could at best give
B grade pleasure, not A grade happiness, which is
implied in (though often ignored) and must be integral
part of global justice.
Thus neither could I identify myself with the ascetics nor
with the materialists. I kept on vacillating from one side
to another like a pendulum.
But now it is more than clear, that NAMASMARAN is a
panacea, it is an objective phenomenon and it can not be
the monopoly of any one camp such as ascetic, indulgent,
theist, atheist, scientific, religious and so on.
It is an objective phenomenon with cosmic benevolence
for blossoming of one and all. It is as objective and as
vital for human blossoming, as the oxygen is for human
life.
It is beyond science, religion and philosophy. It is beyond
human thought. It is a matter of practice and experience,
not belief, feeling or imagination.
NAMASMARAN connects you to the center of life,
time and cosmic consciousness, i.e. with your true
self. NAMASMARAN (according to one’s tradition)
is the privileged express highway to realize
maximum potentials in every possible way, for one
and all!

4. NAMASMARAN, A MAHAYOG, A
MEGAFUSION,
EK MAHASAMANVAY
I feel that
 NAMASMARAN means remembering the name of God, i.e.
one’s innate and true self and thus helps to blossom from
petty self into cosmic self in the course of time!
 Namasmaran links all the faculties in an individual and helps
him evolve integrity between thoughts, feelings, instincts
and actions.
 Namasmaran cements the generation gap with consideration
and love.
 Namasmaran helps to rise above petty whims and fancies
and enjoy sublime bonds of love amongst family members,
relatives and friends.
 Namasmaran wields the bonds of understanding amongst
people of different professions and of different strata.
 Namasmaran builds lasting bonds amongst people of
different regions.
 Namasmaran builds the bridges of acceptance and love
amongst different religions.
 Namasmaran helps in uniting different races.

5.  Namasmaran helps in nurturing love between people of
different nationalities.
 Namasmaran brings the actual spiritualism in day today life
in every walk of life i.e. actually catalyzes the reunification
of spiritualism and materialism.
 Namasmaran therefore is MAHAYOG, MEGAFUSION OR
MAHASAMANVAY
 I would be obliged if the practitioners of NAMASMARAN
comment whether these views from their point of view; are
realistic or are infatuations and/or utopia.
NAMASMARAN THE GOLDEN CHANCE
The life begins with separation of petty self from true
self.
The geniuses, seers and prophets have almost
complete awareness of true self.
The others are variably aware of petty self and
true self.

6. The life manifests as a result of conflicting
awareness of a true and petty self.
NAMASMARAN
is
a
GOLDEN CHANCE
for increasing awareness of the true self.
This awareness is usually associated with
increase in braveness, buoyancy and
benevolence in all the walks of life in different forms!
The other features of this awareness are
perspective, policies, plans and actions
for
evolving awareness of true self universally .
NAMASMARAN WHEN & WHY?
If there is a thorn inside, then it hurts badly and the child
cries. But if you try to remove it, then it resists and cries

7. more. A sick child refuses to take injection because it is
apprehensive about the pain it produces. The list of such
instances can be very long in fact unending. The point is
simple. If you do not know the cause and nature of your
problem and the efficiency of its solutions, then you tend to
despise and reject the solutions.
Today, most of the people are complaining of one thing or
another. Some people are not complaining but the others are
complaining about them! This is especially important
because “normal” people are suffering! There is no clinical
disease and yet they are suffering or at least they say so!
The suffering is largely because of immature or maturing
perception, feelings and actions. The solution is to
development and maturation of these. This requires
consciousness that emerges triumphantly out of the
biologically dominated perceptions, feelings and actions.
This is actually the freedom of your soul or your conscience!
This requires NAMASMARAN in every place you go and in
situation face. This is why you need NAMASMARAN.
But it is most important to realize that NAMASMARAN is a
supreme option open to you and is a golden opportunity.
You are privileged to know about and practice
NAMASMARAN.
The answer to “when” NAMASMARAN is; from the
moment you come to know about it and always! The answer

8. to “why?” is, because it is an accurate and radical solution to
the problems, for which you seek a solution!
WHAT IS NAMASMARAN?
Namasmaran means; remembering the name of God, Guru,
great souls; such as prophets and holy objects such as planets
and stars. It may be remembered silently, loudly, along with
music, dance, along with breathing, in group or alone, either
with counting by rosary (called SMARANI or JAPAMALA)
or without counting. The traditions vary from region to
region and from religion to religion.
However the universal principle underlying
NAMASMARAN is to reorient your
physiological being with your true self. In
fact while reorienting with true self you aim
to establish and strengthen the bond or
connection; between; your physiological
being; with your true self. You aim at
reunification with yourself!
Since remembering your true self is the
pinnacle of or culmination of individual
consciousness, and individual consciousness
is the culmination of every activity in life,
remembering any name of God or Guru (any symbol of your
true self) is equivalent to opening the final common pathway
for the individual consciousness associated with
every possible activity to get funneled into or unified with
objective or cosmic consciousness.

9. Thus NAMASMARAN is in fact the
YOGA of YOGA in the sense that it is the
culmination of consciousness associated with
every possible procedure and technique in
the yoga that you are familiar with. It is the
YOGA of YOGA because it is the
culmination of consciousness associated with
all the activities in the universe, which it
encompasses as well! It is YOGA of YOGA
because everybody in the world irrespective
of his/her tradition and the beliefs; would
eventually, ultimately and naturally reach it
it; in the process of liberation. Even so called non believers
also would not “miss” the “benefit of remembering the true
self
through one symbol or another”!
Just as NAMASMARAN is YOGA of YOGA it is
meditation of meditation also! It is the natural and ultimate
climax of every form of meditation.
These facts however have to be realized with
persistent practice of NAMSMARAN and
not blindly believed or blindly disbelieved
with casual approach!
In short NAMSMARAN is super-bounty of
cosmic consciousness for every individual to
realize it (cosmic consciousness)! This is truly a super-
bounty because a person who

10. experiences it, rises above mercenary,
commercial and even professional and
charity planes and manifest super-
transactions in his or her life!
These are just few observations to give rough idea about
what is NAMASMARAN.
NAMASMARAN is an ocean of bliss. Its true meaning is
beyond description in words and has to b experienced, most
preferably, by billions!
WHY NAMASMARAN?
Some said that poverty is due to exploitation. Some said that
the misery is due to invaders. Some said the malady is due to
imperialists. Some said the strife is due to religious
fanaticism. Some said the stress is due to social oppression
and injustice. Some said that the stress is due to deprivation
of biological instincts.
These are not completely wrong, but not entirely accurate
also. Such partial understanding usually breeds
indiscriminate hatred and violence, towards others.
On the other hand there are many theories basically
indicating the root of the distress in individual frailty.
These are also not completely wrong but not totally accurate
either. They usually lead to self abnegation and
indiscriminate violence towards oneself.

11. There is one simple and practical process that has benevolent
and emancipating impact on individual and the environment.
This process is called NAMASMARAN i.e. remembering
the God i.e. your true self.
Billions of people of the world actually are engaged in it
without using this terminology. If billions more get engaged
in it, the blossoming of the individuals and the world are
absolutely inevitable.
There is no proof for this; so; one need not believe in this,
but as the idea of proof itself has its limitations one need not
disbelieve also! Unprecedented events have no proofs. They
are realized only after they happen!
YOGA KARMA & NAMASMARAN
One of the enigmas of Geeta (Gita) philosophy is
NISHKAMA KARMA, which means action without
expectation of a particular result.
How can you perhaps do anything without expectation of a
result, when you see that everything is associated with
result?
Excepting perhaps involuntary actions and activities during
sleep, every action and its planning are associated with
anticipation or projection of its result.
It is understandable that if you focus on; or get obsessed by a
particular result or start day dreaming about it, then it can

12. distract you from the procedural skills and concentration.
But how can you completely forget or get rid of the thought
or idea of the result?
It is also true that you should not get involved in the result,
because it can disappoint you if you don’t get the expected
result. This is also fair and pragmatic. It can protect you
from imminent reactive depression or psychiatric maniacal
elation.
But still, how can you totally dissociate the vision about the
result from the action?
While thinking about these questions; suddenly I realized
that even as most actions are associated with results, all the
actions and their results i.e. cause and effect relationship; do
not follow the same logic. This is especially true of subtle
actions; for example, my thinking or feelings are not
describable in terms of their physicochemical details and
hence their cause and effect relationship/s with their results
and the nature of their also can not be defined!
It is true that actions are roughly and in general; associated
with successes and failures.
But the human civilization is evolution of actions (including
the thoughts and feelings and the vision). As they evolve
further; they become subtler and cosmic. Their nature and
results; can not be qualified or quantified by routine gauging
and assessment. Further, neither the actions nor the results
remain personal or subjective and hence their “Ownership”

13. or “Credit” ceases completely! So we no longer remain
attached to it. This is NISHKAMA KARMA!
Geeta (Gita) inspires us for evolution of our actions from
crudity, tight attachment to or insistence on cause and effect
relationships, arbitrariness and subjectivity; to; subtlety
where subjectivity and objectivity and the procedure and the
results conceptually merge and the ownership ceases!!
One such absolutely evolved action is NAMASMARAN i.e.
remembering God or one’s true self! Billions are already
practicing it in different religions and billions more are most
likely to practice it and emancipate themselves and others!
One can ponder over these explanations and decide about the
option of NAMASMARAN!
YOGA, STRESS & NAMASMARAN
YOGA is integration of right and left parietal (cerebral)
cortex i.e. right and left brain.
Inability to realize the unity of universe, inability to realize
unity of different ‘pathies’ in medicine and inability to
understand the interrelationship, interactivity,
interdependence and complementarity in various fields of
transactions such as agriculture, science, technology,
industry, trade, culture, politics; is due to deficient
development and disintegration between right and left brain.

14. This inability leads to mismanagement of stress and
sectarian prejudices and fanatic bigotry, prevalence of
injustice, exploitation, hatred and crimes in different forms.
Even if a person is intelligent in terms of memory, analytical
thinking, and innovation and so on, i.e. (left cerebral
development) he/she can be vicious, perverted and antisocial
if not balanced and integrated with right brain.
Conversely; a person with excellent development of right
brain but without integration with left brain is likely to be
artist or a saintly individual but oblivious to social reality.
Can NAMASMARAN be useful to integrate left and right
brain and enhance stress management and blossom
individual and global life?
PHYSIOLOGY & NAMASMARAN
Meru is a golden mountain that supports the heaven, earth
and hell. It supports the three levels of consciousness. It also
means Tartar range of mountains north of Himalaya. This
golden mountain is analogous to the brain, which supports
all the aspects of individual life. One of the meanings of the
word Meru (Sanskrit) seems to be brain. Hence the vertebral
column is called Meru danda (Column or Rod).
Meru-mani means a big bead, in the japamala i.e. rosary.

15. It is said that while reciting or remembering the name of
God; and counting it on the japamala, i.e. while practicing
namasmaran; you are not supposed to cross the meru-mani.
What could be the reason for this?
According to me, the penance of any kind; including
namasmaran; is aimed at reaching the controlling center of
the inner and outer universe.
Physiologically it is clear that there is a continuous flow of
impulses to and fro the cerebral cortex on either side.
Impulses flow from right brain to the left body and from left
body to right brain.
When you start counting the name of God, you tend to
replicate the above process and go from meru-mani to the
japamala and back. This is like going from left brain and
coming back. The next counting is begun by reversing the
position of the meru-mani as if starting from right brain to
the body and coming back.
One can tally this explanation with one’s experience.
POSITIVE THINKING AND
NAMASMARAN
Most of the times it is said advised by most of the people to
most of the people to think positively!

16. But most of the times it is forgotten that a person does not
think negatively by choice and does not have any conscious
plan; of not thinking positively either!
However most of the times this advice of positive thinking is
given and taken passively and superstitiously as if there is no
other option!
It has to be appreciated that a person in depression or
frustration may have negative thoughts which are destructive
and need to be shunned. But the strength for this is what is
utterly lacking at the point of depression or frustration.
Hence in this point of depression the positive thoughts are
countered by equally powerful and far more convincing
negative thoughts by that person. Sometimes the positive
thoughts sermonized by the others become irritating as they
appear too unrealistic and utopian to the person in
depression and frustration; and hence can be
counterproductive.
The utter weakness of depression or frustration can be
overcome by NAMSMARAN which revitalizes and
rejuvenates the person.
It is in fact the best preventive and curative measure against
depression and frustration.
VALUE EDUCATION AND NAMASMARAN

17. Many people related to the field of education keep talking
about VALUE BASED EDUCATION as a panacea to all the
problems in the world.
The idea of value based education is probably well intended
in case of some of the proponents, but ….
1. The influence of value system of the society (now global
values) (which does not come in the purview of any formal
education) influences ideas and behavior of the students and
every one connected with education tremendously.
2. Common men follow the celebrities in different fields, in the
world. The celebrity status is decided by the global value
system and the media hype in accordance with it! Today, all
of us in the world are suffering with the disease of
“individualism, superficiality and pettiness”. Interestingly, it
is disguised in glamour, glitter, hype and glorification! We
have become caricature of ourselves. We are unable to think
and behave conducive to our happiness and that of others.
3. The value system (enlightenment and inclusiveness or
otherwise) of the constituent assemblies decide the contents
and drafting of the laws.
4. The laws (whether they represent the noble aspirations of the
millions or not) and the legal system (whether it provides
any kind of assurance, support or solace against being
subjected to injustice and/or crimes) influences common
man’s (and hence of every one related to the field of
education) beliefs and interactions.
5. Our listlessness and emaciation to rise above individualism,
pettiness and superficiality and our sectarian and fragmented
perspective and thinking (the cause of global problems) are

18. because of getting disconnected from our powerhouse (our
true self)! NAMASMARAN can reconnect us with our
powerhouse. In other words, this is like watering our roots!
6. In absence of NAMASMARAN, arbitrary teaching of some
arbitrary values, become pitiable and utterly ineffective in
serving the purpose viz. providing any kind of solution to
global or individual problems.
7. One need not believe in this, but think over the issue and
verify the empowering and rejuvenating experience of
cosmic benevolence of NAMSMARAN and its byproducts.
TOP PRIORITY AND NAMASMARAN
For all those; who believe that all the human efforts should
culminate in individual and universal blossoming, the
holistic perspective and activities in tune with it; form the
only way of success!
If you believe in realizing and manifesting the universal
unity and harmony, then the simple way is
NAMASMARAN. Through NAMASMARAN you begin to
blossom and realize universal unity and harmony and
ironically, land up in magnificent bliss and infallible
conviction (some may call it obsession) of
NAMASMARAN!
It is through such conviction, that you realize the need for
top priority to training of children (and also adults) in first
aid, nursing, home remedies, cooking, farming, gardening,
stitching, carpentry and various such household skills and
crafts, power sports, gymnastics, athletics, martial arts and

19. everything related to physical and mental fitness, which have
to be aimed at empowering the individuals to streamline the
resources in problem solving; and achieve individual and
global prosperity and profundity.
SPIRITUALISM, MATERIAISM AND NAMASMARAN
In the district of Satara in Maharashtra state there is a place
called Gondavle (Budruk).
I first visited this place; where there is a samadhi mandir
(shrine) of Sadguru Shri Brahmachaitanya Gondavlekar
Maharaj; about thirty years ago. I have also visited the
place called Shirdi where there is a shrine of Shri Saibaba
and Shegaon; where there is the shrine of Shri Gajanan
Maharaj.
These are the places where millions of devotees visit with
reverence; every year. I respect their feelings.
However the questions that used to gnawing me were;
“Why are these places full of activities responsible for the
downfall of mankind? Why can’t these (and other) spiritual
masters change these (and other respective) places for
better; through their devotees, local administrative heads
and/or the political leaders? Why are these places immune
to spiritual rejuvenation and or revitalization? Why do we
come across the socioeconomic and political misery? Why
do we find people in pitiable life conditions in most
respects?”

20. The answer to all these questions; is the development of the
split or chasm; between the spiritualism and materialism!
The saints and their shrines provide the enlightenment and
empowerment; but we are intoxicated by petty selfishness
to such an extent that we visit these and other places of
pilgrimage in a parasitic mindset. We visit these shrines
and temples with beggarly mentality. We approach these
abodes merely for trivial gains for our own selves or our
families. All this is because we have forgotten our
DHARMA, which is different from the concept of religion.
We have forgotten the concepts of pitru dharma, matru
dharma, putra dharma, acharya dharma, kula dharma, raja
dharma etc. (duties or privileges assigned to father, mother,
son, teacher, pedigree, ruler etc. respectively for individual
and global blossoming).
As a result; we are being dragged by petty, narrow,
superficial, glamorous, and individualistic considerations
born out of disrespect (for our ancestral traditions;
wherever we belong to); and leading to; hollowness on the
one hand; and we are being compelled by our insecurity to
visit shrines and temples out of helplessness and meekness
on the other!
The split between the spiritualism and materialism is
evident today in the form of lopsided materialism

21. associated with the cancerous growth of mercenary vested
interests on the one hand and lopsided spiritualism
associated with unjustifiably glorified pathetic escapism on
the other!
Namasmaran is the solution, which follows the answer to
our questions!
Namasmaran empowers, enlivens and enables us to get
reoriented to and explore the dharma concept and
reestablish the dynamic harmony and justice within
ourselves and the society; ensuring individual and global
blossoming!
In nutshell, with namasmaran; we begin to understand and
get inspired to rectify individual and social conditions so as
to achieve individual and global blossoming (including the
places of worship). Further, it is to be noted that
namasmaran lifts us up conceptually; above the
dehumanizing and shackling concepts of development
prevalent in socialistic and/or capitalistic ideologies and
societies. With namasmaran we evolve holistic intellectual,
emotional, instinctual and physical responses in the form of
perspective, policy making, planning and implementation;
in all the walks of life.
Namasmaran helps us to live holistically; and neither
lopsidedly spiritually nor lopsidedly materially!
MIND MANAGEMENT AND NAMASMARAN

22. The physical needs, passions, emotions; at different ages; are governed by
physiological principles.
We need a society and laws; in which these are neither suppressed, nor
unleashed, because both are counterproductive!
Gita, Dasbodh and such light houses guide us in developing such a society,
in which the physiological needs are neither condemned nor glorified. They
guide us to sublimate our needs smoothly into individual and global
blossoming!
But as it may not be possible for every one to study these and interpret them,
as it was in my case and many like me.
Hence I have written a book SUPERLIVING describing some simple tips
(the most important being NAMASMARAN) for people from every possible
field; but especially children, so that empowerment and enlightenment
rejuvenate the society (which in turn would revitalize me and many like me)!
YOGA MANAGEMENT AND NAMASMARAN
I think yoga has been discussed by many scholars with more or
less common perspectives, which lead to drifting of yoga from the
mainstream life of vast majority of common persons.
Thus; either yoga is left for the privilege of ascetics, or it is
practiced in the form of physical exercises, posture and breathing
exercises.

23. Yoga is an art of learning to ride and manage the horse that life is!
Due to the dominating influence of barbaric forces of
regimentalization in the past several centuries and crudely
individualistic and/or socialistic ideologies, in the modern times,
the Indian fabric of society was terribly damaged.
It is important and urgent to salvage the Indian and the world
society by beginning to re-explore the wisdom from the scriptures.
But that requires a simultaneous practice of yoga, which is the art
of reorienting yourself to the concept of simultaneous blossoming
of individual and the universe. This; in other words is purification.
There are many ways for this. But the simplest and most feasible
way, which can revitalize and rejuvenate the mainstream life style,
is NAMASMARAN.
COW BEEF AND HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE
Once; someone ridiculed the idea of consuming cow urine; as a therapeutic
agent.
I had not studied Ayurveda in those days and was not sure whether the cow
products such as ghee, curd, milk, urine and dung, of cow are really beneficial
for health and if so in what way and how. So I argued that it was not fair to
ridicule the ideas without proper study and research, merely on the basis of
some unfounded prejudices and delusions. Cow and many other animal
products can be useful medicinally.
Having said that; it must be realized; that mere utilitarian view point can be
counter productive. It is important to acquire and practice holistic perspective
and holistic rectification of our concepts and our actions in every field, which

24. is possible only through the individual and global blossoming, through
NAMASMARAN i.e. remembering your true self. (You can get more
explanation about NAMASMARAN in my articles and books).
Presently we are being governed by superficiality, pettiness, dullness,
lassitude, parasitism, ethnocentricity, individualistic obsessions, and many
perverted elements (which we justify and feel proud of) at the cost of other
living and nonliving elements in the nature, hence we come across such
statements.
At that time I was not in retaliatory mood, so I did not point out that every
person who consumes meat in one form or another actually consumes dead
bodies of animals (can be called some kind of necrophagia) and also
consumes the urine and the dung of that animal (can be called some kind of
urophagia and coprophagia)!
Even as we uphold the principle of nonviolence we are slaves of our cruel
obsession to keep on practicing not merely violence per se, but viciously
perverted violence in killing and eating dead animals and glorifying and
glamorizing it as if it is the ultimate pleasure in life! The shameless hype of all
this leads to perpetuation of the perversion into the next generations far and
wide in the world!
I do not want to blame any one but only to appeal to find out if we are in inner
harmony through all this or we are simply delirious!
Such introspection is possible through universally acceptable and practical
process of NAMASMARAN! NAMASMARAN is like a process of
oxygenation of the dying organism! We urgently need it!

25. More explanation about NAMASMARAN is given in my articles and books,
uploaded for free download (like this article)!