Rama Taraka Mantra - Sri Rama Rama Rameti

The Rama Taraka Mantra — "Sri Rama Rama Rameti", the verse in which the name of Rama is declared equal to the thousand names of Vishnu.

Meaning

Shiva tells Parvati that repeating "Rama, Rama, Rama" — delighting in the beautiful name of Rama — equals reciting the thousand names of Vishnu; the name itself ferries one across (taraka) the ocean of existence.

Benefits

Chanted for devotion, protection and liberation; cherished as a simple yet supremely powerful name-mantra that grants the fruit of the Vishnu Sahasranama.

The Verse, Line by Line

Sri Rama Rama Rameti — "Rama, Rama, Rama," the name repeated in delight. Rame rame manorame — "I delight (rame) in Rama, the delighter of the mind (manorama)." Sahasranama tat tulyam — "equal (tulya) to the thousand names (sahasranama)." Rama nama varanane — "is the name of Rama, O fair-faced one (varanana)" — Shiva's affectionate address to Parvati.

The verse comes from the Vishnu Sahasranama tradition: Parvati asks Shiva how ordinary people, who cannot recite a thousand names, may gain the same fruit — and Shiva answers that he himself delights in repeating simply "Rama, Rama, Rama." One utterance of the name, spoken with love, weighs as much as the full thousand. "Taraka" means "that which ferries across": the name of Rama is called the boat over the ocean of worldly existence.

How to Chant

Recite the full verse three times, then continue with the plain name — "Sri Rama, Jaya Rama, Jaya Jaya Rama" or simply "Rama" — for a mala of 108 or for as long as time allows. No bath, direction or hour is prescribed for the name of Rama; the tradition of Ramanama is famous precisely for its freedom. Tuesdays and Saturdays (shared with Hanuman), Rama Navami and the month of Chaitra are natural high days. Writing the name daily in a notebook (Ramanama-lekhana) is an equally honoured practice.

Who Chants It, and When

This verse is the classical answer for anyone who feels the great texts are beyond them — the elderly who cannot read long hymns, the busy who have minutes not hours, children learning their first prayer. Chanted at dusk, before sleep, or continuously through the day, the name is held to protect, steady and gradually transform the one who says it.

The tradition of Ramanama that grew from this verse runs through Indian history: Tulsidas built the Ramcharitmanas on it, Samarth Ramdas gave it to Maharashtra, and Mahatma Gandhi kept "Rama" as his lifelong japa. The verse's own setting — Shiva teaching it to Parvati as his personal delight — is remembered in Kashi, where Shiva is said to whisper the Taraka name to every soul at death. A name light enough for a child and deep enough for Shiva: that is the tradition's summary of it.

The Rama Taraka Mantra - Sri Rama Rama Rameti above is given in both Devanagari (Sanskrit) and Roman transliteration so you can read it in whichever script you are comfortable with — switch between the two using the buttons above, share the link, or download a PDF.