श्रीराम राम रामेति रमे रामे मनोरमे ।
सहस्रनाम तत्तुल्यं राम नाम वरानने ॥
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.
shrirama rama rameti rame rame manorame ।
sahasranama tattulyam rama nama varanane ॥
Frequently asked questions about Rama Taraka Mantra
What is the Rama Taraka mantra?
Sri Rama Rama Rameti, rame Rame manorame - sahasranama tat tulyam, Rama nama varanane. Shiva tells Parvati that the name of Rama repeated so is equal to the thousand names of Vishnu. Taraka means that which carries one across.
Where is the verse from?
It appears in the phalashruti portion attached to the Vishnu Sahasranama, spoken by Shiva to Parvati. That setting is the point of it: the shorter chant is offered on the authority of Shiva himself as the equal of the longer one.
When is it chanted?
At Rama Navami, through Chaitra Navratri, and daily as japa - many recite it when there is no time for the Sahasranama. It is also chanted at a deathbed, as Ram naam traditionally is.
How many times?
A mala of a hundred and eight, or three malas for those who keep a fuller practice. The tradition places no upper limit on Ram naam and treats the count as a discipline for the mind rather than a quota to be filled.
Is any initiation needed?
None. Ram naam is the most freely given of all mantras in the north Indian tradition - sung in the street, on pilgrimage and at funerals by everybody. The Ram Chalisa is often read alongside it.
About the 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.
A mantra is a compact formula for japa, not a long hymn. Forty-verse hymns live under Chalisa; lamp-songs under Aarti; longer stotras under Stotram. Browse every formula on the Mantra index. Count repetitions with the online japa mala counter.
