The repeated “mantra” is not “māra” but “marā” the constant repetition of which in effect makes one recite "Rāma Rāma” leading to salvation.
There is also a Hindi legend I heard once about a terrible criminal sentence to a painful death, who cried out in his agony the Hindi word marā, marā (“I’m dying”) This had the same salvific effect as the repeated bur essentially meaningless (in Sanskrit) marā in the Adhyātmarāmāyaṇam. Dr. R.P. Goldman William and Catherine Magistretti Professor of Sanskrit Emeritus and Professor in the Graduate School Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies The University of California at Berkeley > On Feb 23, 2026, at 12:06 PM, Yang Qu via INDOLOGY > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dear colleagues, > > I am currently researching the episode of Vālmīki's transformation through > the māra/rāma chant, specifically as it is depicted in the Adhyātma Rāmāyaṇa > (2.6.64-92). > > Beyond the phonetic palindrome, I am trying to trace the deeper theological > and ontological significance of this inversion. I have come across secondary > references suggesting a specific syllable breakdown where "ra" is associated > with puruṣa and "ma" signifies prakṛti, but I have been unable to locate the > primary Sanskrit sources (perhaps within the Rāma Rahasya or Rāma Tāpanīya > Upaniṣad?) or the definitive modern scholarship that articulates this exact > mapping. > > I am aware that Frank Whaling discusses the theology of the name in The Rise > of the Religious Significance of Rāma, but I unfortunately do not have access > to a digital copy at the moment. > > Would anyone be able to point me toward the primary texts that explicitly > theorize this ra/ma syllable breakdown, or kindly share relevant scholarship > (including Whaling, if possible)? > > Any guidance or textual pointers would be greatly appreciated! > > Best regards, > Yang Qu > > > _______________________________________________ > INDOLOGY mailing list > [email protected] > https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology Dr. R.P. Goldman William and Catherine Magistretti Professor of Sanskrit Emeritus and Professor in the Graduate School Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies The University of California at Berkeley
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