INVOKING THE DEVOTEE

The devotee, then, becomes fundamental. It is the devotee that is invoked when one repeats the name of the Lord, the name being not separate from the meaning. When the word is repeated, the meaning naturally strikes.

Once you know the meaning of any word, you cannot separate the word from its meaning. For example, try repeating the word "car" without thinking of a car. It is impossible. A word and its meaning are inseparable.

Because I am related in this form to the meaning of the name of the Lord, the total, I naturally do not chant as a husband or wife, aunt or uncle, cousin, son or daughter. Thus, I am free from the distractions of these relative roles.

If a person chants as a father, he will have a lot of problems. Suppose, being a devotee of Siva, he named his son Subrahmanya, Subbu, for short. Subrahmanya is the name of Siva's son. Therefore, when the father repeats Lord Siva's name, what happens? Subbu comes into his mind, the one who does not study as he should. Because of this Siva - Subbu association all kinds of agitations will come. Thus if the father chants, Subbu will definitely come - along with all of the fatherly concerns.

Suppose, however, the devotee is invoked by the same person, then the Lord and the simple relationship between them is recognized. The devotee alone is there when the person chants, the role of father being relegated to a relative role assumed by the devotee. In the devotee - Lord relationship there will be none of the distractions attached to the relative roles assumed by the devotee.