English translation. See the Glossary for special terms.

॥ Shri ॥

Always-remembered, my Guru
P.P. Dada, Pandurang Shastri Athavale,
countless salutations to you at every moment.
Each experience that (is) in this book —
all is offered at the Guru's feet.
By your grace, the Naam-Anubhav (is) a heap of joy.
May such grace be obtained by all devotees.
As Gana-Maharaj at your feet,
may such a convergence come to all.

— Gana-Maharaj
Guru-Purnima
26 July 1991
4 Ami Apartment, Vadodara

— A Few Words About the Name —

1. The Name means the Lord's Name, the Sadguru's Name.

2. Each ovi (verse) in this Naam-mahatmya should be read twice.

3. If 144 ovis are read daily by daily observance, then in seven days 1008 ovis will be read.

4. Before reading the Naam-mahatmya, one should remember in the heart one's mother-father, family deity, presiding deity of the family, and the deity in whom one has faith, the Gurus accepted in the heart. One should pay heartfelt salutation. A married woman should remember her husband.

5. I am sure, I have self-confidence, that on reading the ovis in this book, you will surely get a taste and pull for the Name, and you will get at least half an hour daily for name-remembrance.

6. There is no purity-impurity (distinction) for name-remembrance, no caste-distinction. Solitude is not necessarily required. The excuses "I don't get time for name-remembrance, the place is small, there's noise around so attention doesn't focus" — these will prove lame. As you take time for household responsibilities, for entertainment, every person in the household has to take time for remembering the Lord. In the beginning it feels difficult. Later you will revel in the Name. You will utter "Now I have got everything."

7. Remember — if you keep attention on the Name, you will forget the surroundings.

8. If you must develop greed, develop it for the Name. Cross the worldly ocean.

9. The Lord's Name should be remembered with utmost faith, with sense of duty.

10. If (one) wants to achieve self-interest and the spiritual while living in worldly life, in Kali-yuga name-remembrance is useful.

11. What does the Lord's Name need? It needs the inner pull.

12. Name-remembrance is one means of self-elevation in the nine-fold devotion — natural, easy, costless, without ostentation.

13. Doing name-japa is important. Counting the japa is not important.

14. By name-remembrance the mind stays fresh and pleased. Mental strength grows.

15. By name-remembrance, the words of the soul come to be heard. This is true. This is my personal experience.

16. The words of the soul should be heard. That itself feels at every step to be beneficial in life. By neglecting, by not behaving according to the soul's voice, peace does not come to the consciousness. If the consciousness becomes restless, don't blame name-japa; the fault is ours. "I am at fault" — (I) am also experiencing this. As the karmas, so the fruit. Following the command, peace and contentment are obtained.

17. "The Guru should never be searched for; do name-japa such that the Guru himself shall come home." Call out so, that the Lord, the Sadguru, may listen. By the Lord's grace, both have been experienced. This is the influence of name-remembrance.

18. In name-remembrance, Guru-darshan, Guru-meeting, conversation conjunctures occur. Continuity is important. The conversations and darshans I have experienced in mental worship include those with: 1) the mystic, the Master Shri Gajanan Maharaj (Shegaon), 2) P.P. Pandurang Shastri Athavale (Tattvajnan Vidyapeeth) Dada, 3) Shripad Shrivallabh, 4) Shri Rang Avadhoot Maharaj (Nareshwar), 5) Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati (Garudeshwar), 6) Shri Akkalkot Swami. By the grace of these great personages alone, conjunctures of darshan and conversation with Saraswati, Ganpati, and Shri Gurudev Dattatreya have been obtained. By which Name (so much) grace of great personages has been obtained — how shall I forget such a Name? One thing (I) feel like writing: the meeting with P.P. Bhuraji Maharaj (Daravha, Maharashtra) and the personal meeting with P.P. Pandurang Shastri Athavale are indescribable. Likewise the darshan of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi in the form of a fakir is indescribable. This is not my self-praise; this is the greatness of the Name.

19. Although in the Name a person becomes fearless, brave, one should not live with ego — if (one) lives so, one's plight becomes like Ravana's. Remember Dasharatha's Ram in the mind; don't, don't (have) the ten-headed (Ravana) in the mind.

20. To know our own faults, let the Name come on the lips.

21. "He" and "I" are not separate — in the Name comes the demonstration. We should experience that.

22. Tit-for-tat should not be behaved — this should be learned in name-remembrance.

23. Doing name-remembrance continuously from sunrise to sunset for seven days is naturally possible while living in worldly life. (One) shall feel like doing one Naam-Saptaha each year — this is also a worthwhile experiment to try. By Guru's grace I have experienced (it); the joy is indescribable.

24. In the third Naam-Saptaha, on Thursday 25 July 1985 at noon, Shripad Shrivallabh gave darshan, asked for alms, took (his) seat, accepted the worship and naivedya plate. At about that time, he told me — that is, Shrikant Yashwant Phadke — that "today on the very seat where you are doing name-japa, your Guru will be seen by you sitting in (one or two days)." (It) proved true. On Saturday 27 July 1985, P.P. Pandurang Shastri Athavale, alias P.P. Dada, came to my house and giving the gracious blessing, sat on that very seat. The name-japa seat was established. On Thursday 25 July 1985, Shripad Shrivallabh asked Shri Gajanan Maharaj: "What spiritual name should be given to your devotee?" Then Maharaj said: "He keeps saying 'Gan Gan Ganat Bote' coming and going; he is always doing my mantra-japa, so 'Gana-Maharaj.'" Shripad Shrivallabh said "tathaastu" (so be it). While I was in name-japa, my body was made invisible for a moment, and my child-form was made. The naming ceremony was done. He put the earrings of devotion in my ears, and said, "Child, don't cry." Present at this celebration were Shripad Shrivallabh, Shri Gajanan Maharaj, Shri Rang Avadhoot Maharaj, and Shri Sai Baba. At that very moment, my child-form received Shripad Shrivallabh's blessing: "When the Guru shall come to your home, Saraswati shall dance on (your) tongue; Lakshmi-Vishnu shall roll in your home; don't do a job; don't do trade; do the propagation of devotion, house to house." The very same day, Shripad Shrivallabh asked for a paper and pen from my house. After I took the pen in my hand, ovis on the Name were composed by my hand. Showing a glimpse, he said: "Now further work shall happen when your Guru comes. The power of poetry shall awaken in the meeting with the Guru." It proved true exactly. Whenever I sit to write remembering P.P. Dada, the pen runs swiftly. Ovis are composed. (It) feels that Dada himself is causing (me) to write. This is the influence of Guru's grace.

25. From October 1988 to February 1990, whenever name-remembrance happened, in that name-remembrance and in Thursday's name-japa service, my Guru, P.P. Dada, caused some ovis on the Name to be written by my hand. I am presenting all of those, gathered together, to you. Mistakes have happened by my hand in writing these ovis. Please correct them — this is my earnest request. I am foolish, ignorant.

26. Because of P.P. Dada's inspiration, blessing, the name of this book is the Guru P.P. Pandurang Shastri Athavale-inspired "Naam-Anubhav."

27. May you obtain darshan and conversation conjunctures with the Sadguru, gods and goddesses in name-remembrance — this very (is the) good wish.

28. While doing name-remembrance, a relationship with the Lord is forged.

29. Let us meet in name-remembrance; thereby let the Name come on the lips.