The following writings are excerpted from "The Vision", vol. 50 - NO. 10, July 1983. You may get more information from www.anandashram.org.
PAPA ANSWERS
Devotee: I have taken one Mantra. At that time I was young. Now I prefer to have Ramnam.
Papa: You may take Ramnam and feel that the other Mantra is included in it. Only the mind must not feel any conflict.
Devotee: In the beginning some conflict comes.
Papa: Were you repeating the previous Mantra before you took this Mantra?
Devotee: No.
Papa: Then it is very easy for you to change over.
Devotee: We should change the Mantra with full faith.
Papa: Without faith how can you take a Mantra? It is better to think that the person who gave you that Mantra has come in another form and given you this Mantra. So the difference in Guru also disappears. Now there is no conflict at all. God is Mantra-Swarup. Any Mantra can be His Swarup.
Devotee: The root meaning of the word "Mantra" itself is that if remembrance is kept up, it will take you across the ocean of Samsara.
Papa: That is why it is called Taraka Mantra — that which delivers you from bondage.
Devotee: There seems to be some distinction between Dvaita Mantra and Advaita Mantra. Is there any?
Papa: Advaita Mantra directly makes you think that you are Brahman. In the other, devotion leads to Brahman when you surrender yourself to God.
Tilak says the Gita speaks of Karma Yoga; and he disregards Jnana and Bhakti. Sri Shankara reads into the Gita pure Jnana. Gandhiji reads into it Ahimsa and says that the whole Mahabharata is an allegory. Sri Aurobindo says the Gita speaks of the Triune Yoga — the three Yogas combined. Sridhara and some others say the Gita gives prominence to Bhakti. Thus the same scripture is interpreted in so many ways.
Devotee: What is Papa’s reading of the Gita?
Papa: All put together and something beyond it. It is all-inclusive and all-transcendent. It is a matter of experience and what is a matter of experience cannot be expressed or comprehended by our poor intellect. Ramdas has read the commentaries of all these great souls. They are different facets of the same diamond — different interpretations belonging to one complete whole. So he has not to say anything against any commentary. Everything is all right.
In "The Divine Life" Vol. 1 (p. 177 — Clarion Voice of the Gita) Ramdas has Written something about it. He has not mentioned names there, but only the different views on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. They do not seem to agree, but when you see it with a broader view, then they fit in very well.
By Swami Ramdas
For all people there is only one way of approach to God. Tbey must have pure devotion to God and should perform good actions. Bhakti and Karma go together. For -you, to start with, repetition of: GOD's name is the way. Have God's name continuously on your tongue Lead a pure and truthful life. Be kind and. compassionate to those who are in distress. Read the Bhagavad Gita daily.
The ego is hard to conquer. The whole of our struggle is to do away with it. Surrender is the only way. Our personal struggle goes for nothing. It is His grace that should make all things, easy for us. We fret, fume and grumble when our effort proves futile. Instead of this attitude, it would be well to humble ourselves to the dust and take His name and feel always that He is the sole doer. Verily, by His will alone all things happen. Take refuge in Him, make Him your all in all, surrender your entire being to Him, and He will reveal Himself within you and fill every fibre of your being with His radiance, peace and joy.
Swami Ramdas:
Short version: MP3 85K.
Mother Krishnabai:
Short version #1: MP3 13K. Long version #1: MP3 57K.
These first two versions of the Ramnam are used by permission of Sundar's Home Page. The recitations can be found on http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/2944/anand.htm. The long versions have been lengthened. We thank him for permission to use them.
Short version #2: MP3 199K.
Long version #2: MP3 280K.
This version was taken from the tape: "Sufi Dance and Song, Vol. 2". The long version has been lengthened from it. We thank them for their work.