Rakaaraadi Sri Rama Ashtottara Shatanamavali
1. Om Raamaaya Namah
2. Om Raajeevapatraakshaaya Namah
3. Om Raakaachandranibhaananaaya Namah
4. Om Raatrincharaarditakshoni Paritaapavinaashanaaya Namah
5. Om Raajeevanaabhaaya Namah
6. Om Raajendraaya Namah
7. Om Raajeevaasanasamstutaaya Namah
8. Om Raajaraajaadidikpaalamauli Maanikyadeepitaaya Namah
9. Om Raaghavaanvayapaathodhichandraaya Namah
10. Om Raakendusadyashase Namah
11. Om Raamachandraaya Namah
12. Om Raaghavendraaya Namah
13. Om Raajeevaruchiraananaaya Namah
14. Om Raajaanujaamandirorase Namah
15. Om Raajeevavilasatpadaaya Namah
16. Om Raajeevahastaaya Namah
17. Om Raajeevapriyavamshakritodayaaya Namah
18. Om Raatrinavyaambubhrinmoortaye Namah
19. Om Raajaamshuruchirasmitaaya Namah
20. Om Raajeevakaraaya Namah
21. Om Raajeevadhaarine Namah
22. Om Raajeevajaapriyaaya Namah
23. Om Raaghavotsangavidyotaaya Namah
24. Om Raakendvayutabhaasvaraaya Namah
25. Om Raajilekhaanabhaankuraaya Namah
26. Om Raajeevapriyabhooshanaaya Namah
27. Om Raajaraajanmaneebhooshanaaya Namah
28. Om Raaraajadbhramaraalakaaya Namah
29. Om Raajalekhaabhaseemantaaya Namah
30. Om Raajanmrigamadaankanaaya Namah
31. Om Raajaheeralasachchhrotraaya Namah
32. Om Raajeevakaragaamritaaya Namah
33. Om Ratnakaancheedharaaya Namah
34. Om Ramyaaya Namah
35. Om Ratnakaanchanakankanaaya Namah
36. Om Ranatkaanchanamanjeeraaya Namah
37. Om Ranjitaakhilabhootalaaya Namah
38. Om Raaraajatkundaradanaaya Namah
39. Om Ramyakanthaaya Namah
40. Om Ratavrajaaya Namah
41. Om Ranjitaadbhutagaadheyaaya Namah
42. Om Raatrincharasateeharaaya Namah
43. Om Raatrincharabhayattraatagaadheya Savanottamaaya Namah
44. Om Raaraajachcharanaambhojarajahpooramunipriyaaya Namah
45. Om Raajaraajasuhrichchaapabhedanaaya Namah
46. Om Raajapoojitaaya Namah
47. Om Ramaaraamaakaraambhoja Maalonmeelitakanthamaaya Namah
48. Om Ramaakaraabjamaarandabindumuktaaphalaavritaaya Namah
49. Om Ratnakankananidhvaanamishallakshmeestutishrutaye Namah
50. Om Ramaavaamadrigantaali Vyaaptadurlakshyavigrahaaya Namah
51. Om Raamatejassamaahartre Namah
52. Om Raamasopaanabhanjanaaya Namah
53. Om Raaghavaajnyaakritaaranyavaasaaya Namah
54. Om Raamaanujaarchitaaya Namah
55. Om Raktakanjaatacharanaaya Namah
56. Om Ramyavalkalaveshtitaaya Namah
57. Om Raatryambudajataabhaaraaya Namah
58. Om Ramyaangashreevibhooshanaaya Namah
59. Om Ranachchaapagunaaya Namah
60. Om Raktamunitraanaparaayanaaya Namah
61. Om Raatrincharaganapraanahartre Namah
62. Om Ramyaphalaadanaaya Namah
63. Om Raatrincharendrabhagineekarnanaasoshtrabhedanaaya Namah
64. Om Raatamaayaamrigapraanaaya Namah
65. Om Raavanaahritasatpriyaaya Namah
66. Om Raajeevabandhuputraaptaaya Namah
67. Om Raajadevasutaardhanaaya Namah
68. Om Raktashreehanumadvaahaaya Namah
69. Om Ratnaakaranibandhanaaya Namah
70. Om Ruddharaatrincharaavaasaaya Namah
71. Om Raavanaadivimardanaaya Namah
72. Om Raamaasamaalingitaankaaya Namah
73. Om Raavanaanujapoojitaaya Namah
74. Om Ratnasimhaasanaaseenaaya Namah
75. Om Raajyapattaabhishechanaaya Namah
76. Om Raajanakshatravalayavritaraakendusundaraaya Namah
77. Om Raakendukundalachchatraaya Namah
78. Om Raajaamshootkarachaamaraaya Namah
79. Om Raajarshiganasamveetaaya Namah
80. Om Ranjitaplavagaadhipaaya Namah
81. Om Ramaadringmaalikaaleelaa Neeraajita Padaambujaaya Namah
82. Om Raamatattvapravachanaaya Namah
83. Om Raajaraajasakhodayaaya Namah
84. Om Raajabimbaananaagaananartanaamoditaantaraaya Namah
85. Om Raajyalakshmeepareerambhasambhritaadbhutakantakaaya Namah
86. Om Raamaayanakathaamaalaanaayakaaya Namah
87. Om Raashtrashobhanaaya Namah
88. Om Raajamaalaamaulimaalaamakarandaplutaanghrikaaya Namah
89. Om Raajataadrimahaadheeraaya Namah
90. Om Raaddhadevagurudvijaaya Namah
91. Om Raaddhabhaktaashayaaraamaaya Namah
92. Om Ramitaakhiladaivataaya Namah
93. Om Raagine Namah
94. Om Raagaviheenaatmabhaktapraapyaaya Namah
95. Om Rasaatmakaaya Namah
96. Om Rasapradaaya Namah
97. Om Rasaasvaadaaya Namah
98. Om Rasaadheeshaaya Namah
99. Om Rasaatigaaya Namah
100. Om Rasanaapaavanaabhikhyaaya Namah
101. Om Raamanaamaamritodadhaye Namah
102. Om Raajaraajeevamitraakshaaya Namah
103. Om Raajeevabhavakaaranaaya Namah
104. Om Raamabhadraaya Namah
105. Om Raajamaanaaya Namah
106. Om Raajeevapriyabimbagaaya Namah
107. Om Ramaaraamaabhujalataa Kanthaalinganamangalaaya Namah
108. Om Raamasoorihridambhodhivrittiveecheevihaaravate Namah
Iti Rakaaraadi Shree Raama Ashtottara Shatanaamaavali
Meaning
Every one of these hundred and eight names of Sri Rama begins with the syllable Ra, which is why the list is called Rakaradi, the Ra-initial namavali. The first name is simply Om Ramaya namah. It is followed at once by Rajivapatrakshaya, he whose eyes are like lotus petals, and Rakachandranibhananaya, he whose face is like the full moon. The poet keeps that one sound alive for all 108 names while still painting a complete picture of Rama, from his lineage to his ornaments to his battles.
The names
Holding to a single syllable pushes the composer toward lotus words, since rajiva is a lotus, and so Rama becomes Rajivanabha, Rajivahasta and Rajivapada, lotus-navelled, lotus-handed and lotus-footed. Rajivanabha in particular is a reminder that he is Vishnu come down to earth. He is Raghavanvaya-pathodhi-chandra, the moon that rises over the ocean of the Raghu dynasty. One long name describes him as the one who ended the suffering of an earth troubled by the rakshasas. Later names turn to his appearance in close detail: a jewelled girdle, gold bangles, ringing anklets, a lovely throat. There is also an old teaching that the two syllables of Rama carry the seed sounds of Shiva and Vishnu, which gives the Ra-initial form special weight for Rama bhaktas.
Significance
This is not a list to rush through. Each name is a small meditation on one quality of Rama: his beauty, his valour, his justice, his tenderness toward devotees. Devotees chant it for peace of mind, for help in removing obstacles, for protection, and for steady progress in devotion. The tradition presents these as the fruit of sincere chanting rather than as promises.
How and when to chant
Sri Rama Navami and the nine days leading up to it are the natural season for this namavali. It also suits Thursdays and the Punarvasu nakshatra, Rama's birth star. Offer tulasi leaves or yellow flowers with each name before an image of Sita Rama, and close with a simple naivedya of panaka and kosambari, as Karnataka homes do on Rama Navami.
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