Nāma (Sanskrit: नाम; nāma, "name") is a Sanskrit term meaning "name" or "appellation" and is used in a range of Indian religious and philosophical contexts. In devotional traditions, the term can refer to the name of a deity or the remembrance and invocation of the divine. The meaning and theological significance of Nāma vary among religious traditions.
Practices involving repetition, remembrance or invocation of a sacred name occur in several religious traditions. In Hindu traditions, the related practice of japa involves repetition of a mantra or divine name; in Sikhism, Naam Simran refers to remembrance of the divine Name; in Pure Land Buddhism, nianfo or nembutsu developed around remembrance or recitation of the Buddha's name; and in Islam, dhikr denotes remembrance or invocation of God. These practices have different theological meanings and should not be treated as equivalent merely because they involve repetition or remembrance.
The related term simran derives from Sanskrit smaraṇa, "remembrance", and in Sikh usage refers to remembrance of God, including through remembrance of the divine Name. The term therefore overlaps with practices of remembrance found in other traditions, while retaining a distinct meaning within Sikh theology and practice.
The Sanskrit noun nāman (नामन्) primarily denotes a "name" or "appellation". Sanskrit lexicographical sources also record extended meanings in particular contexts, including designation, characteristic mark and form. The word therefore does not have a single theological definition applicable to every religious tradition.
In Hindu traditions, japa refers to the repeated recitation or mental repetition of a mantra or sacred name. The practice may be performed audibly, softly or mentally and may form part of meditation, worship or devotional discipline. Different Hindu traditions prescribe different mantras and understand their purpose in different ways.
The relationship between a divine name and the deity or ultimate reality it denotes also differs among Hindu traditions. In some devotional traditions, repetition of the name is itself treated as a form of devotion, while in other contexts a mantra may function as a ritual, meditative or initiatory formula. Consequently, the general practice of japa should not be equated with any single mantra or theological system.
Across Indian religious traditions, remembrance or repetition of a sacred name can form part of devotional or meditative practice. In Hindu traditions, japa commonly denotes repeated recitation of a mantra or sacred name, while Sikhism uses the term Naam Simran for remembrance of the divine Name. The practices have different theological meanings in their respective traditions.
In the North Indian Sant tradition, remembrance of the divine Name is also a recurring theme. Studies of Nirguṇī Sant literature discuss the relationship between the divine Name, devotion, the guru and liberation, particularly in the poetry associated with Kabir and related traditions. The meaning of naam is nevertheless not uniform across the Sant corpus, and particular expressions need to be interpreted in their textual and sectarian contexts.
In the teachings of Sant Rampal, Naam Jaap and Sumiran are presented as prescribed forms of remembrance associated with Naam-Daan (initiation). His published instructions state that disciples who receive the first initiation are to recite the prescribed mantra daily, with a minimum of 108 repetitions, together with prescribed prayers. His published explanation of Sumiran describes it as repeatedly remembering or reciting the given mantra. It also presents Sumiran as a continuing practice rather than a meditation limited to a particular sitting or location. The same material quotes verses attributed to Kabir in support of continual remembrance after initiation. His discourses also attribute practical and spiritual benefits to Sumiran, including relief from suffering, spiritual remembrance and eventual union with the divine.
This initiation material cites Śukla Yajurveda, chapter 19, mantra 25, as evidence for the granting of spiritual mantras in stages. It interprets the passage as saying that a Tatvadarshi saint grants coded salvation mantras in three stages.
The Sanskrit text of Śukla Yajurveda 19.25 reads: ardhṛcair ukthānāṃ rūpaṃ padair āpnoti nividāḥ; praṇavaiḥ śastrāṇāṃ rūpaṃ payasā soma āpyate.
Samaveda mantra 822 evidences for three stages of Naam-Jaap. It interprets the expression tri ... tasya nāma as referring to the giving of three Naam mantras by the Supreme God appearing in the form of a Guru.
Bhagavad Gita 17.23, which contains the expression Om Tat Sat, as describing three mantras associated in his teachings with Brahm, ParBrahm and Purna Brahm. It is interpreted that Om, Tat and Sat are coded mantras corresponding to these three levels of divinity and connects the verse with the three stages of Naam-Daan.
The Sanskrit verse itself states that Om Tat Sat is a threefold designation of Brahman and associates it with the Brahmanas, Vedas and sacrifices. Translations and commentaries outside of this tradition generally interpret the verse in relation to the threefold designation of Brahman and the ritual use of these expressions.
The remembrance or repetition of the divine Name is an important theme in several North Indian Sant and Bhakti traditions. Kabir's poetry, for example, repeatedly discusses remembrance of the divine name and the limitations of merely external religious practice. Scholarly studies of the Nirguṇī Sant tradition place Kabir's compositions within a broader devotional discourse concerning the formless divine, the guru, remembrance and liberation.
The meaning of "Naam" in Sant literature is not uniform. Individual poets and traditions use terms such as naam, Ram, Hari, Satnam and related expressions in different theological and poetic contexts. For this reason, a specific interpretation of Naam should be attributed to the text or tradition in which it occurs rather than treated as a universal definition of the term.
A few published works repeatedly cite verses attributed to Kabir concerning nij naam and sumiran. One verse quoted in his material states, in transliteration, "Kahae Kabir nij naam bina, kaise utrae paar", which his teachings interpret as emphasizing the importance of a particular divine Naam for liberation.
The broader Kabir corpus also contains compositions concerning remembrance of the divine name. For example, editions of the Kabir Granthavali include a section devoted to Sumiran and verses concerning remembrance of the divine name. The precise wording, attribution and interpretation of individual Kabir verses can vary between textual collections.
Scholarly studies of Kabir similarly treat remembrance, the divine Name, the guru and liberation as recurring themes, while emphasizing the textual and sectarian complexity of the Kabir corpus. Sant Rampal Ji's interpretation should therefore be presented as a particular modern interpretation of Kabir's attributed compositions rather than as the only interpretation of Kabir's use of Naam.
Some devotional literature also cite compositions attributed to Garib Das in discussions of Sumiran and devotional practice. His explanatory material presents Sumiran as a practice of remembering the divine through the mantra received after initiation and places the practice within a broader Sant devotional framework.
In Sikhism, Naam is a central religious concept associated with remembrance of the divine. Sikh scholarship has treated Naam as a major theme of the Guru Granth Sahib, including its relationship to the Guru, devotion, meditation and prayer. Surindar Singh Kohli's study of Naam describes the concept in relation to the divine Name, Shabad, the Guru-mantra, remembrance and meditation.
Naam Simran refers to remembrance of the divine Name. Sikh sources and scholarship describe remembrance of Naam as a continuing devotional practice rather than simply the mechanical pronunciation of a word. The concept is connected with remembrance of God, devotion and spiritual discipline within Sikh theology.
The Sikh understanding of Naam should be distinguished from uses of the word in other traditions. Similar practices of repetition and remembrance occur elsewhere, but the object of remembrance, theological assumptions and stated spiritual goals vary between traditions.
In East Asian Buddhism, nianfo (Japanese nembutsu) literally refers to recollection or mindfulness of the Buddha. In Pure Land Buddhism it commonly refers to the oral recitation of Amitābha Buddha's name, particularly the formula Namu Amida Butsu in Japanese traditions. The practice developed from earlier forms of Buddhist recollection and meditation and acquired different forms in Chinese and Japanese Pure Land traditions.
In Islam, dhikr (Arabic: ذكر) means remembrance or mention and refers to forms of worship involving remembrance and invocation of God. In many forms of Islamic practice, dhikr includes repeated recitation of divine names, Qur'anic phrases or prescribed prayers. It is particularly prominent in Sufi traditions, although remembrance of God is a broader Islamic concept.
Some traditions use Quranic passages in discussions of spiritual knowledge and Naam. Where Quranic letters or verses are interpreted as containing a particular mantra or spiritual code, the interpretation should be explicitly attributed to some rather than presented as the standard meaning of the Quranic text.
The Christian tradition provides another example of repeated invocation of a sacred name in the Jesus Prayer, particularly in Eastern Christianity. The prayer normally invokes Jesus Christ and is intended for frequent repetition as a form of personal prayer and spiritual practice. Kallistos Ware describes it as a short invocation addressed to Christ and designed for repeated use.