The three syllables ‘R’, ‘A’ and ‘Ma’ indicate the three causes for human birth, namely Papamu (the sins one has committed), Tapamu (the troubles one experiences) and Ajnanamu (one’s ignorance). ‘Ra’ represents the root letter for Agni. ‘Aa’ represents the letter for the moon. ‘Ma’ represents the root letter for the sun. What does Agni signify? It destroys everything and reduces it to ashes. The letter ‘R’ has the power to destroy all the sins committed by man. The letter ‘Aa’ (symbolising the moon) has the powers of cooling the fevers man suffers from and conferring peace on him.’Ma’ represents the sun who dispels the darkness of ignorance and confers illumination of wisdom. Hence, the word Rama has the right triple power of destroying sins, conferring peace and dispelling ignorance.

When you utter the word ‘Ram’, you first open the mouth with the sound ‘Ra.’ All your sins go out when your mouth is open. When you utter ‘M’ by closing the mouth, the entry is barred against the sins that have gone out. Everyone should recognise the sweetness, the sacredness and the divinity enshrined in the name ‘Rama.’ It was for this reason that Tyagaraja sang: ‘Oh mind! Contemplate on the name of Rama with full awareness of its power.’ It is good to utter the name Rama with full understanding of all that it signifies. But even without that understanding the chanting of the name has the power to destroy all sins. (SSS Vol.22, pp. 68-69)