The power of the name Narayan – Ajamil Story

The Bhagavat Puran mentions about innumerable devotees of Bhagwan Vishnu while citing the moral values and conduct to be observed for being born as a human. One such story is of a Brahmin Ajamil, whose life is a great example of how Bhagwan Vishnu redeems all his sins through a small pious act of his.

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Ajamil was a young Brahmin who had a good family, education and was learnt in all the Shastras and Vedas. He was righteous and sincere in his ways and earned the goodwill of all. But as destiny fates, one day, Ajamil sees a prostitute and gets enticed with her beauty. Although he tries to ward off his thoughts, he falls for lust and starts to live with her.

Ajamil abandons his pious wife for her, and leaves all his sanctity and good ways of life. He starts spending his entire father’s inheritance money on giving various gifts to satisfy the prostitute. He stops following all his holy rites, chants and leaves all the rules and regulations of the Sastras and Vedas. When he lost his entire wealth, he resorted to cheating and gambling and spent his life addicted to forbidden activities.

In the way, Ajamil spends eighty eight years of his life and bears ten sons from the prostitute. Ajamil names his last son Narayan and becomes very attached to him. Narayan always took care of his father in his old age serving Ajamil dutifully and fulfilled his duty as a son.
Ajamil used to always call out his name which was the name of none other than Bhagwan Vishnu. Although unintentional, but the power of chanting the name Narayan was slowly wiping out all the sins of Ajamil and he unknowingly was been purified by calling out his son’s name. Time passed and Aljamil fell sick and was bed ridden. In this time, he even more fervently thought of his son Narayan and in delusion always called out his name.

One day, Ajamil saw three terrifying figures near his bed and asks them who they were. They reply that they were the Yamaduts, the messengers of Yamraj who had come to take his soul to hell as his life on earth was over. In frantic fear, Ajamil looks for his son who was nearby and calls out his name openly and with full fervour.

Suddenly, three heavenly figures resembling Bhagwan Vishnu appear in front of him and stop the Yamaduts from snatching his soul with them. When the Yamaduts ask as to why they were stopped from doing their duty, they reply that Ajamil had atoned for his sins by chanting the name of his son Narayan which had all the power to redeem the sins of mankind, and he now was a purified soul and hence they had come to save him. Listening to this, The Yamadutas agree and disappear.

Ajamil is completely awestruck at the compassion of Bhagwan Vishnu who had cared for a sinner like him. Given a new life, he spent his life in complete devotion of Bhagwan Vishnu and preached his

devotion to one and all. Later when his time was over, a divine chariot with Vishnudutas comes to escort him to Vaikunth Dhaam. Praising the glories of Bhagwan Vishnu, Ajamil happily departs to get unified in the almighty teaching a lesson that even when does great sins and mistakes, changing the lifestyle with true devotion of Bhagwan Vishnu, there is always as second chance to make life better.