Rumi’s verses are easy to read but we need the blessings to apply them in our lives.
A Prayer
Pray in this wise and allay your difficulties. Continue reading
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Tag Archives: prayer
Grow through defeat
Failure is a strong word. Understanding the meaning and applying it to one’s life enables one to connect with one’s core and inner divinity. This is the reason why so many philosophers and Gurus have written and explained this word with gravity and in detail. Continue reading
Become a six-legged bee
Have you heard this, dear ones? The six-legged bee is an individual who develops the six virtues which enable one to attain liberation. The six-legged bee is mentioned in the meditation verse before one study the Gita. It is referred to a noble seeker, who is equipped with six spiritual values. Continue reading
Where is my home?
How do I stay in my home? How can I be at peace in my home? Do I define my home as being materially comfortable or is my home my internal spiritual abode? Where is my home? Continue reading
Why do we pray?
The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. – Soren Kierkegaard
Prayer is heart talk. It becomes effective when it is isolated from the mind, when it is purely a heart feeling, when the external doors are closed, then only one door opens—the internal door. When all of the mind is closed, only the door of the heart opens. When the crookedness of the mind is has been stilled, when the agitations of the mind have become peaceful, when the deviousness and dubiousness of the mind has been transformed, then the heart becomes active. Prayer is only directed to God. – Swami Niranjanananda
Surya Namaskara
I bow to the Sun.
Surya atma jagasthushsch yadaditya gatam tejo jagadbhasayate akhilam.
The Sun is the soul of a whole universe; Sun is the source of life for all living beings.
We have just celebrated a three-day festival called Chhaat, praying to Surya Devata, at sunrise and sunset. The concept is beautiful as one bathes in running water at dawn and dusk. Fasting is observed for three days, and one is purified. Continue reading
959 – Para puja Stotram
In this great prayer to the God points out how each one of these is impossible or unjustified while bringing out those great qualities of God.
Adi Shankara Bhagwat Pada.
Translated by PR Ramchandar. Continue reading
830 – Forgiveness mantra
Chanted at dawn and dusk.
Karcharana Krtam Va Mantra is known as the Shiva Forgiveness Mantra and Shiva Meditation Mantra. It is also a prayer.
Karacharana Kritam Vaa Kaya Jam Karmajam Vaa
Shravannayanjam Vaa Maansam Vaa Paradham
Vihitam Vihitam Vaa Sarv Metat Kshamasva
Jay Jay Karunaabdhe Shri Mahadev Shambho
811 – An ode to Mothers
Mothers are a special category of human beings. They are filled with unconditional love and they are forgiving. One does not have to be a mother to have Matri bhava (maternal love). One can have love for people and other God’s creatures, which is also considered Matri bhava. Matri Devo Bhava means one for whom Mother is God. Continue reading
703 – What is better, laughter or prayers?
Laughter is far more sacred than prayer, because prayer can be done by anyone, it does not require much intelligence. Laughter requires intelligence, it requires presence of mind, a quickness of seeing into things. In deep laughter the ego disappears if the ego is there it will keep you serious. – Osho
684 – Peel the layers
When you peel a fruit, the inner flesh is beautiful. Take the watermelon, the mango, the dragon fruit and so many others.
Peel the layers of yourself and who emerges? Have you considered this, that when we remove the layers of our persona, who is there? Let us examine how we see ourselves? Continue reading
510 – A Dharani prayer
What is the real meaning of a Dharani prayer, which says,
Rupam dehi Jayam dehi, yaso devi dvisso Jahi.
O devi please grant me (spiritual) beauty, (spiritual) victory, (spiritual) glory and please destroy my inner enemies. Continue reading
478 – Happiness makes you your own person
Find your roots within yourself. If you belong to a crowd, there is no further growth. You are dependent on others for company and this gives you anxiety. You seek groups, organizations to give you an identity. It is described as social anxiety and it is discussed intensely. What one is forgetting is how is one connected to oneself. Continue reading
424 – Attainment of serenity and equilibrium
“When serenity and equilibrium prevail,
Not only ideas but dreams come true
And sleep is converted into samadhi.
Generally, the mind is dull and dissipated,
Sometimes it goes in for higher things
But then returns to its lower field.” – Swami Satyananda Saraswati.1960.
How do we become serene? Continue reading
379 – Nine forms of the Goddess worshipped during Navratri
- Shailputri is the daughter of the Himalayas. She is also worshipped as Parvati. Day one is dedicated to her. The offering is pure ghee offered on her foot. The prasad blesses the devotee with a life free of disease.
- Brahmacharini is a lover of simple food. Day two is dedicated to her. Devotees offers her a bhog (pudding) of sugar and fruits. She increases the longevity of the family members.
- Chandraghanta rides a lion and is believed to destroy all evil and wickedity. Day three is dedicated to her. She wears the half-moon on her head. She is pleased with an offering of milk (e.g., plant based), sweets and kheer.
- Kushmanda produced the cosmic egg with her smile, when the universe was plunged in darkness. Day four is dedicated to her. She is offered sweet fried bread (malpua) in syrup, and one fasts before the evening prayer.
- Skandamata is seated on a lotus, and she also has a lion as her ride. Day five is dedicated to her. She is offered bananas and she keeps her devotees in good health.
- Katyani is the daughter of the sage Katyana. Day six is dedicated to her. She is offered honey. Her blessings make the devotees free of bitterness.
- Kaalratri protects her disciples from evil powers and spirits. Day seven is dedicated to her. She is offered sweets made from jaggery.
- Mahagauri is offered coconut as prasad. Day eight is dedicated to her. It is also believed that if one offers coconuts to the Brahmins, then one will be blessed with a child.
- Siddhayatri protects the devotee’s family from any mishaps. Day nine is dedicated to her. She is offered sesame seeds and one fasts before the prayers.
The purification process
When we worship the goddess in her different avatars for nine days, we ourselves are going through a purification process. Also observe that none of the offerings are extravagant, they are simple foods, which most people can offer. The Goddess takes care of us as long we remain sincere in our devotion.
Aim Hrim Klim
Credits: hinduismnow.org