Prayer or Worship – A Powerful Ritual Of The Hindus

Dr. Sethu Raju and Pt. Pramod Sharma Shastri Historical. Many millennia ago the early nomadic peoples witnessed numerous miracles and other strange happenings in nature. As such events, at the time, were beyond any rational explanation, they ascribed them as supernatural and accordingly created many iconographic gods. With complete belief and faith, they carefully guarded and worshipped them, in their own way, with utmost care and devotion. This trait or ritual to pray to or worship gods of their choice, originating in the primitive peoples, was continued and later sustained among the human civilizations of the world. The Hindu sages of the past stood on the banks of the sacred rivers of ancient India and sang in ecstasy their first exalting songs in praise of gods. Out of such prayers or chants and out of the profound wisdom and spirituality of the sages in many centuries has developed Hinduism, the oldest and also the dominant religion of India. Such prayers or prarthanas are preserved in the most ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Upanishads and the Vedas. They still form the most formidable and enduring rituals in the non-proselytizing Hindu-liturgy, and have guided and sustained millions of Hindus in the world with moral comfort and spiritual democracy. Terminology. Etymologically, the English word prayer (praarthana) seems more akin to Sanskrit than the word worship (pooja), which is rather foreign. The two terms, however, overlap in their definition, and are interchangeable. From a Hindu or Vedantin perspective, the term prayer is more specific and personal with fewer minor rituals associated with it than the term worship which is more general and broad, possibly with more minor rituals in it. The latter is usually conducted in greater grandeur and larger congregations.Definition and method. The term prayer is essentially one’s spiritual communion with the Supreme Being, often represented by many selected objects or icons. It could be petitional or just participatory. One could pray individually to gods for oneself or for other individual or a group of individuals. Similarly, a group of individuals could pray for itself or for an individual or another group. Prayer, with dedication, may be conducted vocally by songs or chants, or by musical instruments or by bodily gestures (dances) or in any of their combination. It may also be done quietly in complete silence.Who prays and where? Children pray instinctively or according to suggestion or advice of their elders. The adults, on the other hand, pray with some reasonable motive, possibly, by petition expecting positive blessings. People may pray to gods in any place where appropriate religious ambience exists. Two abodes of worship are most common among Hindus. Both adults and children pray at the consecrated altars in their own homes, or they may pray in congregation in temples. Late in their life, the Hindus may pray for themselves to their own Consciousness (Chit) when it can be called meditation (Dhyaanam) or self-evaluation, with the hope of reaching Self-realization or Moksha. In general, the extent and quality of praying may change progressively, corresponding to four life-stages (Jeevita-Aashramas), which, in sequence, are – the celibate youth or student (Brahmachaaryaashrama), the house-holder (Grihasthaashrama), the retired (Vaanaprasthaashrama) and the ascetic (Sanyaasaashrama).Language. In the ritual of praying, language is important, especially in India where many state languages, some of which have long history of their own, thrive and are spoken independently. In ancient India, however, when Hinduism was the only religion known, Sanskrit was the academic and aristocratic language; it was also the language of the Hindu liturgy, and, therefore, remained sacred. The Hindu sages have vividly described in Sanskrit the formal rules and protocols of prayer and of other religious rituals which are embedded in the ancient Upanishads and the Vedas. To interpret and perform prayers and other obsequious rituals, only certain classes of the peoples, who knew well the sacred language and the rituals, were qualified. They were the brahmanical priests who, even now, very faithfully and appropriately perform in Sanskrit the prayers and rituals in religious functions, including those in temples. The general populace at the time was not well versed in the Sanskrit language, and so the learned priests ordinarily helped the people in conducting their prayers and other religious ceremonies. There were also some minor languages flourishing well among the peoples in different parts of India. During this period, many academicians and the common people wrote prayers and devotional songs unconventionally in languages, other than Sanskrit. Also, they translated and/or transliterated many religious scriptures and other literature from Sanskrit to other local languages, bringing about a sort of ‘reformation’ in Hinduism. Among them, two names stand out in reference to religious prayers and in the retelling (rewriting) of some ancient Sanskrit scriptures for the use of the common people of India. They were the Kavi Kamban (of 9-12th century AD) in Southern India and Goswami Tulasidas of the 16th century AD in the North. Kamban retold (rewrote) in Tamil, an ancient and probably the oldest language of India, the original Sanskrit epic of Valmiki’s Ramayana, in the lyrical form for the benefit of the Tamil-speaking peoples of South India. The resulting monumental compendium was the Raamaavataaram or Kamban Ramayana. Subsequently, many sages and the followers of Kamban wrote more devotional songs and poems in Tamil and other South Indian languages for the use of the common people. Similarly, Tulasidas also retold (rewrote) in Avadhi, often considered a precursor of the Hindi language, the original Valmiki’s Ramayana, and titled it the ever-popular Ramacharitamanas or Tulasi Ramayana, which quickly and firmly appealed to the common people of Northern India and also later to the people in other parts of the country. In addition, Tulasidas wrote many more songs and poems in the form of bhajans, kirthans, etc. so that the people, at all levels, would enjoy singing and using them in individual or group prayers and worships in temples and elsewhere. These, by Tulasidas and such by many of his followers, are being used popularly in the everyday prayers and

Krishna or Krishan

I would  like to request you to please stop saying KRISHNA (कृष्णा), correct word is KRISHAN (कृष्ण) NOT Krishna. Last A is silent, just to complete the word कृष्ण. काक: कृष्ण: , महिषी कृष्णा This is Sanskrit word, So we should pronounce as Sanskrit grammar says. There are so many words we pronounce wrong way like Dharma is Dharm (धर्म), Yoga is योग (Yoog), Karma is कर्म, Moksha is मोक्ष Moksh, Rama is Raam, Shiva is Shiv, Ganesha is Ganesh, Mahabharata (महाभारता) is Mahabharat (महाभारत), Ramayana (रामायाणा) is Ramayan (रामायण)। Correct Bhajan:हरे राम हरे राम, राम राम हरे हरे,हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण, कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे, Wrong Bhajan:हरे रामा हरे रामा, रामा रामा हरे हरे,हरे कृष्णा हरे कृष्णा, कृष्णा कृष्णा हरे हरे, PLEASE STOP SAYING THESE WRONG WORDS.Do you know KRISHNA (कृष्णा) means, It means DROPADI (Pandwa’s wife), because it is a Feminine word, KRISHAN or Krishn (कृष्ण) is a Masculine. If you say Krishna Krishna it means you are calling Dropadi (Feminine word) not Bhagwan KRISHAN or Krishn,  just Say KRISHAN (कृष्ण), and please tell your children too. Here I am posting two Vibhakti Roop of Sanskrit Grammar. कृष्ण (Masculine Word) कृष्णा (Feminine word)

Marriage licence cost

Marriage licence cost is $150 on the top of wedding ceremony cost for locals. It means $651+$150=$801

Hinduism

Suresh Basrur, Ph.D. Hinduism is a complex subject whose in-depth understanding requires lifelong study. This brief outline is intended to give only an overview. The usual practice of denoting dates as B.C.E. (Before Common Era) and C.E. (Common Era), which is acceptable to all religions, and which are equivalent to B.C. and A.D., have been followed here. The author would like to encourage you to delve deeper by reading books, and by speaking with those who have in-depth knowledge. You are also encouraged to discuss these ideas with your children so that the Hindu heritage may be passed on to future generations of Indians in North America. Terminology: The term “Hinduism” is an invention of 18th century European scholars who were fond of “-isms”, and had no exposure to the realities of Indian religions. The word “Hindu” was not created in India, but was probably coined by ancient Persians to denote people living beyond the “Indus” (Sindhu) river, which was the easternmost border of Persia at that time. In very early times, the religion was called Vaidika Dharma, but the preferred name now is Sanatana Dharma, which means eternal truth or conduct. Unique characteristics of Hinduism: It is important to note differences between Hinduism and other religions, namely, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Jainism. Hinduism has no single founder, no single historic event as its beginning, no central authority (such as the Pope), no common creed, and does not have just one single scripture. It has many founders of diverse schools of thought and sects, many spiritual leaders, and many scriptures. Hinduism is more than a religion; it is a way of life, consisting of rituals, culture, philosophy, doctrines, literature, ethics, the arts, and laws governing morality and conduct of life. This makes Hinduism a very “rich” (that is multi-faceted, spiritually and intellectually deep) religion. Origins of Hinduism : The earliest scriptures are the Vedas, with beginnings as early as 4000 BCE, when the Indus valley civilization of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro flourished. Rig Veda identifies Saptasindhava as the place where Vedic civilization developed. Late Vedic civilization spans the period 2700 BCE to 1700 BCE. This period is considered the earliest high civilization in the world, where technology, trade and urban centres were quite advanced. Hindu civilization also flourished along river Saraswati (river Saraswati cut across the present day Rajasthan, and its past existence has been scientifically verified by satellite technology). Between 1900 BCE and 1700 BCE, river Saraswati dried out, driving people who lived there to Ganga, which then became the focus of civilization. Scriptures of Hinduism : The Vedas, which contain the beliefs and religious practices of Hindus, also contain astronomy, grammar. The Vedas consist of (1) four collections of hymns – Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda; (2) the Brahmanas and Aranyakas which contain philosophy and rituals; and (3) the Upanishads, which are considered amongst the world’s greatest spiritual and philosophical texts. Vedangas and Upavedas are texts which augment the Vedas. There are six vedangas namely Siksa, Jyotisha, Kalpa, Nirukti, Candas, and Vyakarana. Jyotisha pertains to astrology and Kalpa explains the rituals. There are five upavedas namely Artha, Dhanur, Sthapatya, Gandharva, and Ayur-veda. The best known amongst these is Ayurveda which deals with health. The significant deities of Vedic times are: mother goddess Aditi, and her children Adityas; the god of conquest Indra; the god of fire and sacrifice Agni; heavenly twins Ashwins and their mother Saranyu; the sky god Dyaus; gods of the storm Maruts, and the chief storm god Rudra; Prajapati the Lord of the creatures; earth goddess Prithivi; sun god Surya; Varuna the lord of waters; Yama the god of death; and Soma the diety of plants. The total number of Upanishads is around 200, of which about 13 are considered the most important ones. The basic tenets of Hinduism (see below) are contained in the Upanishads. The Itihasa and Puranas, which are resplendent with history and mythology, also contain state craft, cosmography, geneology, etc. The great epics of Hinduism, Ramayana and Mahabharata are rich in every sense of the word. Through their stories, these epics demonstrate the highest standards for brotherly love, love and devotion between husband and wife, respect of children to their parents and teachers, obligations of the ruler to his subjects, importance of one’s duty to others, stewardship of and duty towards nature, etc. Through stories, they teach us how to lead our lives in a moral and ethical way, on the path to liberation. [You can read epic stories and scriptures from books; this article will not go into details.] Sects of Hinduism : In Hinduism, sect is not a breakaway from the mainstream, but a denomination or school of thought. (In other traditionally rooted religions, “sect” denotes breakaway groups who insist on conformity and self-righteousness). An important sect called Advaita Vedanta was established by Shankaracharya in 8th century AD. Shankaracharya lived for only 32 years, from 788 C.E. to 820 C.E. Advaita Vedanta provides a monistic (i.e. non-dualistic) interpretation of Upanishads. Its teachings consider Brahman, the supreme being, as the only reality, and the world as an illusion or maya. The atman (soul) is considered one with Brahman. Ramanuja (1017 C.E. to 1137 C.E.) established the Vishisht-Advaita school of Vadanta. The name means qualified non-dualism. It interprets atman as a fragment of Brahman, but not identical with it. It promulgates paths such as bhakti (devotion and complete surrender of heart and soul to God) for merging atman with Brahman. The world is not considered an illusion or maya in Vishisht-Advaita. Madhvacharya (1197 C.E. to 1280 C.E.) differs completely from Shankaracharya and Ramanuja. His teachings are rooted in Dvaita or dualism. In Dvaita teachings, Brahman, the supreme being, is not only considered distinct from atman, but is deemed to be separate even after atman (the soul) has achieved moksha (liberation). Ten schools of Vedanta have developed over time. The bhakti (devotion) movement was promulgated in the 15th century and many saints spear-headed it until the 17th

Holi (ਹੋਲੀ)

Gayatri Mantra (ਗਾਯਤ੍ਰੀ ਮੰਤਰ)

What should we know when we do Puja.

What should we know when we do Puja.

Ki Stone Jeevan Badal Sakde Hann.

Navratri Shakti De Prateek (ਨਰਾਤੇ ਸ਼ਕਤੀ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਤੀਕ)

Jyotish and Science (ਜੋਿਤਸ਼ ਅਤੇ ਸਾਇੰਸ)