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Prayer is a great spiritual experience. Only the prayed understands its significance and strength. Prayer can move mountains and could work wonders. Prayers cleanse the mind of its impurities. Even the deprived soul gathers strength and shines best because of prayers. Prayers elevate the man to the higher position of Devatha [the enlightened]. Fully fortified because of prayers, even the weak and the meek readies himself to offer his life at the altar of Dharma smilingly. Prayers have enormous strength. All people, including the young and old, men and women must pray. We should of course pray, but definitely not this way.
Papoham papaakarmaham papathma papamevacha|
Pahimaam pundarikasha sarva papoharo hari||
Meaning: I am a sinner. I do commit sins. My soul is sinful. Oh God! Please protect me.
It should be noted, the country, the people, the race that demeans or condemns itself will stand condemned sooner or later. We become sinners by repeatedly telling so. Never have we done such prayers. The Vedas command that Prayer to God is to be addressed in the following way.
Tejosi Tejomayi dehee
Veermayee veeryam mayee dehee
Balamasi balam mayee dehee
Ojosi Ojomayee Dehee
Manyurasi Manyum Dehee
Sahosi Sahomayee Dehee Yajurveda 19.9
Meaning: “Endow us, O lord who art all glorious, through thy mercy at this very instant with the wisdom which is wise, the learned, and yogis pray for”
Thou art Light, be merciful and shed that light into my heart.
Thou art infinite energy, through thy grace endow with unfailing energy. Thou art Infinite strength, endow me with strength. Thou art Infinite power, endow me with great power. Thou art wrathful with the wicked, make me also wrathful. Thou art moved either by slander, or by praise. Thou art forbearing towards those who offend against Thee, make me also forbearing. [Meanings extracted from Satyartha Prakash]
Prayer or Prarthana is the combination of two words. Pra+ Arthana meaning asking for the great. Let us listen to what Swami Dayanand says on the subject.
“ Prayer is said to be Positive or negative according as the Deity is looked upon as possessed of good attributes or free from bad qualities, faults or imperfections.
A man should act in accordance with what he prays for. For example, if he prays for the highest wisdom, let him do his utmost to attain it. In other words, Prayer should be addressed to God for the attainment of an object after one has strenuously endevoured to attain it. No one should pray in the following manner, nor does God ever answer such prayers.
“O God! Destroy my enemies, make me superior to all. Let me alone be honored by all, make all others subordinate me, etc.” For, if both enemies were to pray for each other’s destruction, should God destroy both of them? If some one were to say that of the two let that man’s prayer be granted who bears more love to God, We answer that the enemy of man whose love is less, should also suffer destruction in a lesser degree. If people began to address such foolish prayers, the next thing they will do, will be to pray in this manner.” O God! Cook our food for us, put it on the table for us, scrub our houses, do our washing, till our land, and do a bit of gardening as well for us”. The greatest fools are they who, trusting in God in this wise, remain slothful and indolent; because whosoever will disobey God’s commandment to work assiduously will never be happy. God commands thus:-
“Let a man aspire to live by doing good work for a hundred years, i.e., as long as he lives. Let him never be lazy”. Behold! All the animate and inanimate objects in this universe perform their respective functions. The ants and other creatures are always active, the earth and other planets are always in motion, and the trees are always growing or decaying. Man should take a lesson from these. As men help him who helps himself, so does God help him only if the master himself in active and not lazy. Only a man with eyes and with a desire to see can be made to see and not a blind man. Like wise God lends his help in answer to those that are meant to injure any one. He who only keeps on saying sugar is sweet can never taste the sweetness of sugar, nor obtain it but he, who tries for it, sooner or later is sure to get it.
[Satyartha prakash. chapter VII]
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