Prayer in Hinduism

Prayer (Sanskrit: प्रार्थना, romanized: prārthanā) is considered to be an integral part of the Hindu religion; it is practiced during Hindu worship (puja) and is an expression of devotion (bhakti). The chanting of mantras is the most common form of worship in Hinduism. The Vedas are liturgical texts containing mantras and hymns. Stuti is an umbrella term for religious literary creations, but it literally means "praise."

The Hindu devotional bhakti traditions place a focus on repetitive prayer, known as japa. Prayer is centred on the personal forms of gods and goddesses, such as Vishnu and his avatars, most notably Rama and Krishna, Shiva, or Shiva's sons such as Kartikeya and Ganesha, as well as Mahadevi, the supreme goddess, and her forms, such as Lakshmi or Kali.

The human aspiration for the highest truth, the underlying monism of Hinduism, pertaining ultimately to the one Brahman, predates the ritual process and the invocation of diverse deities for the fulfilment of varied needs. The Gayatri Mantra was part of Vedic ceremonies and is still invoked in Hindu temples in India and other countries around the world today, exemplifying its essence.

Etymology

The Sanskrit word for prayer, prārthanā (Sanskrit: प्रार्थना) is derived from adding a prefix and suffix to the verbal root artha which means "to request". The prefix pra is added which means complete, and a suffix na which converts the verbal form into a feminine noun. The word prārthanā has a deeper meaning and connotation in Hinduism, but the simplest translation is prayer or seeking.

Theological foundation

The earliest expressions of prayer in Hinduism are rooted in the ancient Vedic hymns. Eventually these hymns materialized into devotional literature. In the post-classical era, Hindu prayer encompasses an array of practices. These practices include, daily individual chanting, specialized prayers to deities, and fire rituals, such as yajnas. Over time, the prayers and methods of prayer have continued to adapt and evolve to meet the needs of the diaspora and the evolving world.

Forms of prayer

Prayer in Hindu tradition is connected with ritual worship(puja) and devotion(bhakti). Scholars note that Hinduism lays importance on following rituals and practices (orthopraxy) than just on beliefs or religious doctrines. Therefore, prayer is usually not practiced separately from religious rituals. Devotional prayer is expressed through activities such as offerings during puja, repeating sacred words or mantras(japa), singing devotional songs(bhajan or kīrtan), and meditation (dhyāna).

Puja

Puja is the primary ritual activity in contemporary Hinduism. It consists of offering vegetarian items, such as flowers, incense, light, water, fruit, and cooked food, to a deity represented by an icon or image(murti). Puja is conducted in private domestic shrines as well as in public temples(mandir) by householders or priests(pujari). Elaborate temple puja follows established sequences recorded in medieval manuals(paddhati) and Agamic/Tantric scriptures.

Puja may include several ritual practices:

• Abhiseka: The ritual bathing and anointing of the image with substances such as sesame oil, milk, curd, ghee, or honey.
• Adornment: Dressing the deity in garments, garlands, and sacred powders(kunkuma, sandlewood paste, or sacred ash).
• Naivedya /Bhoga: Offering cooked food or sweets to the deity.
• Arati: the waving of lighted oil lamps or burning camphor before the image accompanied by hymns, ringing bells and music.

During puja, the prayers and chants used are:

• Sacred Mantras and seed Syllables: Priests and worshippers recite mantras -sacred verses believed to possess inherent power- during key ritual stages like anointing the images(abhiseka) and arati. These recitations incorporate the primary seed syllable(bija) Om.
• Diety-Specific invocations and vedic verses: Diety-specific chants, such as the Saiva mantra- Om Namah Śivāya or the Vaisnava- Hare Krsna mantra and the vedic texts like the Gāyatrī Mantra
• Devotional Music(Bhajan and Kīrtan): Ritual offerings are accompanied by congregational singing of devotional hymns(bhajans and kīrtan).

Mantra and Japa

A mantra is a word, phrase or verse, predominantly in sanskrit, recited for ritual, spiritual or protective purposes. The repetitive recitation of a mantra is known as japa. There are three modes of japa: silent or mental repetition(manasika), vocal recitation, and written repetition. Silent or mental repetition(manasika) is generally practiced in meditation using a rosary(mala) to count the recitations. In vocal recitation, mantra is chanted aloud or whispered. Written repetition involves writing a selected mantra repeatedly in dedicated notebooks.

Key mantras recited are: Om (Aum), the primary seed syllable(bija), regarded in the Upnishads as the acoustic expression of the absolute reality (brahman); the Gayatri Mantra, a sacred vedic verse (Rigveda 3.62.10) addressed to Savitr; and sectarian mantras that are deity-specific invocations, such as Saiva and Vaisnava mantra

Bhajan and kirtan

Devotional prayer is central to the bhakti(loving devotion) traditions of Hinduism. Bhakti emphasizes on an emotional relationship between the worshipper and a personal deity(ista-devata).

Devotional prayer can take several musical forms like bhajan, kirtan and stotra. A bhajan is a hymn of praise sung individually or collectively, often accompanied by musical instruments. A kirtan involves congregational singing and chanting of divine names and verses.A stotra is a verse of praise composed in sanskrit or regional vernacular. One such stotra is Satarudriya(hundred names of Rudra), an ancient vedic hymn still recited in Saiva temples.

Dhyana

In addition to verbal and ritual offerings, prayer includes internal contemplative practice(dhyana). In the Upanisads, early theologians reinterpreted external vedic fire sacrifices into internal mental offerings(pranagnihotra), treating contemplation of the inner self(atman) as the true sacrifice.Patanjali's Yogasutra codifies dhyana as the seventh step of the eight-fold path(astangayoga).

Yajna and homa

Originating in the ancient Vedic period, yajna or homa involves making offerings of ghee, grains, into a consecrated sacred fire. During the homa, priests chant hymns from the Rigveda, Samveda and Yajurveda corresponding to each physical oblation into the fire. Offerings of ghee or grains into the sacred fire are also accompanied by repetitions of deity-specific mantras.

Bhakti yoga

Main article: Bhakti yoga

Described in the Bhagavad Gita, bhakti yoga is the path of love and devotion. On bhakti yoga:

".... those who, renouncing all actions in Me, and regarding Me as the Supreme, worship Me... of those whose thoughts have entered into Me, I am soon the deliverer from the ocean of death and transmigration, Arjuna. Keep your mind on Me alone, your intellect on Me. Thus you shall dwell in Me hereafter."

— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, Verses 6-8

It is essentially the process of enlightenment found through worship of the Devas (or Devi, the feminine form of Deva), in whatever form one envisions. Prayer is achieved through puja (worship) performed either at the family shrine or a local temple. We can see from Krishna's injunction that prayer is fundamental to Hinduism, that to dwell constantly on the Divine is key to enlightenment. Prayer repetition (through mantras) using malas (Hindu prayer beads) is a strong part of Hinduism.

The devotionalist Bhakti movement originated in South India in the Early Middle Ages, and by the Late Middle Ages spread throughout the subcontinent, giving rise to Sant Mat and Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Mantras

Main article: Mantra § Hinduism

Gayatri mantra

Main article: Gayatri mantra

The Gayatri mantra is Hinduism's most representative prayer. Many Hindus recite it on a daily basis, not only contemplating its straightforward meaning, but also dwelling on and imbibing its sound, regarded to be pregnant with spiritual meaning. For this reason nearly all Hindu prayers and mantras are sung. The Gayatri mantra was first recorded in the Rigveda which was composed in Sanskrit about 2500 to 3500 years ago, and by some reports, the mantra may have been chanted for many generations before that.

Om! Earth, Sky, Heaven.
We meditate on the
brilliant light of the Sun:
May it illuminate our minds!

— Rigveda 3.62.10

Ōṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt.

ॐ भूर्भुवस्व:
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यम् ।
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
धियो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ॥

Perspectives

Mahatma Gandhi stated that:

"Prayer is the very soul and essence of religion, and therefore prayer must be the very core of the life of man."

References

Bibliography

• Agrawal, Avadhesh (May 2012). Throw Away Your Thoughts and Change Your Life: A Spiritual Journey. AuthorHouse. ISBN 9781456743949.
• Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand (1999) [c. 17 January 1930]. "Speech at Prayer Meeting, Sabarmati Ashram". The collected works of Mahatma Gandhi (electronic book). Vol. 48. New Delhi: Publications Division Government of India. p. 242. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09.
• Beck, Guy L. (2006). Sacred Sound: Experiencing Music in World Religions. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-88920-421-8.