#282 Simple, everyday prayers and practices to divinise your life

We wrongly think that the big ‘aha’ moments of epiphanies while meditating or during a retreat make us see that life is sacred.

Actually, the simple prayers and practices that, we do every day help us appreciate that all of life is sacred.

These prayers and practices help us pause and reset in the schedule of most of our activities which often cause restlessness. We can reorient ourselves and recover from all of it everyday, if we are oriented towards appreciating our life as sacred.

Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati said – One’s wisdom and appreciation of beauty manifests through various forms of one’s culture. And the study of one’s cultural heritage leads one to the appreciation of beauty and wisdom in life.

Here are a few simple practices for you to follow. These have been practiced by Hindus, particularly in India since time immemorial.

When we begin these prayers and practices, we don’t worry about doing it correctly.

What matters is your bhava, your attitude of respect, not the strict observance of the ritual. In time, with practice you will learn the chants. 

We try to do what we can. As a thought experiment, just for one day, try doing all the chants and experience for yourself, the growing recognition of divinity and gratitude for all around you, and the tendency to give up a sense of entitlement. If you don’t remember the chant, do familiarise yourself with the message of each shloka.

Abhyaasa or regular practice is an integral part of sadhana. All these years of our lives the world has been a tangible reality and God an abstract idea.

Now we see that whatever we experience is Bhagavan who is the basis for this entire world.

These prayers and practices will cultivate a growing abiding presence of Bhagavan in our daily life.

Simple everyday prayers of Hinduism for daily practice

Try to wake up before sunrise in the morning – During that time, sattvic qualities are predominant in nature; the mind is clear and the body energetic. If you linger in bed after you wake up, it increases laziness and dullness.

Those who cannot wake up before sunrise can do so over time. This obviously implies that you try to sleep early the previous night. It is easier said than done but we try to do this.

The optimal time for spiritual  practices, such as meditation and chanting, is brahma muhurta (the duration of 1.5 hours before sunrise). You can try and see the effect this has on you. 

Shloka of kara-darsanam

When you wake up in the morning, turn on to your right side before sitting up. After sitting up, hold both palms before your eyes, and chant the following mantra:

कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मी: करमध्ये सरस्वती ।

करमूले स्थिता गौरी प्रभाते करदर्शनं ।।

karāgre vasate lakshmi̇̄ḥ kara madhye sarasvati̇̄ ।

karamūle sthita gauri prabhate karadarsanaṃ ।।

On the forepart of your palm is goddess Lakshmi̇̄; in the middle of your palm is goddess Sarasvati̇̄; on the base of your palm is goddess Parvati̇̄. In this manner, look at your palm in the morning.

‘Kara’ means the forearm including the palm. Here ‘kara’ refers to the palm of the hand and it stands for the five karmendriyas or five organs of action.

While looking at the palm we invoke the flow of Shakti through our hands sanctifying the numerous actions that will be done in the day – washing, feeding, brushing, cooking, cleaning, eating, drinking, making, holding, comforting etc. We acknowledge Bhagavan as the giver of the capacity to perform our karma and also the giver of the results of our karma.

Then, visualise that your beloved deity or your Guru is standing in front of you, and bow down at His or Her feet. If you don’t have a guru, you can visualise Bhagavan.

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः  ।
गुरुस्साक्षात् परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः  ॥
gururbrahmā gururviṣṇuḥ gururdevo maheśvaraḥ ।
gurussākṣāt paraṃ brahma tasmai śri̇̄gurave namaḥ ।।
The guru is Brahmā, the guru is Viṣṇu, the guru is Maheśvara. The guru is ultimate truth. Unto that guru, my namaskāra.

You can then sit on your bed and meditate for at least five minutes. Pray with a sincere heart: “ Ishvara, let me remember you throughout the day. Icha shakti, jnana shakti, kriya shakti svarupini – these are your 3 shaktis I am blessed with, in every moment. May I use my shaktis well today in all my roles. May I serve you by abiding in Dharma. May I be an instrument in your hands. Please be with me every moment.”

You can add another few sentences that may be affirmations or reminders to oneself.

‘Every day I am healthier, stronger and happier ‘

Shloka for Bhumi Devi (Earth Goddess)

Before stepping on the floor, bow down to Mother Earth respectfully.

समुद्रवसने देवि पर्वतस्तनमण्डले ।

विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्व मे ।।

samudravasane devi̇ parvatastanamandale ।

viṣִṇupatni̇ namastubhyaṃ padasparśaṃ kṣhmasva me ।।

My namaskaram to Bhumi Devi, the one who resides in the ocean, the one who has mountains as her bosom. Please forgive me for touching you with my feet.

This prayer is chanted after ‘kara-darsanam’ when one places one’s feet on Mother for the first time. In the Vedic culture, Mother Earth is looked upon as a goddess and not merely one of the elements of the creation. Hence placing one’s feet on her is looked upon as a sign of disrespect. In seeking forgiveness from the Goddess one acknowledges her divinity.

You are grateful to God that He has given you another day of life and so we turn towards the sun.

Mantras for Surya Namaskar

A simple series of asanas you can practice is the surya-namaskar (salutations to the sun). The practice takes ten to fifteen minutes. If you are not familiar with suryanamaskar and other asanas, there are many good books and classes on them.

Try doing at least one suryanamaskar. If not now, then try doing it as part of your exercise routine. Try to do 6/12 or more.

Try to chant the following mantras when you practice the surya namaskar.

Hold both palms before your eyes, and chant the following mantra for the sun deity:

हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम्‌।
तत् त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यधर्माय दृष्टये ॥

hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham |
tat tvaṁ pūṣannapāvṛṇu satyadharmāya dṛṣṭaye ||

The face of Reality is as though covered with a brilliant golden lid; O Sun please remove the cover so that I who has been worshipping the reality may see it.

Then, with each consecutive step of the suryanamaskar, chant the corresponding mantra:

ॐ मित्राय नमः

Om Mitrāya Namah

ॐ रवये नमः

Om Ravaye Namah

ॐ सूर्याय नमः

Om Suryāya Namah

ॐ भानवे नमः

Om Bhānave Namah

ॐ खगाय नमः

Om Khagāya Namah

ॐ पूष्णे नमः

Om Pushane Namah

ॐ हिरण्यगर्भाय नमः

Om Hiranyagarbhaya Namah

ॐ मरीचये नमः

Om Marichaye Namah

ॐ आदित्याय नमः

Om Adityāya Namah

ॐ सवित्रे नमः

Om Savitre Namah

ॐ अर्काय नमः

Om Arkaya Namah

ॐ भास्कराय नमः

Om Bhāskaraya Namah

Shloka for Bathing

Before bathing or showering, touch the water and pray, visualising it to be water from all the 7 holy rivers – Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri. The shloka is:

गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति ।
नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् संनिधिं कुरु ॥

gaṅge ca yamune caiva godāvari sarasvati |
narmade sindhu kāveri jale’smin sannidhiṃ kuru

O Holy Rivers Ganga and Yamuna, and also Godavari and Saraswati,
O Holy Rivers Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri; Please be Present in this Water (and sanctify it) .

Just as the water cleanses your body, the thought of the river goddesses cleanses your mind.

If in very cold climates or circumstances where you are unwell, which does not permit you to take a bath, at least wash your hands and face.

Shloka for Atma puja 

When bathing, you can chant the shloka for Atma Puja.

देहो देवालयः प्रोक्तः जीवो देवस्सनातनः ।
त्यजेदज्ञाननिर्माल्यं सोऽहं भावेन पूजयेत् ॥

deho devālayaḥ proktaḥ jīvaḥ devasanātanaḥ ।

tyajedajñānanirmālyaṃ so’haṃ-bhāvena pūjayet

The body is the temple. The jiva is the deity of this temple since beginningless time. May one remove wilted flowers that are looked upon as ignorance. May one worship Bhagavan with an understanding that he is non-separate from oneself.

After bathing you may touch your clothes respectfully, being grateful to Bhagavan that you have clothes to wear.

Soon after, we do a puja, either the short form of it known as the panchopachara puja or the long form known as the shodashopachara puja. The profound principle of doing a puja is as follows – It is a way to relate to Bhagavan. Now what could you possibly offer him from whom everything has been manifested?. And hence recognising the five building blocks of creation – Space (Akasa), Air (Vayu), Fire (Agni), Water (Apa) and Earth (Prithvi), we offer five objects symbolising these very five elements. So flowers, chants, incesnse, lighted lamp, water and fruits or freshly cooked food  are offered in a puja.  

Link to how a puja is done  Additionally, our dear sevika Rashmi Kaikini can teach you how to perform a puja. 

The attitude of gratitude for what one has been given and surrender is not meant exclusively for when one does puja; rather it extends to all of life and hence Bhagavan Krishna says, 

यत्करोषि यदश्नासि यज्जुहोषि ददासि यत्।
यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम्।।9.27।।

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever ritual you perform, whatever you give, whatever religious discipline you follow, Kaunteya (Arjuna) please do it as an offering to me.

Clearly there is no sacred-secular divide in the Vedic tradition. Even seemingly mundane actions are looked upon offerings unto Bhagavan.

Shloka of surrender –

As we begin a day of work, we chant this sloka

कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृतेस्स्वभावात् । 
करोमि यद्यत्सकलं परस्मै नारायणायेति समर्पयामि ॥
kāyena vācā manasendriyairvā buddhyātmanā vā prakṛtessvabhāvāt ।
karomi yadyat sakalaṃ parasmai nārāyaṇāyeti samarpayāmi ।।

Unto Lord Nārayana, I dedicate all the acts that I perform with my body, speech, mind, senses and intellect which are born of deliberation or natural tendencies.

When we believe we are the only ones in charge of all our actions, we will always be stressed out and restless. However, when we offer our best unto Bhagavan we acknowledge that he is both karma-adhyaksa, presiding over our capacity to perform all karma and karma-phala-dāta, the giver of the results of our karma, presiding over the laws of karma.

As a devotee, the scope for stress and strain is less because you are buffered by your love and trust in Bhagavan. You are not just a work professional or a parent or a child to your parents. You are a devotee first, a loving being, who happens to play the role of the work professional, parent and child to your parents. Obviously, you do your best in these given roles. Thus, work becomes worship.

It may be difficult to maintain remembering Bhagavan while performing  your work. And so we can chant this shloka before starting and after finishing one’s work.

Shloka before eating

Not even a morsel of the food we eat is made purely by our own effort. What comes to us in the form of food is the result of the toil of many people, nature’s bounty, and Bhagavan’s kindness. Even if we have millions of dollars, we still need food to satisfy our hunger. After all, we cannot eat money.

It is better to sit down while we are eating. Take a little water in your  right palm and chant the Bhojana shloka. Then circle your hand clockwise over the food three times sanctifying it and sip the water. You can also just chant the shloka.

ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्महविः ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।।

ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्म समाधिना ।।

brahmārpanaṃ brahma haviḥ brahmāgnau brahmahaṇā hutaṃ ।

brahmaiva tena gantavyaṃ brahmakarmasamādhinā ।।

Any means of offering is Brahman, the oblation is Brahman, the fire in which the offering is made is Brahman, the one who offers is also Brahman. Indeed Brahman is gained by such a person who abides in Brahman.

Shloka for wellbeing of all

This may be done as a part of your morning puja or your evening puja which may be a brifer one of lighting the lamp. 

स्वस्ति प्रजाभ्यः परिपालयन्ताम । न्याय्येन मार्गेण महीं महीशा: ।।

गोब्राह्मणेभ्यश्शुभमस्तु नित्यं । लोकास्समस्तासुखिनो भवन्तु ।।

svasti prajābhyaḥ paripālayantāṃ

nyāyyeṇa mārgeṇa mahi̇̄ṃ mahi̇̄śāḥ ।

gōbrāhmaṇebhyaḥ śubhamastu nityaṃ

lōkāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu ।।

May there be happiness for all people. May the rulers righteously rule the earth. May there be welfare for cows and men of wisdom at all times. May all beings be happy.

काले वर्षतु पर्जन्य: पृथिवी सस्यशालिनी ।

देशोSयं क्षोभरहितः। ब्राह्मणास्सन्तु निर्भया: ।।

kāle varṣatu parjanyaḥ

pṛithivi̇̄ sasyaśālini̇̄ ।

deśo’yaṃ kṣobharahitaḥ

brāhmaṇāḥ santu nirbhayāḥ ।।

May the clouds rain at the proper time. May the earth produce grains. May this country be free from famine. May men of wisdom be fearless.

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे संतु निरामयाः

सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद् दुःखभाग् भवेत् ।।

sarvebhavantu sukhinaḥ sarve saṇtu nirāmayāḥ ।

sarvebhadrāṇi paśyantu mā kaścid dukhabhāgbhavet ।।

May all be happy. May all be free from disease. May all enjoy prosperity. May none experience sorrow.

Shloka while walking around

 आत्मा त्वं गिरिजा मतिः सहचराः प्राणाः शरीरं गृहं
पूजा ते विषयोपभोगरचना निद्रा समाधिस्थितिः ।
सञ्चारः पदयोः प्रदक्षिणविधिः स्तोत्राणि सर्वा गिरो
यद्यत्कर्म करोमि तत्तदखिलं शम्भो तवाराधनम् ॥४॥
Aham, my I-sense is you. My mind is Parvati, wedded to you. My five organs of action and five physiological functions are your servants. My body is a house for you. I offer you all the pleasures of my senses. My sleep is a state of resolution in you. Whenever I walk I am going around you. Anything I say is in praise of you. Whatever I do is a form of worship unto you.

(This occurs in the Shiva Maanasa Puja which has been covered in detail in podcast no. 267)

Evening Lamp – Puja, Bhajans, Meditation

At dusk, at the juncture of day and night, the atmosphere is impure. By meditating and praying, our minds become one-pointed, which purifies our minds and the atmosphere as well.

At sunset, a lamp filled with clarified butter or any vegetable oil should be lit. It is good if everyone in the household gathers before the lamp to pray, sing hymns and meditate.

शुभं करोति कल्याणं आरोग्यं धनसंपद: |

शत्रुबुद्धि-विनाशाय दीपज्योर्तिमोऽस्तुते |

śubhaṃ karoti kalyāṇam ārogyaṃ dhanasampadaḥ ।

śatrubuddhivināśāya di̇̄pajyotirnamostute ।।

The lamplight brings auspiciousness, prosperity, good health and abundance of wealth. Let (my) salutations be to you for the destruction of the ignorance which is the intellect’s enemy.

There is no need to try to force anyone to participate in the worship. Do not be troubled if someone refuses to join you. In the olden days in India, it was common practice in every household to pray at sunset. Today such worship is considered old fashioned and we are suffering the consequences of this neglect.

Shloka for Kshama (forgiveness)

करचरणकृतं वाक्कायजं कर्मजं वा
श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वापराधम् ।
विहितमविहितं वा सर्वमेतत्क्षमस्व
जय जय करुणाब्धे श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥५॥

Whatever omissions and commissions I have performed with my hands, legs, speech, body, sense organs, organs of action and mind, whatever I may have done with reference to enjoined or prohibited actions, please forgive them all, Oh Lord Mahadeva, Oh ocean of compassion!

(This occurs in the Shiva Maanasa Puja which has been covered in detail in podcast no. 267)

Just before going to sleep at night, sit on your bed and meditate for at least five minutes, and then bow down to your beloved deity or Master.

Then, imagine that you are lying with your head in the lap of, or at the feet of, your beloved deity or Master, or you can imagine that your deity is sitting next to you. Let yourself glide into the state of sleep while mentally chanting your mantra.

Thus, through these simple shlokas, we usher in Bhagavan into our entire life.

The compartments of our lives – work, family, health and finances are all painted with a broad brush stroke of Bhagavan. These simple shlokas help us to be happy, peaceful and ever connected.