Prayers

Prayer for success in any work

Ganesha Prayer
Ganesha, also known as Ganapati or Elephant God has a head of an elephant and a body of a
human with a big belly. Though he has a huge body, he rides a small mouse. He is known as the
god who removes obstacles and difficulties in our life. And traditionally, at the start of any new
work, the first prayer goes to him - to make it successful.
|
||
vakratunda mahA-kAya sUrya-koTi-sama-prabha
nirvighnam kuru me deva sarva-karyeshu sarvadA
vakratunda = twisted trunk
mahA-kAya = huge body
sUrya-koTi sama-prabha = equal to splendor of billion suns
nirvighnam = free of obstacles
kuru me = make me
deva = Hey God
sarva-karyeshu = in all endeavors
sarvadA = always
O Lord with twisted trunk and huge body, and having splendor equal to billion Suns, please
make all my endeavors free of obstacles, all the time.

Morning Prayer
Karagre vasate
We do all our daily work with our hands. They are the primary means of getting any work done.
This is a prayer to start the day with a wish to do only good deeds during the day.
|
||
karAgre vasate lakshmI karamadhye saraswatI
karamUle tu govindah prabhAte karadarshanam

karAgre = At the tip of the palm (near finger tips)

vasate = resides
lakshmI = Goddess Lakshmi
karamadhye = in the middle of the palm
saraswatI = Goddess Saraswati
karamUle tu = and at the root of the palm (near the wrist)
gavindah = Lord Krishna
prabhAte = in the morning
karadarshanam = look your palms

Goddess Lakshmi resides near the finger tips. Goddess Saraswati resides near the middle of
ones palm, Lord Krishna resides near the wrist. Therefore, every morning one should have look
at ones palm (and pray the gods to inspire us to do good deeds).

Prayer to the Teacher

Teachers role in ones life is very important. A good teacher shows the right path and inspires to
seek knowledge and achieve goals. The word guru is now common in modern English and
refers to someone who is expert in a subject. This verse highlights the significance of a good
teacher and emphasizes that an earnest knowledge-seeker should look up to such a person with
great reverence.
|
||

gurur-brahmA gurur-vishnuh gurur-devo maheshwarah

gurus-sakshAt parabrahma tasmai shree-gurave namah
gurur-brahmA = teacher is Lord Brahma
gurur-vishnuh = teacher is Lord Vishnu
gurur-devo maheshwarah = teacher is Lord Shiva
gurus-sakshAt parabrahma = teacher is the supreme being

tasmai shree-gurave namah = salute to that teacher

A teacher is equal to Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. A teacher is none other than the
supreme being, the controller of the cosmos. Therefore, one should respectfully salute a teacher.
(The message is that the knowledge is provided by the God. A teacher acts as a medium through
which the knowledge is passed.)

|
S ||

asato mA sad-gamaya tamaso mA jyotir-gamaya

mrutyor-mA amrutam gamaya
asato mA = not towards fallacy
sad-gamaya = lead (us) towards truth
tamaso mA = not towards darkness
jyotir-gamaya = lead (us) towards light
mrutyor-mA = not towards morality
amrutam gamaya = lead (us) towards immorality
O Lord, lead us from illusion (fallacy) towards truth (reality). Lead us from darkness towards
light (enlightenment). Lead us from morality towards immorality.

Bath/Shower-time Prayer
|
||

gange cha yamune

Akashat patitam toyam

Asatoma sadgamaya
Poornamidam

Samkshipta Ramayana
Aadho Rama thapo vananu gamanam,
Hathwa mrugam kanchanam,
Vaidehi haranam,
Jatayu maranam,
Sugreeva sambhashanam,
Bali nigrahanam,
Samudhra tharanam,
Lanka pureem dahanam,
Paschad Ravana Kumbha karna madanam,
Ethat ithi Ramayanam
Manojavam
Saraswati namastubhyam
Yaa veena varadanda
Shubham karoti
Samkshipta Bhagavata
Aadhou devaki devi garbha jananam,
Gopi gruhe palanam,
Mayaa poothana jeevithaa apaharanam,
Govardhanodharanam,
Kamsa chedana,
Kouravadi hananam,
Kunthi sutha palanam,
Ethad bhagawatham purana kaditham
sri Krishna leelamrutham
Hare raam hare raam
Ahalya draupadi seeta
Sarva mangala maangalye