Across world spiritual traditions, gratitude encompasses a positive attitude towards life and appreciation for its blessings. Many traditions converge on the idea that gratitude fosters inner peace and connection to a higher power. However, they diverge in their unique perspectives on cultivating gratitude, such as through meditation or ritual practices.
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They honored him: "You indeed are our father, you who carry us across to the far shore beyond ignorance." Homage to the supreme seers! Homage to the supreme seers!
ते तमर्चयन्तस्त्वं हि नः पिता योऽस्माकमविद्यायाः परं पारंतारयसीति । नमः परमऋषिभ्यो नमः परमऋषिभ्यः ॥ ६८॥
Nourished by sacrifice, the gods will give you the enjoyments you desire. One who enjoys these gifts without offering anything to them in return is nothing but a thief.
इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविताः | तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव सः ||३-१२||
While enjoying material comforts, we should be thankful to the provider.
One should not disparage food; that is the rule. Breath (prana) is food; the body is the eater of food. The body is founded on breath; breath is founded on the body. So this food is founded on food. Whoever knows this food founded on food becomes established; he becomes possessed of food and an eater of food; he becomes great in offspring, cattle, and spiritual radiance, great in fame.
अन्नं न निन्द्यात् । तद्व्रतम् । प्राणो वा अन्नम् । शरीरमन्नादम् । प्राणे शरीरं प्रतिष्ठितम् । शरीरे प्राणः प्रतिष्ठितः । तदेतदन्नमन्ने प्रतिष्ठितम् । स य एतदन्नमन्ने प्रतिष्ठितं वेद प्रतितिष्ठति । अन्नवानन्नादो भवति । महान्भवति प्रजया पशुभिर्ब्रह्मवर्चसेन । महान् कीर्त्या ॥ १॥
'Food,' he said. 'For all these beings live by taking in food. This is the deity that belongs to the Pratihara. Had you sung the Pratihara without knowing it, after being warned by me, your head would have fallen off — yes, after being warned by me.'
अन्नमिति होवाच सर्वाणि ह वा इमानि भूतन्यन्नमेव प्रतिहरमाणानि जीवन्ति सैषा देवता प्रतिहारमन्वायत्ता तां चेदविद्वान्प्रत्यहरिष्यो मूर्धा ते व्यपतिष्यत्तथोक्तस्य मयेति तथोक्तस्य मयेति
He who remembers God as the Sole Giver will never lack the sweetness of life.
How short is human memory for divine favors! No man lives who has not seen certain of his prayers granted.
Devotion means knowing God and living in God's will. Devotees remain ever happy if they gain something, and if something is lost, they still give thanks to the Bountiful Lord.
Man gets the feeling of contentment only when he attaches importance to God instead of worldly materials. Saints do not give importance to Maya; they consider Mayapati as more important. They may have worldly wealth or not, they are not upset. They are always content and feel grateful to God for whatever little they are blessed with.
A person who holds the Creator in high esteem, accepts God as the master of everything, considers that all his joys are because of the Almighty, is really a saint.
The virtues of Sri Rama are mysterious. The sages as well as learned men develop dispassion when they appreciate them, while the deluded fools who are hostile to Sri Hari and have no love for piety get bewildered to hear of them.
सो.: उमा राम गुन गूउर्ह प¯˛इत मुनि पावहिꣳ बिरति, पावहिꣳ मोह बिमूउर्ह जे हरि बिमुख न धर्म रति.
Having seen your lotus feet, the source of all happiness, I consider myself forever blessed. My well-being is now guaranteed for countless generations, thanks to your boundless grace.
जरौ सो संपति सदन सुखु सुहृद मातु पितु भाइ, सनमुख होत जो राम पद करै न सहस सहाइ
I am humble, but my ambition is high. I hope that good people will appreciate my words, while those with evil intentions will laugh at them.
भाग छोअ अभिलाषु बर करौ एक बिस्वास, पैहहिं सुख सुनि सुजन सब खल करिहहिं उपहास
Men who, having heard the glory of this moving Prayāga in the form of the assemblage of holy men, appreciate it with an enraptured mind and then take a plunge into it with extreme devotion, obtain the four rewards of human existence during their very lifetime.
सुनि समुझहिं जन मुदित मन मज्जहिं अति अनुराग, लहहिं चारि फल अछत तनु साधु समाज प्रयाग ६ श्र् रामचरितमानस
King Yudhishthira now rules the earth without a rival, thanks to the strength of Bhimasena and the twin brothers. It was through righteousness alone that the king was able to reclaim his kingdom, free from enemies, and it was through the power of righteousness that King Suyodhana was killed in battle. The wicked sons of Dhritarashtra, who were greedy, rude, and unrighteous, have been defeated along with their followers. Now, the king, the son of Dharma and the lord of the earth, peacefully enjoys his entire kingdom with your help, and I, too, have been spending my time pleasantly in your company, surrounded by nature.
I always reside with someone who is eloquent, active, attentive to their work, free from anger, devoted to worship, grateful, self-controlled, and high-minded.
Those who are born into good families, possess eloquence and courtesy, have knowledge and scientific understanding, have accomplishments and virtues, are free from greed, are not exhausted by hard work, are kind to their friends, are grateful, have diverse knowledge, are free from avarice, have pleasant qualities, are truthful, have self-control, are devoted to physical exercises, come from good families, and are faultless and famous, should be considered by kings for forming friendships with them.
Pride, malice, slander, deceit, and the inability to appreciate others' good qualities are vices that can be seen in people with unclean souls who are dominated by greed.
I will also worship you with all your friends and family. Who wouldn't be grateful to the person who saved their life?
Thanks to your favor, O Janardana, I have become capable of discussing what is beneficial for the world.
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