Prayer

May Mitra bring us well-being, may Varuṇa bring well-being. May Aryamā be gracious to us. May Indra and Bṛhaspati bring us well-being. May Viṣṇu of wide strides be auspicious to us. Salutation to Brahman. Salutation to you, O Vāyu — you alone are the directly perceivable Brahman. I have declared you as the directly perceivable Brahman. I have spoken the eternal order, I have spoken truth. That protected me, it protected the one who spoke. It sheltered me, it sheltered the speaker. Om, peace, peace, peace.

May Mitra bestow well-being upon us; may Varuna grant us peace. May Aryaman shower his grace on us; may Indra and Brihaspati bless us. May Vishnu of wide strides bring us auspiciousness. Salutation to Brahman — salutation to you, O Vayu. You alone are the directly perceivable Brahman. I shall declare you as that directly perceivable Brahman. I shall speak what is eternally right. I shall speak what is true. May that Truth protect me; may it protect the one who teaches. May it shelter me; may it shelter the teacher. Om — Peace, Peace, Peace.

The face of Truth is hidden by a golden vessel. O Pūṣan, remove that covering — for one devoted to truth and righteousness, grant the vision.

O Lord, by what path can this embodied soul come to be fully absorbed in Brahman? Bestow your compassionate grace upon me, my Lord — I bow at your feet.

You need to have firm conviction and pray with your whole heart.

O Agni, lead us by the auspicious path to prosperity, O God who knows all our ways. Ward off from us the sin that goes astray. We offer you our most abundant words of reverence.

The water of the Guru's feet is itself Gaya, is the imperishable sacred banyan tree, and is Prayaga, the king of pilgrimage sites. Again and again, salutations to the blessed form of the Guru.

All that is established in the three worlds is in Prana's power. Guard us as a mother guards her children; grant us prosperity and wisdom.

That form of yours which abides in speech, in hearing, in sight, and which is spread through the mind — make that auspicious; do not depart.

He who stands as the bull among metres, the all-formed one, arose from the immortal metres themselves. May that Indra fill me with keen intellect. May I be the vessel that holds the immortal. May my body be swift and vigorous; may my tongue be the sweetest of all. May I hear abundantly through both ears. You are the sheath of Brahman, sealed by wisdom's power. Guard what I have heard. Drawing near and spreading wide —

Pilgrimages, yoga, renunciation, wisdom, rituals, penance, charity, self-study, self-control, recitation of prayers, and austere devotion, all of which are praised in the Vedas and Bhagavata, have one single reward: devotion to Hari.

The muttering of prayers, austere penance, performing sacrifices, subjugation of the mind and the senses, undertaking sacred vows, charity, dispassion, right judgment, Yoga (union with God) and Realization - the fruit of all these is devotion to the feet of the Lord of the Raghus; without this no one can attain lasting peace.

Muttering prayers, practicing austerities, performing religious rituals, doing yoga, fulfilling one's duties, and engaging in various virtuous acts recommended by the Vedas all have the same outcome: they lead to unwavering devotion to the divine.

Hear my prayer, O Aoka tree: take away my sorrow and fulfill your name.

They are naturally pure and loving, dedicated to prayer, austerity, self-control, and spiritual practices. They take sacred vows and follow them diligently.

Today, my ascetic practices, pilgrimage, and renunciation have been rewarded; today, my prayers, meditation, and detachment have borne fruit; indeed, all my righteous practices have been rewarded by the mere sight of you, O Rama.

I have by my side the lord of my life as well as his younger brother, the foremost of heroes; both carrying a bow and a quiver full of arrows with them. My mind does not feel the toil of the journey, and there is no giddiness or sorrow; therefore, pray grieve not on my account even unwittingly.

You are extremely kind to me, like my own father. I bow down to you and pray that you do everything in your power to ensure my father does not feel miserable on my account.

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.

He who deserts his wife and children is like a runaway slave; until he returns to them, none of his fasts or prayers will be accepted by God.