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Devotionspiritual

Worship

Across world spiritual traditions, worship encompasses a range of devotional practices and expressions. Many traditions converge on the importance of worship as a means of connecting with the divine. However, traditions diverge in their specific practices and perspectives on worship, offering unique approaches to this universal human impulse.

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You have been born in this world as a human being to worship God, so try to cultivate love for his divine presence.
Ramakrishna Paramhamsa
HinduTeachingDevotionLove
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 780
The yogi who, having attained unity, worships me dwelling in all beings, remains in me, regardless of his way of life.
Ramakrishna Paramhamsa
HinduScriptureAttainmentDevotion
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 585
By worshiping, through his own work, the One from whom all beings arise and by whom all this is pervaded, a person attains perfection.
यतः प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम् | स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानवः ||१८-४६||
Krishna
HinduTeachingGod RealisationWorshipSanskrit
Bhagavad Gita 18.46
The Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Vishnu, the Guru is the great Lord Shiva. The Guru alone is the supreme Absolute — to that Guru I offer my reverent salutations.
गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः । गुरुरेव परब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः
HinduScriptureGuruWorshipSanskrit
Guru Gita 32
The God who is in fire, who is in water, who has entered into the whole world, who is in the plants, who is in the trees — to that God, homage, homage.
यो देवो अग्नौ योऽप्सु यो विश्वं भुवनमाविवेश । य ओषधीषु यो वनस्पतिषु तस्मै देवाय नमो नमः ॥ १७॥
HinduScriptureWorshipGodSanskrit
Shvetashvatara Upanishad 2.17
Let us know him as the supreme great Lord of lords, the supreme deity of deities, the master of masters, the highest beyond the highest, the adorable God, ruler of the world.
तमीश्वराणां परमं महेश्वरं तं देवतानां परमं च दैवतम् । पतिं पतीनां परमं परस्ताद्- विदाम देवं भुवनेशमीड्यम् ॥ ७॥
HinduTeachingWorshipGodSanskrit
Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6.7
And whoever studies this sacred dialogue of ours — by him I would be worshiped through the sacrifice of knowledge. Such is my conviction.
अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयोः | ज्ञानयज्ञेन तेनाहमिष्टः स्यामिति मे मतिः ||१८-७०||
Krishna
HinduTeachingKnowledgeWorshipSanskrit
Bhagavad Gita 18.70
"Om Tat Sat" — this is held to be the threefold designation of Brahman. By it the brahmins, the Vedas, and the sacrifices were ordained of old.
ॐतत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः | ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ||१७-२३||
Krishna
HinduScriptureWorshipGodSanskrit
Bhagavad Gita 17.23
I am the source of everything; from me all things proceed. Understanding this, the wise worship me, filled with devotion.
अहं सर्वस्य प्रभवो मत्तः सर्वं प्रवर्तते | इति मत्वा भजन्ते मां बुधा भावसमन्विताः ||१०-८||
Krishna
HinduTeachingWorshipCreationSanskrit
Bhagavad Gita 10.8
Always glorifying me, striving with firm resolve, and bowing to me with devotion, ever steadfast, they worship me.
सततं कीर्तयन्तो मां यतन्तश्च दृढव्रताः | नमस्यन्तश्च मां भक्त्या नित्ययुक्ता उपासते ||९-१४||
Krishna
HinduTeachingDevotionWorshipSanskrit
Bhagavad Gita 9.14
But the fruit gained by these people of small understanding is finite. Those who worship the deities go to the deities; those devoted to me come to me.
अन्तवत्तु फलं तेषां तद्भवत्यल्पमेधसाम् | देवान्देवयजो यान्ति मद्भक्ता यान्ति मामपि ||७-२३||
Krishna
HinduTeachingDevotionLiberationSanskrit
Bhagavad Gita 7.23
Four kinds of virtuous people worship me, Arjuna: the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of gain, and the one who knows, best of the Bharatas.
चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन | आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ||७-१६||
Krishna
HinduTeachingDevotionWorshipSanskrit
Bhagavad Gita 7.16
Therefore, with the utterance of "Om," the acts of sacrifice, giving, and austerity, as prescribed by injunction, are always begun by those who expound Brahman.
तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः | प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ||१७-२४||
Krishna
HinduTeachingSacrificeWorshipSanskrit
Bhagavad Gita 17.24
Endowed with that faith, the person strives to worship that form and obtains from it the desires he wishes — desires that are, in fact, granted by me alone.
स तया श्रद्धया युक्तस्तस्याराधनमीहते | लभते च ततः कामान्मयैव विहितान्हि तान् ||७-२२||
Krishna
HinduTeachingFaithWorshipSanskrit
Bhagavad Gita 7.22
Those who desire success in their actions worship the gods here in the world, for in the human world success from action comes quickly.
काङ्क्षन्तः कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवताः | क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा ||४-१२||
Krishna
HinduTeachingWorshipActionSanskrit
Bhagavad Gita 4.12
I remember the glorious Guru who is the Supreme Brahman. I speak of the glorious Guru who is the Supreme Brahman. I bow to the glorious Guru who is the Supreme Brahman. I worship the glorious Guru who is the Supreme Brahman.
श्रीमत्परब्रह्म गुरुं स्मरामि श्रीमत्परब्रह्म गुरुं वदामि । श्रीमत्परब्रह्म गुरुं नमामि श्रीमत्परब्रह्म गुरुं भजामि
HinduScriptureGuruHelpfulnessSanskrit
Guru Gita 88
The root of meditation is the Guru's form; the root of worship is the Guru's feet; the root of all mantra is the Guru's word; and the root of liberation is the Guru's grace.
ध्यानमूलं गुरोर्मूर्तिः पूजामूलं गुरोः पदम् । मन्त्रमूलं गुरोर्वाक्यं मोक्षमूलं गुरोः कृपा
HinduScriptureDevotionGraceSanskrit
Guru Gita 76
Kabir would say, 'The God with form is my Mother, and the formless God is my Father. Who should I blame or worship? Both sides of the scale are equal.'
Bhagat Kabir Ji
HinduPoetryDevotionEquality
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 194
'One who meditates on memory as Brahman can move about at will as far as memory reaches — such is the reward of one who meditates on memory as Brahman.' 'Sir, is there anything greater than memory?' 'There is indeed something greater than memory.' 'Then please tell it to me, sir.'
स यः स्मरं ब्रह्मेत्युपास्ते यावत्स्मरस्य गतं तत्रास्य यथाकामचारो भवति यः स्मरं ब्रह्मेत्युपास्तेऽस्ति भगवः स्मराद्भूय इति स्मराद्वाव भूयोऽस्तीति तन्मे भगवान्ब्रवीत्विति
HinduTeachingWorshipRemembranceSanskrit
Chandogya Upanishad 7.13.2
'One who meditates on strength as Brahman can move about at will as far as strength reaches — such is the reward of one who meditates on strength as Brahman.' 'Sir, is there anything greater than strength?' 'There is indeed something greater than strength.' 'Then please tell it to me, sir.'
स यो बलं ब्रह्मेत्युपास्ते यावद्बलस्य गतं तत्रास्य यथाकामचारो भवति यो बलं ब्रह्मेत्युपास्तेऽस्ति भगवो बलाद्भूय इति बलाद्वाव भूयोऽस्तीति तन्मे भगवान्ब्रवीत्विति
HinduTeachingWorshipSeekerSanskrit
Chandogya Upanishad 7.8.2