THE ESSENCE OF PRAYERS AND YAJNAS

Prayers, chanting mantra and yajnas have been given great importance in Vadic Sanskriti which has a proven positive impact in addition to being a means of communication with god for purifying, disciplining and above all for building a sense of  community-bonding and harmony. It is of great essence in healing all the natural as well as man made sufferings. It is the most potent way of helping someone in distress. Obviously, Nepal is in great need of economic aid but there is one way also by which we all can help Nepal and that is by praying for it so lets pray for Nepal and hope that it recovers from this calamity.Lets remember our prayer for universal peace ...........

sarve bhavantu sukhinah

sarve santu niramayaha

sarve bhadrani pashyantu

ma kashchid dukhbhag bhave

Gandhiji was one of those great people who realized the true importance of prayer.  He said :Prayer is the greatest binding force, making for the solidarity and oneness of the human family. If a person realizes his unity with God through prayer, he will look upon everybody as himself. There will be no high, no low, no narrow provincialism or pretty rivalries in the matter of language between an Andhra and a Tamilian, a Kanarese and a Malayalee. There will be no individious distinction between a touchable and a untouchable, a Hindu and a Musalman, a Parsi, a Christian or a Sikh. Similarly ,there would be no scramble for personal gain or power between various groups or between different members within a group.

The outer must reflect the inner self. If we are in tune with God, no matter how big a gathering , perfect quiet and order would prevail and even the weakest would enjoy perfect protection. Above all, realization must mean from all earthly fear.

How shall we Know the God’s will ?The only answer is by prayer and right living. Indeed prayer should mean right living. There is a bhajan we sing  before the Ramayana commences : “prayer has been never known to have failed anybody.prayer means being one with God.”

God does not come down in person to relieve sufferings. He works through human agency. Therefore, prayer to God enables one to relieve the sufferings of others. Any prayer is not exclusive. It is not restricted to one’s own caste or community. It is all inclusive. It comprehends the whole of humanity. Its realization would thus mean the establishment of the kingdom of Heaven on earth.

The importance of yajna has been given importance in our culture and was also emphasized by Gandhi when he said “ To offer prayers is easy enough. But they are not heard unless they are offered from a pure and contrite heart. Let me tell you that yajna has a deeper meaning than the offering of ghee and other things in the sacrificial fire. Yajna is sacrifice of one’s all for the good of humanity, and to me these offerings of ahutis have a symbolic meaning. We have to offer up our weaknesses, our passions, our narrowness into the purifying fire, so that we may be cleansed. Then and then only our prayers would be heard. Let me also place before you another aspect of prayer. You have assembled here for the fulfilment of your desires, and the yajna is performed to that purpose. Now desires may be good and bad, and not everyone of us knows which of his desires is good and pure and which not. It is who presides over our thoughts and acts who know this, and so I always pray that God may grant only such of my desires as may be good and pure, and reject all my prayers if they partake of impurity or grossness. I invite you to join me on that kind of prayer today. One last thing. The prayer for peace is accepted on all hands as a pure prayer; and in these times of severe strife and cruel bloodshed it is well that we offer prayers for peace. There is a great vedic prayer which I should like to recite in this connection, I am sure you will join me when Ido so:

Whatever there is heinous, and cruel and sinful, may all that be stilled; may everything be good and peaceful for us.”

Thus prayers are the ultimate remedy for all our sufferings and it is the easiest way by which we can establish a connection with god.

REFERENCES:

1.       Harijan,3-3- 46, p.29

2.       Bapu’s letters to Mira (1924-1925),(1959), p. 286

3.       Harijan, 28-4-46, p.3

4.       Harijan, 3-5-42, p. 139