Prayer

Saint Meera's Temple in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan

Although God does everything, from the natural rising of the Sun in the morning to an individual's spiritual progress or enlightenment, still it is essential and useful to have enough individuality to request and pray God for the true path to attain spiritual bliss or Anand.

Everyone desires comfort and peace. But as we lack happiness and freedom, despite our best efforts the winds do not blow in our favour.

Loss-gain, life-death, fame-censure are all in the hands of fate.

हानि लाभ जीवन मरण यश  अपयश विधि हाथ

According to the above quote of Sri Goswami Tulsidas, however successful, clever, powerful and strong a person may be, one day he has to realize that he is nothing. 'I' and 'mine' are mere false concepts. When this realization dawns on him, he surrenders himself to God.  Caught up in this world, he feels helpless. Then only one door is left open for him - that of prayer.

सर्व धर्मान परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज
Abandon all varieties of religions and just surrender unto me. - Geeta.

According to the above quote from Lord Krishna, the ultimate goal of prayer is to attain to this state of complete surrender with childlike innocence.

There is no end to the path of prayer. It becomes a part of one's life. God is the embodiment of bliss and utter compassion. All we need to have is a complete faith in Him. A person tormented by this worldly grill can only find peace in the sweet and cool waterfall of prayer. worldly pleasures are only temporary.

Materialistic people seek wealth, fame, power and other material things through prayer. But the wise ones only pray for devotion, spiritual knowledge, and progress on their spiritual journey. Gradually, with the grace of God their desire for these divine qualities drops away too.

There cannot be even a single person on this earth who has not had an occasion to seek the refuge of prayer. Sadness, worry, disease, trials and tribulations occur in everyone's life, when one cannot help but pray to the Almighty.

Prayer can happen anywhere and in any language. It originates from the heart. A true prayer from the deepest corners of our heart reaches Him and He is not even far from us. He resides in everyone's heart. Once this faith that God sits in our hearts, becomes established in us, the doors of His grace swing open. An unshakeable faith is essential for prayer.

With prayer, gradually, devotion and self-realisation dawns and one becomes increasingly devoted and a time comes when the practice ends and prayer becomes a natural state of one's being.

When one prays, the soft qualities of one's personality develop and through regular meditation as one's heart becomes purer, he experiences unthinkable peace and bliss. The prayer emanating out of true surrender and total faith never goes unanswered. Prayer has an unnatural power.

Only upon realizing one's limits of knowledge and freedom, can we surrender to that un-reachable, eternal, infinite power. People call Him by different names like Nature, Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Raheem, Christ, Buddha or Mahavir. As long as we pray with true devotion, it does not matter whether we pray with music, singing, or are just remembering his name. We should pray everyday.

विपद्: सन्तुन: शश्वत्तत्र तत्र जगदगुरो ।

भवतो दर्शनं यत्स्यादपूनर्भवदर्शनम् ।।

जन्मैश्वर्य श्रुत श्री भिरेधमान मद: पुमान् ।

नैवार्हत्य भिधातुं वैत्वाम किन्चन गोचरम् ।।

                           श्रीमद् भागवत - कुन्ती

'Jagadguro! let there be trouble at every step of our lives because in hard times we will remember you and can feel your grace which will ultimately deliver us from this cycle of birth and death. One who is too proud of being born into high society, luxury, worldly education and wealth, cannot even think of you. Because you only shower your grace on those who are needy.

Saint Tukaram says, 'God! Give me the boon that I never forget you, lovingly sing your praises. I do not desire nirvana, wealth or opulence. All I wish is to remember and chant your name in the company of holy men, then I do not mind being born anywhere.' And a devotee says again, 'Hey compassionate mother Durga, even though I remember you in times of calamity, do not take me to be wicked; as a child only cries for her mother when she is distraught with hunger.

When the material world loses its attraction and significance; when God is seen as the only eternal, primordial truth worth surrendering to, the source of everything and blissful, when one experiences and understands this, only then the true prayer from the heart pours forth.  Only then can one sing the mystical poetry like Meera. 

We will now look at Meerabai's poems of prayer and request.

The All pervading - the One

1.

Please visit me my sweetheart!
This world holds no meaning without you.
I lay down my body, mind and worldly assets for you
and sing only your name.
You are the Supreme one, full of all the qualities
Alas! I have all the undesirable traits.
Only you can bestow me your true virtues
and pardon me my mistakes.
I had my home ready for your visit
but you never came!
Meera beseeches....Lord when will you meet me?
My eyes hurt me for waiting for you.

2.

O Lord! I pray to you, please save me!
This world is full of suffering.
Please dispel my ignorance and misery!
We are caught up in the daily grind.
Please deliver us from these toils!
Like a river is this life, where
we are condemned to eighty-four million
births and deaths.
Meera's Lord is Giridhar Nagar
Please redeem me from this perpetual cycle!


Morning Prayer

Arise! Rise O' flute player!
Wake up, my sweetheart!
The night has turned into dawn,
people have opened their doors.
Milkmaids have started churning the milk,
and their bangles are ringing.
Arise! my dearest, the day has broken!
The cow herders are already awake and
singing glories to God.
They have set off with butter-bread
to herd their cattle.
Meera's lord is Giridhar Nagar,
I seek your shelter.

Ecstasy

O' Girdhari! In what words should I tell you?
Our love is ancient, it's from previous lives
and one that cannot be forgotten.
When I look at your divine form,
Indescribable devotion takes over me.
O' Shyam! please grace my courtyard
with your holy presence.
All the ladies will sing in your welcome.
I will decorate my home with pearls
and serve you with all my being.
You are my only relation, I
have no other in this world.
Meera is servant at her Lord's feet
and has remained unmarried
over multiple lifetimes.
I have taken shelter at your feet
Please do not act estranged.

Devotion

O' Sanvara! please return my love!
You are the ocean of virtues
Please forget my vices.
People have lost their patience
I am losing heart,
please come, and reassure me with your songs.
I am your servant from so many lives
please come and play flute in my courtyard.
Meera's Lord is Giridhar Nagar, help
cross this boat (of life) over to your side.

In Praise

Yaduvar is so lovely!
Born in Mathura, raised in Gokul
He redeems Putna in infancy
and shows good path to all
the wicked ones.
He herds cows on the banks of Yamuna,
wearing a black shawl.
He has an attractive physique draped in
yellow robes and has lotus eyes.
He wears a peacock-feathered crown
on his curly dark hair,
and carries a flute in his hands.
Bearing a conch-shell, mace, a disk
and a lotus flower, thereby he protects saints.
When the Vraj got flooded,
he saved it by lifting the Govardhan mountain.
Meera's Lord is Giridhar Nagar,
He is my very life and soul.

Complete surrender

1.
My dearest, remember me when you like
I am your servant in every life, shower me
with your grace!
Sitting or standing, awake or asleep
remember me whenever you like.
Coming or going, eating or drinking,
Ask after me in my dreams.
I only think of you night and day,
and it's only you  I see everywhere.
Meera's Lord is Giridhar Nagar,
having met me, don't desert me.

2.

Hari! stay in my eyes.
Stay in my view day and night,
don't go away even for a while,
Some people love their sons and daughters
some like their sisters and brothers
Some like pretty girls, my dearest is the son of Nand.
Some people's strength is their parents,
and some take pride in their lineage.
While some boast of their own might,
my strength is my gracious One.
Some are full of arrogance,
and some dress up to put on airs,
some show off their wealth, but
I take delight in the shelter of your feet.
Some brag about their academic achievements
and some are musicians in king's court
Meera's joy lies in meeting you
and singing Krishna-Krishna in love.

Saanvra! all my paths lead to You!
Mother-father, sister-brother, all follow their own ways.
My way is different from the caste, clan and friends.
People just make much noise! I have noone in this world.
Meera says O' Giridhar Nagar! when will you see me
Nand Kishor.