Why should a prayer be augmented with an expression of gratitude?

1. Gratitude

God is the creator of the universe. We too are a part and parcel of the universe. So both, the universe and we were created by God. All events in the universe followed thereafter. These include me, my happiness and unhappiness, intellect, actions, my family, country, religion, spiritual practice, etc. Thus whenever one thinks about the self and / or the world, unconsciously harbouring awareness of God or one of His forms and offering the credit for even this awareness to God, is termed as gratitude. Prayer is actually a synonym for surrender. This act of surrender is completed only after the expression of gratitude. The Guru Himself is God for a seeker who has been blessed by the grace of a Guru or for one who is practising Spirituality according to the Path of the Guru’s Grace (Gurukrupayoga). Hence it is but natural for him to harbour more gratitude towards the Guru.

1.1 Importance

1.2 Examples of expression of gratitude with spiritual emotion (bhav)

A. Gratitude about the Guru being one’s everything: Dr. Hemant Kamat, a seeker expressed his gratitude unto the Guru thus,
O Gurudev, I am grateful to You
For endowing me with a human birth,
For granting me the desire to be liberated,
For drawing me towards spiritual practice.
O Gurudev, I am grateful to You
For gifting me with holy texts for the study of Spirituality,
For giving me appropriate guidance in repeating (chanting)
The Lord’s Name,
For giving me the opportunity of being in Your holy
company (satsang),
For endowing me with the opportunity to render service
unto the Absolute Truth (satseva),
For impressing on my mind that propagation of Spirituality
is the supreme service unto the Absolute Truth,
For convincing me about the importance of sacrifice and
for getting it done from me,
For explaining to me what spiritual love (priti) is,
For endowing me with such a beautiful society to
undertake my spiritual practice.
O Gurudev, I am grateful to You
For pointing out what qualities I lack in,
For creating situations conducive for my spiritual practice,
For giving me the opportunity to learn from fellow seekers
and warrior seekers,
For granting me guidance from senior seekers,
And for the holy company (satsang) of saints.
O Gurudev, I offer obeisance at Your feet,
For alleviating my worldly problems,
For reducing my attachment for the Great Illusion (Maya),
For eliminating my doubts about spiritual practice,
And for steadying me in spiritual practice.
O Gurudev, I am grateful to You
For driving away distressing energies which was
impossible for us to do,
For endowing me with the spiritual experience that You
alone are the doer and that You alone can get things done
from me.
And for granting me the assurance that I can attain the
Final Liberation (Moksha) in this birth itself.
B. Gratitude towards God for every breath of life and the Guru for teaching how to repeat (chant) The Lord’s Name: I was trying to repeat (chant) The Lord’s Name along with the breath. After sometime due to intense concentration on the Name, I could hear the repetition (chanting) of The Lord’s Name through Lord Krushna’s peacock feather. I could feel the Name entering me through the nose, every time I took a breath. The gratitude to God for every breath and to the Guru for teaching me the act of repeating (chanting) The Lord’s Name which I expressed was beyond verbal description. However the Bliss (Anand) derived from the spiritual experience lasted for a long time. - Mrs. Puja Ganesh Naik
C. Sometimes seekers have to set out at dawn when travelling out of station. Someone has to wake up at dawn to give them lunch packets. When I do this task, I feel thankful to both, the seekers and the Guru for having endowed me with this opportunity to prepare the holy sacrament (prasad) of the Guru. I feel, ‘How much my Guru does for me so that my spiritual love (priti) for others grows and I progress spiritually !’ - A seeker, Goa
D. When despite my not making a mistake another seeker points out my mistake, I feel thankful to the Guru as He is doing all this only to take me to the next level of spiritual progress. Thereafter I am unaffected about that incident. - A seeker, Goa

1.3 Spiritual experiences

A. Feeling thankful towards seekers and perceiving that I was offering the guidance at their feet: On 24^th October 2002, I was scheduled to guide the prominent seekers from Sangli district and those rendering service in the office of the ‘Daily Sanatan Prabhat’. I offered salutation unto the Guru before looking at the audience. At that moment, I experienced an inner feeling of gratitude towards the seekers. There was a lump in my throat. I was speechless. I was overwhelmed with the thought that I had been endowed with the opportunity to serve the Guru because of them. Thereafter throughout the discourse, I experienced the feeling that I was offering the guidance at their feet. Ever since, even during casual conversation with a seeker, I become aware that I am serving him. - Dr. (Mrs.) Nandini Durgesh Samant

2. Repeating (chanting) the Name of The Lord

According to the Path of Devotion, Chanting is the very foundation of spiritual practice. The Lord’s Name is The Lord Himself. That is why the easiest mode of being in constant communion with The Lord is repeating (chanting) His Name continuously. A Holy text titled ‘Science of Spirituality: Vol. 6 A - Path of Repeating (Chanting) The Lord’s Name (Namasankirtanyoga)’ explains in detail the importance of The Lord’s Name, what should be done to repeat (chant) it continuously and effectively and its various other aspects. One may get the impression that one develops spiritual emotion (bhav) for The Lord by being in constant communion with Him through repetition (chanting) of His Name. Often however, repetition (chanting) of The Lord’s Name occurs just for its sake without spiritual love for The Lord. This kind of repetition (chanting) does not help much in developing spiritual emotion for God. That is precisely why repetition (chanting) of The Lord’s Name should be done along with spiritual emotion. The ways and means of achieving this are given below.

2.1 Importance of repeating (chanting) The Lord’s Name with spiritual emotion

2.2 Efforts to repeat (chant) The Lord’s Name with spiritual emotion

2.3 Spiritual experience of repeating (chanting) The Lord’s Name along with spiritual emotion

Experiencing indescribable sweetness while repeating (chanting) The Lord’s Name along with spiritual emotion and perceiving the presence of the Guru / God when repeating (chanting) in that way : Since 25^th October 2002, I sensed a qualitative change in my repetition (chanting) of The Lord’s Name. Though I did love to repeat (chant) The Lord’s Name earlier as if it were a hobby, since 25th October 2002, the subtle change which occurred is beyond verbal description. First of all I consider myself extremely fortunate for being able to repeat (chant) The Lord’s Name. Just as a mother derives happiness merely by calling out again and again to her baby by its name despite it not understanding the language, so also I experience pure Bliss merely by repeating (chanting) The Lord’s Name. The Name seems invaluable. I feel like repeating (chanting) The Lord’s Name continuously without cessation. I also constantly perceive the presence of the Guru / God. Consequently, on one hand I feel quite safe and self-confident and on the other, extremely humble. - Dr. (Mrs.) Nandini Durgesh Samant, Phonda ashram, Goa

3. Practising the nine-fold devotion (navavidhabhakti)

The aim of a seeker following the Path of Devotion (Bhaktimarg) is to generate intense devotion unto The Lord. To achieve this, it is beneficial to put into practice the various types of the nine-fold devotion namely, listening to praise of The Lord (shravan), singing praises of The Lord (kirtan), remembering The Lord (smaran), service of the holy feet (padsevan), offering (archan), offering obeisance (vandan), devotion as a servant (dasya), devotion as a friend (sakhya) and narrating everything to God (atmanivedan). Among these, the first three types help to generate faith, the next three are related to the manifest (sagun) form of The Lord and the last three are internal spiritual emotions.

3.1 Types of the nine-fold devotion

A. Listening to praise of The Lord (shravan): This form of devotion includes listening to the qualities, victories and glory of The Lord with faith. It also means listening to the Guru’s teaching (knowledge).
B. Singing praises of The Lord (kirtan): Singing the praises of The Lord amounts to this kind of devotion. Narrating the knowledge one has gained by listening to the Guru’s teachings to others as the situation demands and inspiring them to behave as per the Guru’s expectations is devotion of this kind.
C. Remembering The Lord (smaran): Constant contemplation upon the Name - virtues - divine play (lila) of The Lord and remaining engrossed in them is this type of devotion. This includes constant remembrance of the gross form of the Guru or God through a picture / idol and that of His subtle form through repetition (chanting) of The Lord’s Name. If one harbours the spiritual emotion that every breath one takes, every task that one has done throughout the day has been possible only because of The Lord or that one is living every second only because of The Lord then one will remember Him throughout the day. This is the true expression of this devotional form. Kunti from the Mahabharat had asked for unhappiness so that she would remember The Lord all day long. However without asking for unhappiness if one makes attempts as above then this devotion will develop quickly.
     A seeker who remembered the Guru constantly and attributed everything to the Guru experienced oneness with the Guru as described below.
     A seeker perceiving the seat she used to undertake repetition (chanting) of The Lord’s Name as that of her Guru and also experiencing closeness to Him through the subtle dimension : On 6^th July 2002 before meditating, I prayed unto Gurudev and then sat with hands folded in obeisance. The thought that crossed my mind then was, ‘Your seat has become soiled. It will have to be washed at night.’ Just then, I realised that the seat belonged to my Guru and that it is He who uses it everyday and that He would certainly not appreciate my washing it at night (because Gurudev would tell us not to do too many chores at night). The next vision I got was of a sage walking in a forest. I felt as if He was my Guru and I, His disciple. Though in reality, the Guru’s gross form is far away, yet from within He is very close to me. - Miss Mahananda Giridhar Patil
D. Service of the holy feet (padsevan): In this form of service, one literally serves the holy feet of The Lord or performs ritualistic worship of His feet. Service unto the Guru’s feet means harbouring the spiritual emotion, ‘I am a servitor of The Lord’. A Guru has greater attachment for a disciple who worships His subtle form, that is the Guru principle than one who worships only His gross form. Propagation of the Guru’s mission in the best possible way is true service unto the Guru’s feet.
E. Offering (archan): Ritualistic worship (puja) of The Lord with devotion and respect is called archan. Installing a picture of the Guru in the temple at home or worshipping Him mentally are incorporated in this kind of devotion.
F. Offering obeisance (vandan): This form of devotion constitutes meditating upon The Lord after completely surrendering unto Him. This includes praying with spiritual emotion, so that it reaches God.
G. Devotion as a servant (dasya): In this form of devotion, the devotee considers The Lord to be his father, mother and his everything and he himself to be The Lord’s son or servant. Lord Maruti is an excellent example of this type of devotion.
H. Devotion as a friend (sakhya): In this form of devotion, a devotee believes God to be his friend or sibling who shares his happiness and unhappiness. So, no barrier of any kind exists between the two. As spiritual emotion towards the Guru grows, there is a corresponding growth of respect and gratitude for Him. This makes it difficult to view Him as a friend. Only a rare seeker with a spiritual level of more than 60% is capable of remaining devoted in this way. Devotion of Arjun towards Lord Krushna is an unparalleled example of this.
I. Narrating everything to God (atmanivedan): This devotion is the ultimate and supreme step in the Path of Devotion. Here, the devotee explicitly narrates everything good or bad, external or internal to The Lord and surrenders completely unto Him. One should narrate daily to the Guru about everything, all of one’s actions, obstacles faced in one’s spiritual practice, doubts in the mind, etc. Mrs. Mangala Marathe (one of the compilers) experienced the following in this context - ‘One day when I was conversing with H.H. Doctor in my mind, two seekers who were meditating saw me talking to Him on telephone.’

3.2 Comparative importance of the nine-fold devotion

 

Why are specific sanskars performed after birth of a child?

1. Jatakarma [Janmavidhi (The rite at birth)]

1.1 The objectives

To eliminate the defects in the foetus arising from intake of liquor (amniotic fluid) and to liberate the father who has glanced at the son’s face, from the three debts (to the ancestors, to the sages and to the deities) as well as the debt to society. When in the womb the liquor enters the foetus through the mouth. Since intake of liquor is forbidden, partaking it is considered to be a sin.

1.2 Preparations

As soon as a son is born, the father should glance at his face and then bathe facing the north. After donning clean attire he should apply sandalwood paste (gandha) to himself. Then before cutting the umbilical cord, the baby who is untouched by anyone except the midwife, who has not suckled the mother’s breast and has been bathed is placed facing the east onto his mother’s lap, by the father.

1.3 The resolve (sankalpa)

‘I am performing this sanskar of Jatakarma (birth) so that this son of mine is freed from all defects from the time of conception including the intake of amniotic fluid, and is granted a long life, spiritual intellect (medha) and so that he may acquire the grace of The Lord. I am also performing worship of Lord Ganapati, Punyahavachan, Matrukapujan (worship of Matruka deities) and Nandishraddha which are a part of it.’

1.4 The ritual

There is no restriction of maintaining seclusion after a birth (soyar) in the family, only for this sanskar (rite). After completing the rituals right from worship of Lord Ganapati to Nandishraddha the mantra with the following meaning is chanted: ‘O beloved son, I am feeding you with honey and clarified butter (ghee) for the first time. May The Almighty bless you with knowledge, food and wealth. May He protect you always and bestow you with a lifespan of a hundred years’. One should then feed the infant a mixture of honey and clarified butter with a gold coin, wash the coin and place it in the baby’s right ear. Then drawing one’s mouth towards that of the son, the father should chant the verse, ‘ॐ मेधाते देव:० ।’ which means, ‘O beloved son, may The Lord bestow you with sharp acumen and intellect to study the Vedas. May the Ashvini deities who support the pran and apan vital energies and the others like Som (Moon) bestow you with perfect intellect’. Then replacing the same coin in the baby’s left ear the same verse, ‘Om medhate devaha (ॐ मेधाते देव:० ।).’ should be repeated. Gold has greater ability to both absorb and transmit frequencies than any other metal. Thereafter, chanting a mantra the father should sniff the child’s head thrice, and decide in his mind what the child should be named. When in the womb the baby’s Brahmarandhra is closed. When the father sniffs the head, it opens. Sometimes instead of sniffing the head the father exhales at the site of the Brahmarandhra, thrice . That too bestows the same benefit. However, it occurs only if the father is of a sattvik (sattva predominant) temperament. Then the mother’s right breast is washed and after chanting a mantra the mother holds the baby to her breast. Since the right breast is associated with the Pingala or Surya nadi (Sun channel), it helps in activating the baby’s right sided channel. Hence the process of digestion of milk commences easily. Nowadays since childbirth occurs in maternity hospitals one cannot perform the sanskar of Jatakarma there. Therefore it is often done along with the rite of Namakaran (naming).

2. Namakaran (The naming ceremony)

2.1 The objectives

This sanskar is performed for longevity and prosperity in worldly life.

2.2 The resolve (sankalpa) and the ritual

This sanskar is performed on the twelfth or thirteenth day of birth. Placing the baby in the cradle (palakharohan) constitutes an important ritual, in this rite. The resolve expressed that day is ‘I am performing this sanskar (rite) of Namakaran (naming) to wipe off any sin generated from the ovum and foetus, to prolong the lifespan, so that the child achieves success in all activities and to acquire the grace of The Supreme Lord. I am performing the worship of Lord Ganapati, Punyahavachan, the worship of the Matruka deities (Matrukapujan) and Nandishraddha which are incorporated in it’.

2.3 Selection of the name

2.4 The types of names

‘The five types of names which are popularly known are the name according to the lunar asterism at birth (nakshatranam), the name according to the month of birth (masanam), the name according to the family deity, the worldly name and the name according to the star sign (rashi).

2.5 Astrology and the name

Just as a child’s sex is decided in the womb, so is its name. A sound, touch, form, taste and odour coexist. Hence a child’s name corresponds to its appearance. Only one is unaware of it. Only the spiritually evolved know the matching name. If one cannot get advice from a spiritually evolved person the science of astrology can give guidance on the suitability of the name.

2.6 The ritual and the four types of naming

The host of the ritual should address the priest, ‘O priest, I am naming the child .....’, thrice. Then the priest should convey his approval saying, ‘Name him ....’. The consent given by a saintly priest helps the name and form of the child to blend with each other.

2.7 The naming of a daughter

The naming of a daughter is done without chanting mantras while that of a son is done with them. The reason for this is that if the naming of the daughter is performed amidst chanting of mantras then there is a 5% chance of her being afflicted with problems. The main problem is the untoward effect on the ovaries. [Refer ‘Science of Spirituality: Chapter 9 - Path of Chanting The Lord’s Name (Namasankirtanyoga) point - Prefixing Shri or Om to the Name’.]

3. Nishkraman (The rite of taking the child out of the house)

3.1 The objectives

The motive behind this sanskar (rite) is to increase the lifespan and wealth.

3.2 The auspicious time (muhurt)

This sanskar is performed in the third month after birth on the same date as the date of birth or the lunar asterism at birth. In the fourth month the baby is made to look at fire, a cow and the moon at an auspicious time.

3.3 The resolve (sankalpa)

‘I am performing this sanskar of Nishkraman (taking the child out of the house) to win over The Lord’s grace so as to increase my child’s lifespan, for acquisition of wealth that is, Lakshmi (Shri) and to overcome the defects generated from the ovum and foetus’.

3.4 The ritual

The benevolent deities (ishtadevatas) should be worshipped with sandalwood paste (gandha), consecrated rice (akshata), flowers, etc. After chanting a mantra, the father and the other relatives should hold the child on their laps. A prayer should be made to The Almighty for the child’s longevity as follows: ‘I am giving the custody of this child unto the moon, the sun, the guardians of the eight directions (dikpal), the eight directions and the sky. So please protect him. Whether the child is vigilant or not protect him by day and by night. May the deities such as Lord Indra perpetually protect him.’
After this, one should worship Lord Mahadev or Vishnu by going to Their respective temples or in the house of any well-wisher. Then the child should be placed in a sitting posture on a heap of rice and other food grains, spread on the floor smeared with cowdung. After chanting a mantra the head and forehead of the child should be sprinkled (prokshan) with holy ash (bhasma) or consecrated rice. This should be followed by worship of deities like Lord Mahadev, Ganesh, etc. with sweets like anarase, etc. The child should then be given some sweetmeats and placed in front of God in the prone position and then brought home.

4. Annaprashan (Partaking of the first solid feed)

4.1 The objectives

This sanskar (rite) eliminates the defects generated by swallowing urine and faeces when in the mother’s womb.

4.2 The auspicious time (muhurt)

The sixth or the eighth month in case of a boy and the fifth or any month with an odd number in case of a girl is favourable for the sanskar of Annaprashan (partaking of the first solid feed). (Even numbers represent the masculine gender whereas odd numbers represent the feminine gender.)

4.3 The resolve (sankalpa)

‘I am performing this sanskar of Annaprashan to win the grace of The Supreme Lord for the destruction of defects acquired by the intake of faeces by the baby when in the mother’s womb, the acquisition of pure food, etc., the acquisition of divine splendour (effulgence), the perfect development of the organs, longevity and to overcome the sins committed by the foetus. I am performing the worship of Lord Ganesh and the Matruka deities, Svastivachan, and Nandishraddha along with it.’

4.4 The ritual

After expressing the resolve the child should be placed to one’s right on a white cloth placed on the mother’s lap, in front of the deity. The child should face the east and should then be fed solid food for the first time. Food containing curd, honey and clarified butter (ghee) should be put in a gold or bronze vessel and the following prayer should be made ‘O God, the presiding deity of food, give us food which promotes health and bestows strength’. Then wearing some gold ornament on the hand one should give the child the first mouthful of solid food. After the child has had its fill, its mouth should be washed and then it should be placed on the ground.

4.5 The test of earning a livelihood

To test the choice of a livelihood, books, instruments, clothes and other tools which sculpt the future should be placed in front of the child. The object touched by the child as the first choice may be considered as the means of his earning a livelihood.

5. Choulkarma [Chudakarma (The rite of keeping a small portion of hair on the front of the head)]

5.1 The objectives

This sanskar (rite) is performed in order to attain longevity, strength and radiance. The small portion of hair facilitates the entry of the sattva frequencies from the universe through the Brahmarandhra. It functions like the antenna of a television set. [Refer ‘Science of Spirituality : Chapter 38 - Path of Activation of Spiritual Energy (Kundaliniyoga)’.]

5.2 The auspicious time (muhurt)

It is customary to perform this rite either in the third, fourth or fifth year of a child after choosing an auspicious time. Nowadays, however it is often performed along with the thread ceremony.

5.3 The resolve (sankalpa)

‘I am performing the sanskar choul (the rite of keeping a small portion of hair on the front of the head) in order to win the grace of The Lord so as to acquire pure food, for attaining longevity, to increase oja (precursor of divine energy) and strength and also to nullify the sins generated by the ovum and foetus. Along with it, I am performing the worship of Lord Ganapati, Punyahavachan, worship of the Matruka deities and Nandishraddha.’

5.4 Javal (Jaul, Jayval)

This is also known as the first haircut. This is customarily performed when the child is about one year old. Only some hair in front of the head is retained. The importance of keeping a small portion of hair will be clarified by point ‘5.1 The objectives’.
Reference:
‘Sixteen Sanskars and some other rituals’, published by Sanatan Sanstha.
Bharatiya Sanskrutikosh. Publishers: Pandit Mahadevshastri Joshi, Secretary, Bharatiya Sanskrutikosh Mandal, 410 Shanivar Peth, Pune 411 030.
Vol. 3 to 10: First edition           Vol. 1 and 2: Second edition
1. Vol.5, Pg. 32