Praanaayaam mantra - 8

I praise the all-knowing Lord of the universe, Who existed before its creation, Who is the Bestower of all cherished desires and Master of all precious materials.

O Lord, Source of all knowledge, become easily accessible to us and unite us with Yourself as a father does his son.

O Lord, grant that our teachers and preceptors may shower their blessings on us. May the earth, the clouds and space, scientifically explored, bring happiness for us.

O Lord, may we spread aerology for peace, and also invoke the moon who gives us the wealth of tranquillity. Being a creator of fluids etc., she protects the world. 

May we seek Your benign shelter. You are the Guard of great and noble deeds. Be gracious enough to produce amongst us great scholars who are fully conversant with the Vedic teachings.

Praanaayaam mantra - 7

The Lord God who sustains the tremendous sun, the earth and other planets, who maintains the equilibrium of the planets in space and gives them movement, Who grants salvation and sustains happiness, may we adore Him and worship His supreme Being with all our heart.

O Lord of all creatures, there is none equal to You. You are above all. You are supreme. May You fulfill our cherished desires. May we be enriched by the possession of material wealth of the world.

Almighty God is the Producer and the Creator of the entire universe. He is our friend and well-wisher. He knows all the names, places and sources of everything in all the world. Having attained liberation, the enlightened souls move freely throughout the universe. May we worship and adore Him with earnest devotion.

O Lord self-radiant, Source of all true knowledge, You are fully aware of our actions. For the sake of our advancement, lead us on the path of virtue. May we attain success in casting away debasing and sinful desires and keep away from undesirable ways. We adore You over and over again.

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Praanaayaam mantra - 5

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O almighty God, You are the greatest of all in goodness. You are beyond darkness. You are the Illuminator of all that imparts lustre. We approach Your divine Majesty through truthfulness in thought, word and deed.

O Lord, You are the Revealer of the true knowledge of the Vedas. All things great and small, organic and inorganic, the whole universe, the entire creation serve as signals to lead us on to Your glory.

May He, Who is the Soul of the whole universe, Who is all pervading, Who is free from all hatred and attachment, Who helps the righteous and the noble, reveal His Own Self in our hearts.

The Supreme Being, the Seer of all, the Benefactor of the learned and the Righteous was pious before the creation and is pious during its existence. May we see His divine vision for a hundred years - the full span of our life. May we suffer no frailty. May we live with our sight, hearing, speech, intellect and all other faculties unimpaired, enjoying freedom for more than a hundred years, with

perfect health of body, mind and soul and in true bliss.

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O gentle and noble God, we visualise Your presence in the northern direction, showering peace and bliss upon us. We pay homage to You and thank You for Your protection which You provide by means of the forces of nature such as lightning etc. Whoever hates, or feels enimical, including ourselves, we submit to Your rule of justice.

O almighty God, we feel Your presence in the regions above us. May we be pure and magnanimous in our thoughts and actions. We bow before You and thank You for the protection by means of the rains and other seasonal phenomenon. Whoever hates, or feels enimical, including ourselves, we submit to Your rule of

justice.

Praanaayaam mantra - 2

O Lord, we feel Your presence-in the southern direction, which signifies ability and efficiency as our Lord of prosperity and the Controller of our minds. We pay homage to You and thank You for Your protection which You provide us in the form of scholars spreading true knowledge. Whoever hates, or feels enimical,

including ourselves, we submit to Your rule of Justice.

O Lord, we see You with our minds fixed in the western direction as the mightiest Master and Protector of all. W e bow before You and thank You for our protection by the means of food. Whoever hates, or feels enimical, including ourselves, we submit to Your rule of justice.

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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Prayer for concentration and meditation</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">(In order to pacify the body and the mind, you should take deep breaths while&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">reciting. Repeat several times, holding the breath as long as is convenient.)</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I hold my breath in sacred awe and pray O lord of life. O holy God of bliss! Father&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">great and wise and true, my soul comes to Your glorious feet to kiss it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The almighty God created the whole universe out of His Own omnipotence&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">according to the laws of nature. He created the days and nights, the vast&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">expanses of water and space and the divisions of time. He who is the Supporter,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">Protector and Controller of the universe created the sun, the moon, the earth,&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">space, planets, by His potency as He did in the previous cycles of creation. May&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: large;">we feel His power and presence everywhere and for all the time and refrain from</span><br />
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HAVAN MANTRAS

Prayer for purification (Mentally touch the various parts of your body whilst reciting)

Om bhoor bhuvah swaha. Tatsavitur vareniyam.
Bhargo devasya dheemahi. Dhiyo yo naah prachodayaat.

O Lord you are the Giver of life, Remover of pains and sorrows, Bestower of happiness. May we receive the supreme sin-destroying light of the Creator of the universe. May You guide our intellect in the right direction.

May the most gracious, brilliant, all-prevading Lord be the ever for our desired happiness and perfect bliss and may His blessings be on us from all sides.

O Lord, the Life-Breath of all, Dispeller of miseries, Giver of true bliss, Creator of the universe, the Ultimate Reality, all-pervading God, purify and strengthen my head (powers of understanding), my eyes (powers of vision), throat and speech, heart, navel (sexual urge), feet: all the organs of my body to perform its normal
functions and activity in the service of humanity.

BENEFITS OF THE PANCHA MAHAYAJNAS

Pitri Yajna
Offering libations, etc., to the forefathers, regularly, is Pitri Yajna.

Bhuta Yajna
Distribution of food to cows, dogs, birds, fish, etc., is Bhuta Yajna.

Manushya Yajna
Feeding the poor is Manushya Yajna. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless, comforting the distressed, etc., are all forms of Manushya Yajna. Any kind of service to the suffering humanity is Manushya Yajna. Feeding a guest is Manushya Yajna.

BENEFITS OF THE PANCHA MAHAYAJNAS

By daily doing such acts of kindness and sympathy, man develops mercy. Hatred vanishes. His hard egoistic heart is gradually softened. He cultivates cosmic love. 
His heart expands. He has a wider outlook on life. He tries to feel his oneness with all beings. His old feeling of separateness on account of selfishness and egoism is gradually thinned and eventually eradicated. He learns that he can be happy only by making others happy, by serving others, by helping others, by
removing the sufferings of others and by sharing what he has with others. The five great daily sacrifices teach man his relations with his superiors, his equals and his inferiors.
Man has no separate individual existence. He is connected with the world. He is like a bead in the rosary. His whole life must be a life of sacrifice and duties. 
Then only he will have rapid evolution. Then only he will realize the supreme bliss of the Eternal. Then only he will free himself from the round of births and deaths and attain immortality.

THE PANCHA MAHAYAGYAS

There are five great daily sacrifices that are to be performed by every householder. They are: (i) Brahma Yajna, called also Veda Yajna, sacrifice to Brahman or the Vedas or the sages; (ii) Deva Yajna, sacrifice to the celestials; (iii) Pitri Yajna, sacrifice to the manes; (iv) Bhuta Yajna, sacrifice to all the creatures; and (v)
Manushya Yajna, sacrifice to men.

The performance of these five Yajnas is conducive to the spiritual evolution or growth of a man. He gradually learns that he is not a separate entity or isolated creature or isolated unit, but is a part of a great whole. He obtains knowledge by studying the sacred scriptures written by great Rishis. He gets help from his friends, relatives and fellow-beings. His parents gave his physical body. The milk of cows, grains, vegetables and fruits nourishes his body. The five elements help him. He cannot live without oxygen and water. The Devas and the Pitris bless him. Therefore, he owes a fivefold debt to Nature. He must pay back his debt by performing these five sacrifices daily. Further, numerous insects are killed by him
unconsciously during walking, sweeping, grinding, cooking, etc. This sin is removed by the performance of these sacrifices.

THE FIVE YAJNAS (or yagyas)
The Rishis, the Devas, the Pitris, the Bhutas and the guests expect help from the householders. Hence, they should perform these five sacrifices daily. Teaching and studying of scriptures is Brahma Yajna; Tarpana or offering of water to the ancestors, and Sraaddha, form Pitri Yajna; Homa or oblations into the fire is Deva Yajna; Bali or offering of food to all creatures is Bhuta Yajna; and hospitality to guests is Manushya Yajna or Atithi Yajna.


Brahma Yajna or Rishi Yajna
Every man should study daily the sacred scriptures. He should share the knowledge with others. This is Brahma Yajna or Rishi Yajna. By so doing, he pays the debt to Rishis.

Deva Yajna
Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita: "Having, in ancient times, emanated mankind together with sacrifice, the Lord of Creation said, 'By this shall ye propagate; be this to you the fulfiller of desires. With this, nourish ye the shining ones, and may the shining ones nourish ye. Thus nourishing one another, ye shall reap the highest good. For, nourished by sacrifice, the shining ones shall
bestow on you the enjoyments you desire. A thief verily is he who enjoyeth what they give without returning them anything. The righteous, who eat the remains of the sacrifice, are freed from all sins; but the unpious who cook for their own sake, they verily eat sin" (Ch. III-10, 11, 12, 13). Manu says: " Let a man ever
engage in the study of the Vedas and in the rites of the Devas; engaging in the rites of the Vedas, he supports the movable and the immovable kingdoms." These sacrifices turn the wheel of life in accordance with the divine will and thus help the evolution of man and the worlds.

Havan Yagya

The Sacrificial Fire

Hindus believe that the purification of the mind and spirit is even more important than the purification of the body. It is through meditation, acts of worship and goodwill to all humanity that this is achieved.

Yagya is one of the most significant forms of Hindu act of worship. The sacred fire has a very special place in all Hindu religious ceremonies. During Yagya, Ghee, food and 'Havan Samagree' (consisting of vegetable matter, roots, food stuffs and sandal wood) are offered to the sacred fire. The act of praying while offering these items to the fire is called 'Aahootee'. The timing of the individual offerings made during the Yagya, should coincide with the utterance of the word 'Swaahaa'. The offerings should be dropped into the fire with the palm facing up: the offerings
should not be thrown in!

During Havan we are not praying to the actual fire in front of us. The fire, 'Agni' (in Sanskrit) denotes warmth and light and thus signifies God, Who is radiant and bright, and leads us from darkness to light, untruth to truth, and death to immortality.

During the Yagya, besides the physical acts of worship, we are concentrating on the highest qualities of God that we, mere mortals, are capable of imagining; at the same time we are exalting ourselves to rise above the mental, emotional and spiritual level we are at the time. This is where mere repeating and chanting of the Mantras in a rote manner is not as useful, as when we recited the same with
some understanding of the beautiful and rich meaning that they carry.

O Lord, I pray for the strength and splendour of my powers of speech, respiratory system, sight, hearing, centres of love, feeling and heart, my throat and brain, my hands and arms; my whole body for my personal ends and for the service of all.

Om is Pranava

Om is the Akshara, or the imperishable - i.e. God. Om is the
Universe, and this is the exposition of Om. The past, the present
and the future, all that was, all is, all that will be, is Om. Likewise
all else that may exist beyond the bounds of time, that too is Om.

Another word for Om is Pranava ('Nu' meaning praise and `Pra' meaning superior) Thus Om means the best prayer or praise.

The letters AUM also stand for the mantra `Tat Twam Asi' which means That which you are., Man's realisation of divinity within himself. This relieves man from the fragmentation of body, mind, psyche and spirit.

Om is composed of three sounds 'AH', `00', `MM'. It is the first word uttered and from it come all the alphabets and all the phonetics.

The letter `AH' begins the sound of OM and this sound is the first letter of the alphabet in all languages.

The letter `00' sustains the sound of OM. And finally `MM' ends the
sound of OM.

Hence Om stands for the Trinity - Brahmaa (The Creator), Vishnu (The Sustainer) & Mahesh (The Destroyer).

The Sanskrit `Om' and the Latin 'Omne' come from the same root.'Omkar' for the Sikhs and `Amen' for the Christians may also come from the same root.

The Mantra Om precedes all Hindu prayers. It is the original sound of Brahmaa. It may be practiced silently or vocally. The vibration of it should permeate the whole of our beings. It helps purify the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being.

"On the bow of the mystic syllable Om, place the arrow of the Self, point at the target of Brahman, with an undistracted mind stretch the bow and penetrate the mark," 

.Mundak Upanishad

Hinduism

-Hinduism is like an all-encompassing ocean. Here, in the West only rational thought is considered essential for science and faith for religion.
Hinduism stresses the whole consciousness, which also includes rational thought and faith, and is more universal. It is a living philosophy of life.

-Hinduism is the oldest living religion of the world. Great thinkers all over the world agree with this. Any one individual or a prophet does not formally enunciate Hinduism. It is the collection of revelations to several saints during their period of rigorous and disciplined meditation (Tapasyaa). This collection of revelations is known as the Vedaas.

-Hinduism is a natural way of life. It is not a constructed main road but a self-formed footpath trodden by the continuous walking of masses by their own will and choice. Hinduism is never imposed on any body at any time and is only religion in the world that does not believe in conversion. It wants everyone to realise the Almighty through their own will.

-Hinduism is a symbol of unity. It is not a single religion, but a 
composite one where people of various religions were put together under a single shade. The diversity of rituals, belief, castes, food, dress, social behaviour, languages and politics have not been able to destroy the deeper spirituality of Hinduism.

-Hinduism is the religion of experience. It is not based on dogmas and creeds to be accepted with blind faith, but is based on self-realisation.

-Hinduism allows absolute freedom in the faith and mode of worship, not insisting that God could be reached through only a particular name, place or path.

-Hinduism has sacred scriptures written by women saints, no other 
religion matching this feature.

-Hinduism states that God is everything and everywhere.
-Hinduism is a religion of love and gratitude, and of tolerance and
patience giving due respect to all religions.