HOW To PRAY

Man is a bundle of desires. He gets fulfilment in very few of his desires and craves for more. His wants are too many and he prays to God so that many of his desires may be granted! people, of late, crowd temples in large numbers and there is none who does not pray before the deity with folded hands and bent head! Why this prayer always in a temple? Some want children; a few desire  good health; quite a few require power and position; many want wealth! Students pray for success in their examinations and lovers for the success of their love! Prayer is very powerful. “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of”, says the Victorian poet. But when will prayer be most effective? If it is sincere, honest and coming from the heart! Man requires many things but God does not give whatever he wants! He is the universal Mother and knows what is good for every single individual and provides it appropriately! The pity is that man aspires for worldly gains and personal satisfaction which are temporary, and cannot last long! He is satisfied by the grant of small, silly pleasures! While God is ready to offer the greatest boon of Mukti or salvation, man desires the lowest boon of mundane pleasures and transitory  things! He does know what to demand from God in essence!

“ God gives you whatever you pray for; so, take care. Ask for the right things” counsels Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The difficulty is in asking for the right things. Asking for trivial material pleasures is a gross mistake on the part of man! He should ask for eternal devotion to the Lord which in its train brings every material prosperity along with spiritual advancement! There are instances of people who gained infinite advantage by asking the right things from the Providence and those who suffered the worst by demanding the wrong things. Child Dhruva, unable to sit on the lap of his father king Uttanapada wanted to achieve his desire by doing penance! On the way sage Narada met him and sensing his determination advised and gave him the Narayana mantra! After severe penance the Lord not only satisfied his wish but granted  him the position of the Pole Star!

The second instance is that of another child devotee, Prahlada, son of the terrible rakshasa Hiranyakasipu! He was a born devotee and excelled in his devotion to the Lord from his childhood. Day in and day out he was in the company of God in his heart! He angered his father,an inveterate enemy of Lord Vishnu by singing in his praise! Hiranyakasipu had performed severe penance and when the Creator Brahma stood before him asked for immunity from death from everything on earth and heaven! When he hit the pillar to find the Lord, Lord Vishnu, in the form Nara Hari -man lion, put him on His lap, at the threshold, when it was neither the end of the day and the beginning of the night and tore him to pieces! Thus Hiranyakasipu was the architect of his own destiny! Prahlada was rewarded with the kingdom and blessed!

Ravana, king of Lanka is another example of great devotees who asked for wrong things from God! Like Hiranyakasipu, he too performed severe penance and got invulnerability from everything on earth and heaven! He was so arrogant and full of ego that he thought that no mortal can attack him! He was a very great devotee of Siva and pleased Him with his Sama gana! He was Brahmin of the clan of Visravasu and brother to Kubera! There was no woman in heaven or earth not enslaved by him! His lust knew no bounds! Finally it was Sri Rama the embodiment of Dharma, a mortal, killed him and saved mankind in Treta Yuga! Ravana’s brother, Kumbhakarna is also guilty of asking God for wrong things! When the Lord appeared before him after  severe tapas, he asked for good sleep as boon and God granted it and vanished! It was very difficult for Ravana’s soldiers to wake him up during the the epic fight between Sri Rama and Ravana!

Whatever you ask God will grant that alone and nothing else! So one has to be careful in asking boons from God! Even among children, the  mother is fond of the child that is not demanding! He does not ask the mother for anything! The other child always pesters her for many things! She has a soft corner for the child who doesn't ask. She gives him more even without his asking! In the same way, God loves the devotee who prays for His mercy and Grace through pure devotion! He grants just those worldly desires and nothing more to the ordinary mortal! But for the real bhaktha who is not enamored of this Samsara, he grants liberation from the inextricable web of family life as well as great prosperity in the world! Hence let us be very careful in our prayers to the Almighty!