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Mantras and Prayers for Various
Occasions
Graduation Ceremony performed with priestly
initiation
Teacher (guru) to
disciple:
Satyam vada. Dharmam chara. . . Matridevo
bhava, Pitridevo bhava, Acharyadevo bhava. . . Shraddhaa deyam.
Ashraddhaya adeyam. Shriya deyam. Hriya deyam. Bhiya deyam. Samvida
deyam.
Speka the truth. Be
righteous . . . Look upon your mother as divine. Look upon your
father as divine. Treat your teacher as divine. . . Give
respectfully, never with disrespect. Giving must be accompanied with
a beautiful gesture, with humility, fear and sympathy. (Taittiriya
Upanishad 1/11/1-3).
Marriage
Groom to
bride :
Samrajni shvashure bhava
Samrajni shvashrvam
bhava,
Nanandari samrajni
bhava
Samrajni
adhidevrishu.
Be a queen to the
parents-in-law, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law. (Rig-veda,
10/85/46).
Mama vrate te hridayam dadhatu, mama chittam
anuchittam testu.
Lend your mind to my
affairs, let my mind follow yours. (Mantra Brahmana,
1/2/21).
A nah prajam janayatu prajapatirajarasaya
samanaktvaryama adurmangalih patilokama visha sham no bhava dvipade
pam chatushpade.
May we have a gift of
children from Prajapati, may Aryama keep us united until old age.
Enter your husband’s place auspiciously. Be good to human beings, as
well as to animals. (Rig-veda, 10/85/43).
Groom and bride
together:
Samanjantu vishve devah samapo
hridayani nau
May all the gods unite our
hearts together. (Rig-veda, 10/85/47).
The relatives of the bride
and the groom:
Ihaiva stam ma vi yaushtam
vishvamayurvyashnutam
Kridantau
putrairnaptribhir modamanau sve grihe
May you both remain here together without ever
separating. May you live long lives and stay in your own home in all
satisfaction with children and grand children. (Rig-veda,
10/85/42).
Reading from the Gita to the Dying
Person
The Lord to Arjuna, His
devotee:
Chaturvidha bhajante mam
janah sukritinorjuna,
Arto jijnasurartharthi
janani cha bharatarshava.
O Arjuna, four kinds of people have the
privilege of worshipping me on account of virtuous deeds they have
performed in the past (in this life, or before). They are: the one
in distress, the aspirant, the seeker of wealth and the one
established in wisdom. (Chapter 7, verse 16).
Yo yo yam yam taunt bath
shraddhayarchitumichchati,
Tashya tashyachalam shraddham tameva
vidadhamyaham.
Whichever form a devotee wishes to
worship with reverence, I bestow unflinching devotion on him or her
in that form. (Chapter 7, verse 21).
Avyaktam vyaktimapannam manyante
mamabuddhayah,
Param bhavamajananto
mamavyayamanuttamam.
People with limited understanding
consider me a person with form, ignoring my immutable, superior,
transcendental nature that is unmanifested. (Chapter 7, verse
24).
Sadhibhutadhidaivam mam sadhiyajnam
cha ye viduh,
Prayanakalepi cha mam te
viduryuktachetasah.
Whoever knows me in my proper relation
with the universe and the offerings made to me, such a one’s mind is
fixed on me even at the time of death. Such a person feels my
presence even at the final moment. (Chapter 7, verse
30).
Antakale cha mameva smaran-muktva
kalevaram,
Yah prayati sa madbhavam yati
nastyatra samsayah.
The one who leaves at the very end,
freeing himself from the body, keeping me alone in mind, attains me.
Of this there can be no doubt. (Chapter 8, verse 5).
Yam yam vapi smaran-bhavam
tyajantyante kalevaram,
Tam tamevaiti kaunteya sada
tadbhava-bhavitah.
At the final moment, O Arjuna, whatever
form such a person concentrates on, when he leaves the body, attains
God in that very form, for the person has been devoted to Him or Her
always. (Chapter 8, verse 6).
Kavim
puranam-anushasitaram
Anoraniyamsam-anusmared
yah,
Sarvasya
dhataram-achintyarupam-
Adityavarnam tamasah parastat
–
Prayanakale
manasachalena
Bhaktya yukto yogabalena
chaiva,
Bhruvormadhye pranamaveshya
samyak
Sa tam param purusham-upaiti
divyam
One who, at the time of death, fixes the
life force between the eye-brows with unflinching concentration,
devotion and an equilibrium of mind, meditates on the shining,
supreme being, who is the receptacle of everything, the omniscient,
the eternal, the ruler, and yet minutest of all the minutes, with a
form that is not possible to conceive, self-evident like the sun,
and beyond all ignorance, such a person attains that being. (Chapter
8, verses 9-10).
Omityekaksharam brahma
vyaharan-mamausmaran,
Yah prayati tyajan-deham sa yati
paramam gatim.
One who leaves the body and passes away
concentrating on me while uttering the mono-syllabic word OM, which
is the same as God, attains the highest state. (Chapter 8, verse
13).
Abrahma-bhuvanallokah
punaravartinorjuna,
Mamupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na
vidyate
O son of Kunti (i.e., Arjuna)! Beings in all
parts of the universe are subject to reincarnation. Attaining me,
however, there is no birth again. (Chapter 8, verse 16).
Bereavement
Om Madhu vata ritayate. Madhu ksharanti
sindhavah. Madhvirnah satvoshadhih . . . . Madhumanno vanaspatih.
Madhumanastu suryah.
OM. May the winds bring us happiness. May the
rivers carry happiness to us. May the herbs the trees give us
happiness. May the sun pour down happiness on us. (Taittiriya
Aranyaka, 10/39).
Oblation to Forefathers
(Tarpan)
Om ye bandhava abandhava
va
Yenya janmani
bandhavah,
Te sarve
triptimayantu
Maddattenambuna
svadha.
Om a-Brahma-stamba-paryantam yagat
tripyatu.
OM. Whosoever is my friend or foe, or was my
friend in some previous life, let all of them be satisfied with my
offering of water.
OM. May the whole universe be
satisfied.
Prayers
In the Hindu system, there is little room
for innovations in group prayers, which consist in recitations of
mantras or other sayings and singing of devotional songs. Here are
some examples of a few prayers in Sanskrit recited in Hindu homes
and temples everyday.
Sarve bhavantu sukhinah sarve santu
niramayah,
Sarve bhadraani
pashyantu
Ma kashchit duhkhabhag
bhavet.
Om shantih, shantih,
shantih.
May everybody be happy. May all be free
from ailments. May they see what is auspicious. May no one be
subject to misery. May there be peace, peace and peace.
Om asato ma
sadgamaya,
Tamaso ma
jyotirgamaya,
Mrityor ma amritam
gamaya.
OM. Lead us from the unreal to the real,
from darkness to light, from death to immortality. (Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad 1/3/28).
Om bhurbhuvah svah tat-savitur-varenyam bhargo
devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat
Om.
OM. Let us meditate on the desired luster of the
creator of the universe who may kindly give directions to our
intellect. OM. (Rig-veda 3/62/10).
Yo devognau yopsu yo vishvam
bhuvanam-avivesha,
Ya oshadhishu yo vanaspatishu tasmai
devaya namo namah.
Salutations to the God who is in fire,
water, herbs and trees, and who pervades the whole universe.
(Shvetashvatara Upanishad 2/17).
Ya atmada balada yasya
vishva
Upasate prashisham yasya
devah,
Yasya chhayamritam yasya
mrityuh
Kasmai devayaa havisha
vidhema.
Who else do we offer our sacrifice to,
other than the God who is the giver of the inner essence and
strength, whose command all powers obey, whose shadow is fullness,
and death is verily His? (Rig-veda 10/121/2).
Tvameva mata cha pita
tvameva
Tvameva bandhushcha sakha
tvameva,
Tvameva vidya dravinam
tvameva
Tvameva sarvam mama devadeva.
You alone are my mother, O Lord of lords,
you alone are my father, friend and close companion, you alone are
my knowledge and wealth, you alone are my all in all. (Prapanna Gita
28).
Om janami dharmam na
cha me pravrittih,
Janamyadharmam na cha me
nivrittih
Tvaya Hrishikesha, hridi
sthitena
Yatha niyuktosmi tatha
karomi.
I know what is right, but I have little
inclination toward it. I know what is wrong, but I can hardly
refrain myself from it. O my Lord, you reside in my heard, I will do
whatever you want me to (Prapanna Gita 57).
Mukam karoti
vachalam
Pangum langhayate
girim,
Yat-kripa tamaham
vande
Paramananda-Madhavam.
I bow down to Madhav (Krishna), the quintessence
of bliss, whose grace makes the mute eloquent and the cripple cross
mountains, (Ramanuja).
Some Other Sayings
Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam-cha
Samanyam-etad
pashubhir-naranam,
Dharmo hi tesham adhiko
visheshah
Dharmena hinah pashubhih
samanah.
Eating, sleeping, mating and feeling
afraid are features common between man and animal. The former has
religion as an extra distinguishing factor, bereft of which he is
nothing but an animal. (Hitopadesha).
Matrivat
para-dareshu
Paradravyeshu
loshtravat,
Atmavat
sarvabhuteshu
Yah pashyati sa
panditah.
He indeed is a wise man who looks upon
others’ wives as mothers, others’ possessions as but lumps of clay,
and all beings as oneself.
(Hitopadesha).
Dharmo rakshati rakshitah.
Religion, when protected, protects. (Mahabharata
3/312/128).
Vasudhaiva kutumbakam
The world is but one family.
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