Some prayers which are useful to awaken bhav (Spiritual emotion) in day-to-day life

        Prayer means pleading fervently to God. In other words, it is asking God for something with intense yearning. Prayer includes respect, love, pleading and faith. Through a prayer, a devotee expresses his helplessness and offers the doership of the task to God.

        Given ahead are some prayers related to day-to-day life, which will be useful in awakening of bhav.

        Along with prayers to the Guru and God, the prayers given ahead will be useful in making spiritual progress.

1. Prayer to the Deity of worship to improve the chanting

        O Deity, please remind me to chant, so as to facilitate my spiritual progress. May the Name I chant reach your Holy feet. May I be able to experience the immense, sweet Anand (bliss) in your Name. May my mind remain engrossed in the Anand of Your Name.

2. Prayer to the Guru for making spiritual progress

        May I learn something new about sadhana (Spiritual practice) from every incident and from each and everyone. Please teach me to perform every task as sadhana.

3. Prayer to the Deity of worship to protect from negative energies

        May negative energies not derive benefit from the chanting and sadhana that I perform. Please eliminate the negative energies that pose obstacles in my sadhana and in the Guru’s mission. Also, create a permanent protective sheath around me.

4. Prayers to various Deities according to the mission

        A few examples of these are given ahead. When praying to every Deity, one should ask for intellect and energy to be able to perform a task along with chanting, as per the expectations of the Guru.

4 A. Shri Ganapati

        O Shri Ganapati, You are the bestower of intellect and destroyer of obstacles. Please create a protective sheath around me with your noose and eliminate the obstacles in my sadhana.

4 B. Saraswatidevi

        O Saraswatidevi, You are the Deity of knowledge. Guide me appropriately to render seva (service) unto the Guru.

4 C. Vastudevata (presiding Deity of a premises)

        O Deity of this premises, You have given me shelter in this premises. It is here that I have been bestowed with the opportunity to undertake sadhana. Please protect me from all evil when practising Spirituality.

4 D. Sthandevata

        O Deity of this place, I am undertaking sadhana with Your grace, sheltered by this place which is in Your control. Please protect this place from malevolent energies and create an atmosphere conducive for my sadhana.

4 E. Deity Annapurna

        Give me strength and inspiration to undertake sadhana after partaking of the food with which I have been provided with your grace. I pray unto you to make me partake of this food amidst chanting and with bhav for the Guru.

4 F. Jaladevata

        May the Raja and Tama components reduce and the Sattva component within me increase after drinking this water, which I have obtained with Your grace.

4 G. Bhumidevata (Deity of the earth)

        It is with your support that I can survive and undertake sadhana. Just as you protect all beings by accepting their qualities and defects, so also may I become pervasive.

4 H. Agnidevata (Deity of fire)

        O Deity, destroy all my personality defects and useless thoughts, just as you incinerate everything which comes in contact with You.

4 I. Gramadevata (village Deity) and Kshetrapaldevata (guardian Deities of territories)

        O Deities, protect me from negative energies and all calamities, and make the atmosphere conducive for my sadhana.

5. Prayers to various objects with which one is constantly associated :

        The God Principle exists in all animate and inanimate creation. For rapid awakening of bhav for God, it is important to have awareness about the God Principle continuously. It is beneficial to live life with this emotion. One needs to have a bhav that the Divine Principle exists in all creation. By praying to objects used in day-to-day life, this bhav develops faster. Here, the objects generally used by an average seeker at some point during the day have been discussed. The prayers made unto them will help one to frame prayers for other objects as well.

5 A. Chair / mat

        O chair, you do not belong to me; rather, you are my Guru’s seat. May I develop an encompassing nature with which you incorporate everyone ignoring his or her qualities and defects.

5 B. Watch

        It is with your grace that I can plan my day’s schedule. You always remind me of the present. May all the seva I render occur as per the schedule.

5 C. Pen, pencil, eraser, notebook, writing pad, diary, etc.

        I am able to study Spirituality because of you. Just as you sacrifice yourselves for the sake of others, may I too be able to sacrifice myself in the seva of the Guru and impart spiritual knowledge to other seekers.

5 D. Food items used in the kitchen

        All of you offer yourselves in the preparation of nourishing meals for others, after consumption of which they are able to undertake sadhana. I pray, I too may be able to render seva unto the Guru such that it will be conducive for the sadhana of others.

5 E. Vehicles

        I pray to you to bestow me with benevolent intellect to enhance my sadhana with the precious time and energy I have saved by using you.

Reference : Sanatan Sanstha’s Holy Text on ‘Spiritual Practice for awakening Spiritual Emotion’.