Prayers

Prayers

Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanand Maharaj

Blessed Divinity

Universal Prayer


O Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love !
Salutations and prostrations unto Thee.
Thou art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.
Thou art Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute.
Thou art the Indweller of all beings.

Grant us an understanding heart,
Equal vision, balanced mind,
Faith, devotion and wisdom.
Grant us inner spiritual strength
To resist temptation and to control the mind.
Free us from egoism, lust, greed, hatred, anger and jealousy.
Fill our hearts with divine virtues.

Let us behold Thee in all these names and forms.
Let us serve Thee in all these names and forms.
Let us ever remember Thee.
Let us ever sing Thy glories.
Let Thy Name be ever on our lips.
Let us abide in Thee for ever and ever.

— Swami Sivananda

Prayer


O All-Merciful Lord! Time is fleeting. The senses are revolting. The mind is jumping. Maya is deluding. The three fires are burning. The five afflictions are tormenting. Friends are disturbing. Diseases are troubling. The heat of the summer is scorching. Flies, mosquitoes, bugs and scorpions are teasing. The charms of the world are tempting. I can neither concentrate nor meditate. I cannot do anything in the spiritual path without Thy benign grace. O Lord! Thou art an ocean of mercy. Bless me. If I get a drop from that ocean, will it dry up?

O Adorable Lord! People proclaim that Thou art Deenabandhu, Deenanath, Kripa Nidhan, Karuna Sagar, Anatha Rakshaka. Thou hast saved Ahalya, Draupadi, Prahlad, Dhruva, Gajendra, but in my case, Thou hast not done anything. I am still in pain, agony and darkness. I am crying for Thy grace and help. O absentee landlord of this world! Where hast Thou gone?

O Self-Effulgent Lord! The fish cannot live without water. The sunflower cannot live without the sun. The Pativrata cannot live without her husband. The mind cannot live without Prana. The flame of the lamp cannot burn without oil. So also, I cannot live without Thee. O Lord, come, come, enthrone Thyself in my heart. Thou art the Prana of my Pranas. Thou art the Soul of my soul.

Thou art Light Divine. Thou art Light of Knowledge. Thou art the Dispeller of darkness. Thou art the Supreme Guru. Thou art beyond the reach of mind and speech. Thou art beyond any kind of limitation. Thou art the Over-soul. Thou art the Self of this universe.

Thou art self-luminous. Thou art without parts, without actions, without limbs, without any taint or fault, without birth and death. Thou art our Father, Mother, Brother, Friend, Guru, Relative and sole Refuge. Thou art the embodiment of Peace, Bliss, Knowledge, Power, Strength and Beauty.

O All-Merciful Lord! Through Thy grace, may I realise Truth! May I always entertain sublime thoughts! May I realise myself as the Light Divine! May I serve humanity with Atma Bhav! May I be free from greed, lust, egoism, jealousy and hatred! May I behold the one sweet Immortal Self in all beings! May I realise Brahman with pure understanding!

May that Light of lights ever guide me! May He cleanse my mind of all impurities! May He inspire me! May He bestow on me power, courage and strength! May He remove the veil of the mind! May He remove all obstacles in the spiritual path! May He make my life happy and fruitful! I bow to Thee, O Lord of lords, O God of gods, O Deva of Devas, O Brahman of the Upanishads, the Support for Maya and Isvara!



Prayer to Lord Shiva


The leaves of life are falling off . Youth is fading . The days are rolling on .
Time , the destroyer , lays his hands on the whole world .
Existence in this world is as momentary as a bubble or lightening .
O lord Shiva ! Protect me .

O Lord Shiva! Who holds the begging bowl of the skull of Brahma ! Control this monkey mind which jumps at its sweet will on the branches of desires in the forest of Lust and keep it with Thee for ever .


THE SUPREME WITNESS The silent Sakshi, the Supreme Self silently looks from above the activities of the mind of the individual soul like a spectator.
He is quite indifferent and unconcerned.
He is quite unaffected like water on the lotus leaf.
The individual soul identifies himself with the body and mind, works and enjoys the sensual objects with avidity, cupidity and stupidity and is bound thereby.


Song of Eighteen “Ities”
By
Swami Sivananda



For everyone’s success in life and especially for an aspirant’s success in spiritual life, it is essential that he should develop certain cardinal virtues. Virtue is strength, power and the key to peace. A virtuous man is ever happy, peaceful and prosperous. People ask me for the specific mention of the virtues that one should develop. The Song of Eighteen “Ities” enumerates the virtues that one should cultivate.

Take up any one virtue and develop it to a very high degree of perfection; eradicate in toto its opposite evil quality even in its most subtle form. Meditate on these virtues, on their benefits and the methods of cultivating them. Here is the Song of Eighteen “Ities”:


Serenity, regularity, absence of vanity,
Sincerity, simplicity, veracity,
Equanimity, fixity, non-irritability,
Adaptability, humility, tenacity,
Integrity, nobility, magnanimity,
Charity, generosity, purity.
Practice daily these eighteen ‘ities’,
You will soon attain immortality.
Brahman is the only real entity,
Mr. So and so is a false non-entity.
You will abide in eternity and infinity;
You will behold unity in diversity;
You cannot attain this in the university.
You can attain this in the Forest University.

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Fourth Stage

Prayers – Devotion, Surrender, and Inner Peace