Prayer

"Mayest Thou (AUM)* O God, Who art (Mitra), Friend of all, (Varuna) Holiest of all, and )Aryama) Controller of the Universe, be merciful unto us. Mayest thou (Indra) O Lord Almighty, (Brihaspati) the Lord of the Universe, the Support of all, endow us with knowledge and power. Mayest thou (Vishnu) O Omnipresent and (Urukrama) Omnipotent Being, shower Thy blessings all around us." RIG VEDA. "We bow unto Thee (Brahma), O most Powerful Supreme Being. Thou alone art our Omniscient God whom we feel in the interior of our hearts. I will call Thee, Thee alone, my true God, Thy will, as truly revealed in the Vedas, will I obey and preach. I will be truthful in word, deed and thought. Thou art my shelter. Mayest thou protect me - Thy servant - who speaketh nought but truth, so that my understanding be firm in Thy Will, and never turn away from it. Thy Will is Truth and Righteousness. That which is contrary to it is Untruth and Unrighteousness. Mayest Thou again shelter and protect me.** O Lord, be merciful and grant this, my prayer, for which I shall feel grateful unto Thee for ever and ever. Peace! Peace!! Peace!!!*
(In other words) Mayest Thou free us from all pain and grief, and always guide us to the path of rectitude which leads to true happiness, because Thou alone art true Bliss. Thou showerth blessings on all and bestoweth beatutude on the truly righteous seekers after Emancipation.**



*Generally written and pronounced as 'OM'. I have, for brevity translated it into God, the detailed exposition of this word will follow later on. -Tr. ** This repetition is meant to emphasize the prayer for protection and shelter. Just as one, in ordinary language, says to another: "Go to the village go." By the repetition of the word 'go', he means to say - "go at once." Similarly, the devotee, by repeating this prayer for shelter and protection wishes to emphasize that he prays for immediate protection at His Hands, so that he may have firm faith in truth and righteousness and hate untruth and unrighteousness.   

Mayest thou, O Lord! Thyself of Thy grace, reveal Thyself in the hearts of all men whereby all may avoid sin and vice, and follow truth and virtue, and consequently, be freed from pain and sorrow, and enjoy supreme bliss.

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