Prayer in Hinduism

rdf:langString Prayer in Hinduism

rdf:langString Prayer (Sanskrit: प्रार्थना, romanized: prārthanā) is considered to be an integral part of the Hindu religion; it is practiced during Hindu worship (puja) and is an expression of devotion (bhakti). The chanting of mantras is the most popular form of worship in Hinduism. Yoga and meditation are also considered as a form of devotional service. In Hinduism, there are three path or ways for the worship of God: Karma yoga, Jnana yoga, and Bhakti yoga. In Karma, it is all about our karma, actions, intentions,intuitions, motives and reactions. In Dnyan Yoga, Abhyas, Shastra charcha, Dnyan Upasana is more important. And in Bhakti Yoga, there are many simple and religious ways to do upasana of God, such as Stuti, Mantra Gan, Ved Pathan, Kurti pujan, Advait Upasana, and meditation. The Vedas are a collection of liturgy (mantras, hymns). Stuti is a general term for devotional literary compositions, but literally means praise. The Hindu devotional Bhakti movements emphasises repetitive prayer, called japa. Stemming from the universal Soul or Brahman, prayer is focused on the personal forms of Devas and/or Devis, such as Vishnu, or Vishnu's Avatars, Rama and Krishna, Shiva or Shiva's sons such as Karthik and Ganesh as well as Shakti, or Shakti's forms such as Lakshmi or Kali. Ganesha is also a popular deity in bhakti. Before the process of ritual, before the invoking of different deities for the fulfillment of various needs, came the human aspiration to the highest truth, the foundational monism of Hinduism, pertaining ultimately to the one Brahman. Brahman, which summarily can be called the unknowable, true, infinite, and blissful Divine Ground, is the source and being of all existence from which the cosmos springs. This is the essence of the Vedic system. The Gayatri mantra was part and parcel of all the Vedic ceremonies and continues to be invoked even today in Hindu temples all over India and other countries around the world, and exemplifies this essence.