Prayer in Hinduism

The Sanskrit word for prayer, prārthanā (Sanskrit: प्रार्थना) is derived from adding a prefix and suffix to the verbal root artha which means "to request". The prefix pra is added which means complete, and a suffix na which converts the verbal form into a feminine noun. The word prārthanā has a deeper meaning and connotation in Hinduism, but the simplest translation is prayer or seeking.

The earliest expressions of prayer in Hinduism are rooted in the ancient Vedic hymns. Eventually these hymns materialized into devotional literature. In the post-classical era, Hindu prayer encompasses an array of practices. These practices include, daily individual chanting, specialized prayers to deities, and fire rituals, such as yajnas. Over time, the prayers and methods of prayer have continued to adapt and evolve to meet the needs of the diaspora and the evolving world.

Prayer in Hindu tradition is connected with ritual worship(puja) and devotion(bhakti). Scholars note that Hinduism lays importance on following rituals and practices (orthopraxy) than just on beliefs or religious doctrines. Therefore, prayer is usually not practiced separately from religious rituals. Devotional prayer is expressed through activities such as offerings during puja, repeating sacred words or mantras(japa), singing devotional songs(bhajan or kīrtan), and meditation (dhyāna).

Puja

Puja is the primary ritual activity in contemporary Hinduism. It consists of offering vegetarian items , such as flowers, incense, light, water, fruit, and cooked food, to a deity represented by an icon or image(murti). Puja is conducted in private domestic shrines as well as in public temples(mandir) by householders or priests(pujari). Elaborate temple puja follows established sequences recorded in medieval manuals(paddhati) and Agamic/Tantric scriptures.

• Abhiseka: The ritual bathing and anointing of the image with substances such as sesame oil, milk, curd, ghee, or honey.
• Adornment: Dressing the deity in garments, garlands, and sacred powders(kunkuma, sandlewood paste, or sacred ash).
• Naivedya /Bhoga: Offering cooked food or sweets to the deity.
• Arati: the waving of lighted oil lamps or burning camphor before the image accompanied by hymns, ringing bells and music.

During puja, the prayers and chants used are:

• Sacred Mantras and seed Syllables: Priests and worshippers recite mantras -sacred verses believed to possess inherent power- during key ritual stages like anointing the images(abhiseka) and arati. These recitations incorporate the primary seed syllable(bija) Om.
• Diety-Specific invocations and vedic verses: Diety-specific chants, such as the Saiva mantra- Om Namah Śivāya or the Vaisnava- Hare Krsna mantra and the vedic texts like the Gāyatrī Mantra
• Devotional Music(Bhajan and Kīrtan): Ritual offerings are accompanied by congregational singing of devotional hymns(bhajans and kīrtan).

Mantra and Japa

A mantra is a word, phrase or verse, predominantly in sanskrit, recited for ritual, spiritual or protective purposes. The repetitive recitation of a mantra is known as japa. There are three modes of japa.

• Silent or mental repetition(manasika): Generally conducted in meditation using a rosary(mala) to count recitations.
• Vocal recitation: Chanted aloud or whispered.
• Written repetition: Writing a selected mantra repeatedly in dedicated notebooks.

Key mantras recited are -

• Om (Aum): The primary seed syllable(bija), regarded in the Upnishads as the acoustic expression of the absolute reality (brahman).
• Gayatri Mantra: A sacred vedic verse (Rigveda 3.62.10) addressed to Savitr.
• Sectarian mantras: Deity-specific invocations, such as Saiva and Vaisnava mantra

Bhajan and kirtan

Devotional prayer is central to the bhakti(loving devotion) traditions of Hinduism. Bhakti emphasizes on an emotional relationship between the worshipper and a personal deity(ista-devata).

Devotional prayer takes musical forms like-

• Bhajan: Hymns of praise sung individually or collectively, often accompanied by musical instruments.
• Kirtan: Congregational singing and chanting of divine names and verses.
• Stotra: Verses of praise composed in sanskrit or regional vernacular like Satarudriya(hundred names of Rudra), an ancient vedic hymn still recited in Saiva temples.

Described in the Bhagavad Gita, bhakti yoga is the path of love and devotion. On bhakti yoga:

".... those who, renouncing all actions in Me, and regarding Me as the Supreme, worship Me... of those whose thoughts have entered into Me, I am soon the deliverer from the ocean of death and transmigration, Arjuna. Keep your mind on Me alone, your intellect on Me. Thus you shall dwell in Me hereafter."

,  Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, Verses 6-8

It is essentially the process of enlightenment found through worship of the Devas (or Devi, the feminine form of Deva), in whatever form one envisions. Prayer is achieved through puja (worship) performed either at the family shrine or a local temple. We can see from Krishna's injunction that prayer is fundamental to Hinduism, that to dwell constantly on the Divine is key to enlightenment. Prayer repetition (through mantras) using malas (Hindu prayer beads) is a strong part of Hinduism.

The devotionalist Bhakti movement originated in South India in the Early Middle Ages, and by the Late Middle Ages spread throughout the subcontinent, giving rise to Sant Mat and Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Gayatri mantra

The Gayatri mantra is Hinduism's most representative prayer. Many Hindus recite it on a daily basis, not only contemplating its straightforward meaning, but also dwelling on and imbibing its sound, regarded to be pregnant with spiritual meaning. For this reason nearly all Hindu prayers and mantras are sung. The Gayatri mantra was first recorded in the Rigveda which was composed in Sanskrit about 2500 to 3500 years ago, and by some reports, the mantra may have been chanted for many generations before that.

Mahatma Gandhi stated that:

"Prayer is the very soul and essence of religion, and therefore prayer must be the very core of the life of man."