Prayers

There are many different forms of Hindu worship, depending on the situation in which worship is being performed. For example, some communities regularly perform havan yagna, where the centre of the ritual is the vedic fire into which oblations are offered. Such ritual tends to be more common at special occasions, such as the building of a new house; at rites of passage such as initiation to study, marriage, etc., funeral rites; or certain festivals, and is rooted in the Vedic tradition that pervades most of Hinduism. However, a more common form of worship in most Hindu households is known as pooja, in which a deity/deities are venerated with the recitation of hymns (stotras), offering of flowers, incense, lamps, food and water.

A pooja is very symbolic. The many steps in the pooja are meant to engender love for God in the worshipper and it is often said of a pooja that it is a way to 'engage all of the senses in worship' - through listening to the Sanskrit hymns, the aroma of incense, seeing the deity (darshan), the customary placing one's hands over the camphor flame, and the tasting of food offered to God (prasaadam).

The specific details of the pooja vary significantly from tradition to tradition and from region to region, but here we present some common verses or shlokas which are often heard in poojas. If you would like to offer a shloka for this page, please e-mail us. Please note that this is not a structured pooja, merely a selection of verses often chanted to provide a flavour of what a pooja is like. Also we cannot guarantee the correctness of the versions of mantras given here (we would advise you to consult a qualified person in the appropriate tradition if you are concerned about this).

Note that the correct pronounciation of Sanskrit and the other Indian languages is usually held to be of particular importance when performing a pooja - to understand the transliteration shceme used in this document, click here.

Sanskrit Verses

Mantras in veneration of Ganapati

1. shrii vakratuNDa mahaakaaya suryakOTi samaprabha
   nirvighnam kuru me deva shubhakaaryEshu sarvadaa

   O, Lord Ganesha of the curved trunk and massive body, the one whose splendour is equal to millions of Suns, please bless me so that I do not face any obstacles in my endeavours.

2. agajaanana padmaarkam gajaanana maharnisham
   anEka dantam bhaktaanam Ekadantam upaasmahe

Mantras in veneration of Saraswati

1. saraswati namas-tubyam varade kaamaruupiNi
   vidyaarambham karishyaami siddhir bhavatu me sadaa

Mantras in veneration of Vishnu (also ascribed to Ganapati)

1. shuklaambaradharaM vishhNuM shashivarNaM chatur bhujaM
   prasanna vadanaM dhyaayet sarva vighnopashaantaye

2. shaantaakaaram bhujaga-shayanam padmanaabham suresham
   vishvaadhaaram gagana-sadrisham megha-varNam subha-angam
   lakshmiikaantam kamala-nayanam yogibhir-dhyaana-gamyam
   vande vishNum bhava-bhaya-haram sarva-lokaika-naatham

   (both the above appear at the start of the Vishnu Sahasranaama stotram)

   We meditate upon the master of the universe, Lord Vishnu, who is ever peaceful, who lies on the great serpent-bed, from whose navel springs the lotus of the creative power, who is the controller of the gods, whose form is the entire universe, who is all pervading as the sky, of the hue of the cloud, of fascinating beauty, the lord of Laksmi, the lotus eyed, he who dwells in the hearts of the yogis and who can be approached and perceived through meditation, he who is the destroyer of the fear of samsara.

Mantras in veneration of Rama

1. raamaaya raamabhadraaya raamachandraaya vegase
   raghunaathaaya naathaaya siitaaya pataye namaH

Mantras in veneration of one's guru

1. gurur brahma gurur vishNu
   gurur devo maheshvara
   guru saakshhaat param brahma
   tasmai shrii gurave namaH

   The Guru is none other than the creator, Lord Brahma; he verily is Lord Vishnu, the preserver, and he is truly Maheshwara, the destroyer. He is the supremem Brahman himself. To such a Guru I offer my salutations.

Venkateshwara Suprabhaatam (excerpt - chanted to Sri Venkateshwara, Lord of the Tirumala temple in Andhra Pradesh, in the morning)

1. kausalyaa suprajaa raamaa puurvaa saMdhyaa pravartate.
   uttiShTha narashaarduula kartavyam.h daivamaahnikam
   uttiShTOttiShTa gOvinda uttiShTa garuDadwaja
   uttiShTa kamalaakaantaa trailOkyam mangaLam kuru

   O Rama, son of Kausalya and dearest to the people. The dawn before sunrise is on its way. Rise, O Tiger amonst humans. Your divine duties beckon you. O Govinda, who has Garuda on his dhvaja sthambha, lord of the lotus eyed Lakshmi! Please wake to bless the three worlds for happiness and prosperity.

Mantras in veneration of Shiva

1. Aum triyambakam yajaamahe
   sughandhim pushhTivardhanam
   uurvaarukamiva bandhanaat
   mRtyOr-mukshhiiya maamRtaat

   We worship Lord Shiva the three-eyed one,
   the one who is the master of all senses
   and the one who is the sustainer of all growth.
   May he release us from the bondage of death
   as a ripened cucumber is released from its stalk
   and may he not deprive us of immortality

Gaayatri mantra (please note that some traditions require specific initiation before use of this mantra; however in others it freely chanted by all)

1. Aum bhuur bhuvassuvah
   Aum tat savitur varENyam
   bhargO dEvasya dhiimahi
   dhiyO yO nah prachOdayaat

   Aum, peace on the mortal, immortal and divine planes
   I medidate on the most brilliant splendour of the Sun God (Savitr)
   May he stimulate our intellect

   (Rig Veda - 3, 62)

If you would like to learn to perform a Hindu pooja ceremony, a booklet and cassette entiteld "Nitya Pooja Vidhi" (daily pooja instructions) is available for purchase from the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London, for £2. This is a general pooja incorporating elements common to most Hindu traditions - for more specific guidance please consult a family/local community priest in the specific tradition you are interested in.

Verses in other languages

Tiruppaavai (Tamil hymns to Vishnu and his forms, used in the southern Sri Vaishnava tradition)

1. shiTram siru kaalE vandu unnai sEvittu
   un poTraamarai aDiyE pOTrum poruL kELaay
   peTram mEyttu uNNum kulattil pirandu
   nee kuTrEval enGkaLaik koLLaamal pOhaadu
   iTraip parai koLvaan anru kaaN gOvindaa
   eTraikkum Ezh Ezh piravikkum
   un tannODu uTrOmE aavOm unakkE naam aaTsheyvOm
   maTrai nam kaamanGkaL maaTrElOr empaavaay