“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty.” (Bhagavad-gita, 10.12)

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अर्जुन उवाच
परं ब्रह्म परं धाम पवित्रं परमं भवान्
पुरुषं शाश्वतं दिव्यमादिदेवमजं विभुम्

arjuna uvāca
paraṃ brahma paraṃ dhāma pavitraṃ paramaṃ bhavān
puruṣaṃ śāśvataṃ divyamādidevamajaṃ vibhum

The setting is two friends engaging in a casual discussion. The topic turns to shastra, and particularly Vedic texts such as Bhagavata Purana, Bhagavad-gita, Ramayana, and other similar works falling in the category of the mode of goodness, sattva-guna. These works tend to focus on the singular Personality of Godhead, Lord Vishnu, and His avataras.

The one friend has an issue with prayer itself. One of the central teachings to the culture is this idea of all-pervasiveness. One way to tell the difference between the individual and God is the limited range of consciousness. I am only conscious of what goes on inside of me. If I want to know what happens elsewhere, I require assistance. Someone either has to tell me or I have to extend access through artificial means, such as the telephone, a boom microphone, a video recorder, and so forth.

God is antaryami. He witnesses everything. He knows what is taking place in every corner of the world. He knows all that has occurred in the past and what will take place in the future. He knows not only the history of His many appearances in this world, but also the history of every living being.

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि
जन्मानि तव चार्जुन
तान्य् अहं वेद सर्वाणि
न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
bahūni me vyatītāni
janmāni tava cārjuna
tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

“The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!” (Bhagavad-gita, 4.5)

Considering this divergence in ability, the first friend wonders what the need is for prayer. They ask why anything has to be outwardly expressed. If Vishnu already witnesses, if He is already privy to my thoughts, why would any person feel compelled to offer prayers?

The second friend takes a minute to ponder the challenge. They never considered prayer to be a burden. They never thought it to be superfluous, unnecessary, or unwarranted. Rather than castigate their friend, they decide to respond with a few rhetorical questions. Through this review, they hope to highlight the tendency which is natural for every individual. As it is a tendency which can define them, it is like their dharma.

1. Do you decorate your house?

“I know people make jokes about the difference between the apartment of a bachelor and the one of the married man. The first likely has little furniture. The refrigerator might be empty. No paintings hanging on the walls. No way to tell the difference between the various seasons of the year; no celebration of festivals.

“But in all seriousness, why do you have any decorations in your home? Why do you feel the need to stand out? Why does the living room have to be distinct from the bedroom? Why do people follow this tendency?”

2. Do you try to speak nicely?

“I get a chuckle when reading the last two lines of every job posting in the field of information technology. The hiring manager always feels the need to emphasize the requirement for excellent communication skills. As if everyone else is just expecting a complete lack of ability to express ideas and thoughts.

“I am sure you get where I am going with this. Why does anyone speak nicely? Why not just yell, curse, and scream? Why are the people living on the streets considered to be uncivilized? What is to be gained by using nice words? Why should that be something expected of an intelligent person? Why are culture and civility associated with the nature of language spoken?”

3. Do you ever regret your actions?

“Have you ever done something wrong? Is there a lasting memory of a grave mistake you committed? Is there something you wish to tell someone else? Do you want them to know how sorry you are, that you never meant to cause offense?”

4. Do you ever offer appreciation for a favor received?

“Has someone ever done something nice for you? Have you ever held onto a memory of such assistance? Do you feel like there is no way to repay the favor? Do you ever feel eternally indebted to someone else? Do you ever want to express that appreciation in words? When writing down that appreciation, do you take the time to make sure those words are properly presented, such that they will be more warmly received? Do you stress over the need to have the words accurately convey your deeply held sentiments?”

5. Do you ever want to praise someone?

“You see these debates raging online. Which player is the greatest of all-time in a particular sport? Which one is the best? You have these supporters creating slideshows and video compilations of all of the amazing achievements of their preferred athlete.

“Why would they do that? Why would they dedicate so much time to standing up for someone who likely has no idea who they are? Why do people take the time to conduct a comparative analysis simply to prop one person up? Why do they feel the need to compare?”

…

It is for these reasons and more that devotees offer prayers. Through those kind words, through those humble submissions, through those wonderful offerings any person can gain insight into a topic which is otherwise considered too difficult to understand. As Vishnu is ananta, or unlimited, so are His glories. As Arjuna declared in Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Lord is the supreme pure, pavitram paramam, and also the greatest resting place, param dhama. That resting place can accept our prayers, appreciate them, and continue to reward us with His association.

In Closing:

Since my illusion dispelled,
To reciprocate compelled.

Since my fortunes to save,
And everything to me gave.

Since steady as friend standing,
In whichever circumstance landing.

Praying always to You,
Today and tomorrow too.

Categories: the five

Tags: bhakti, god, hare krishna, krishna book, poem, poems, poetry, prayers, religion