Why Pray!!!

This morning as I was saying my daily prayer a thought that was going in my mind is 'why do we pray'?How prayer helps us.Most of the times we do not know or understand the meaning of the shlokas that we say becuase it is all in Sanskrit and many of us do not know sanskrit.Inspite of this fact what is worth appreciating is the satisfaction and the peace of mind after prayers.Isn't it amazing that something we do not understand can give us so much happiness, joy and peace of mind.Imagine our happiness and joy if we understood!!!
There is a lot of hesitation in our mind when it comes to reading Baghwad Gita or Srimad Baghavatham and many times our mind prompts us and tells us 'no this is not for you,it is very difficult'.....
While these thoughts were going on in the mind I was reminded of a very beautiful story which I read sometime back.
Read on.....

'An old Farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Bhagavat Geeta. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could. One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavad-Gita just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading? theBhagavat Geeta do?" The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back basket of water." The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it is useless!" "So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out. "Son, that's what happens when you read the Bhagavat Geeta. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out.'

So this is what regular prayer& chanting of scriptures like Baghvath Gita and Srimad Baghavatham does to us, It does not matter at all if we do not understand.Just chanting can cleanse the system.Another story which comes to my mind in this context is:

'There lived in Srirangam a very simple man who loved the Baghvath Gita and his day was incomplete if he did not read the Gita.Unfortunately he did not know sanskrit and so was not able to read it with the right pronunciation.The learned brahmins of Srirangam discourage him and ridiculed him for reading in his broken way and shooed him from the place.The brahmin, unable to give up his reading goes to a corner of the temple where no one will notice him and continues with his chanting of the Baghavth Gita tears rolling down his cheeks.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is visiting the temple quietly stands behind this brahmin and listens to this brahmin chanting the Gita, and observes the tears rolling down his cheeks.After a while the brahmin realises someone is observing him and asks Mahaprabhu to forgive him for reading.Mahaprabhu asks him why he is crying while reading, when he cannot understand and when he does not even know to read fluently without mistakes.
The brahmin in total sincerity tells him ,swami, "This is the Gita of the Lord,I see Krishna holding the reins of the chariot, I see Arjuna kneeling and that is why tears flow down my cheeks"Mahaprabhu Chaitanya tells him 'you have understoood the Gita comletely'!!
"That is the work of Krishna in our lives"!!!!

"Celebrate life,Care for others and share what you have with those less fortunate than you.Broaden your vision,for the whole world belongs to you."


Stay tuned.......

Jai Guru Dev!!!