The Art of Prayer
As devotees of Krsna, we should know about prayer. Different acaryas teach different ways of praying. Srila Rupa Gosvami has instructed us to pray in three ways. The first way is dainya-bodhika, which means something like an apology. It is the mood where the devotee realizes his or her imperfections and weaknesses and then offers prayers, expressing their fallen state and seeking for forgiveness and improvement. You come before Krsna and, first of all, you bow down. That is a good place to start. You don’t walk in with pride, displaying your new dress and some of your most extreme tattoos. You come in a different mood: “O my Lord, I am weak, I have many imperfections”.
The next step in a prayer session is lalasa-mayi, which means a request, something you are asking for. Srila Prabhupada says in chapter 9 Nectar of Devotion that when one develops a spontaneous attachment to Krsna, they may pray for a particular spiritual perfection or service in the spiritual world. The prayer quoted there as an example is from Narada Pañcaratra:
“My dear Lord, O lotus-eyed one, when will that day come when on the bank of the Yamuna I shall become just like a madman and continue to chant Your holy name while incessant tears flow from my eyes?”
Here a devotee, after having apologized for his or her past or present mistakes, they now request the Lord to be engaged in some service. Interestingly, the devotee wants to come to the bank of the Yamuna. What does he or she want to do? They want to do what they have done in this world – to chant and dance like a madman. But they want to do this with love, while incessant tears flow from their eyes. They say, “No dry kirtan any longer for me, I want to chant for You.”
Now, there is a third category in which prayer can be done. It is called samprarthanatmika. These are prayers of total submission. Therein a devotee prays for complete dedication of body, mind and words in the Lord’s service. For instance like this prayer from Padma Purana:
“My Lord, I know that young girls have natural affection for young boys, and that young boys have natural affection for young girls. I am praying at Your lotus feet that my mind may become attracted unto You in the same spontaneous way.”
The attraction between young boys and young girls is natural. We are built as human beings with these attractions, it flows naturally from us. No one needs to learn that in school. The point here is submission. When there is a blossoming of an affectionate relationship between young boys and girls, and they are becoming closer to each other, then there will be a submission to each other. They will try to serve or please one another. Perhaps they will bring items and cook for the other person, etc. That is natural. So the devotee wants to say: “I want to become attracted to You in that same way.” To, in a natural, not forced way, serve Krsna.
The art of prayer is about these three steps.
Form a lecture by Sacinandana Swami at Radhadesh, Sep 15, 2023.
Srila Prabhupada: Only the relationship with Krsna will bring peace
If one is not in Krsna consciousness, there cannot be a final goal for the mind. Disturbance is due to want of an ultimate goal, and when one is certain that Krsna is the enjoyer, proprietor and friend of everyone and everything, then one can, with a steady mind, bring about peace. Therefore, one who is engaged without a relationship with Krsna is certainly always in distress and is without peace, however much he may make a show of peace and spiritual advancement in life. Krsna consciousness is a self-manifested peaceful condition which can be achieved only in relationship with Krsna.
From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Bhagavad-gita 2.66