What are your favorite prayers?

[Sahasranama]

What are your favorite prayers you use in puja? What mantras, chalisas, shlokas, stotras, kathas, suktas do you like to use on a regular basis for your personal worship?

[Ashvati]

Om namah shivaaya

om rudraaya namah

hari om namah shivaaya

om gan ganapataye namo namah

om aim hrim klim camundayai vicche


I also recently was told of one that goes something like "radha krishna priya sakyuh (or sakyah, not sure because of the handwriting) om namah shivaaya", and the person who gave it to me had said "wanna know a mantra that helps with women?". Can anyone recognise this mantra and maybe verify its purpose?

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: This one or versions of it.

mantra-hinam kriya-hinam
bhakti-hinam janardana
yat pujitam maya deva
paripurnam tad astu me vidhi-hinam mantra-hinam
yat kinchid upapaditam
kriya-mantra-vihinam va
tat sarvam ksantum arhasi
ajnanad athava jnanad
ashubam yan maya krtam
ksantum arhasi tat sarvam
dasyenaiva grhana mam
sthitih seva gatir yatra
smritish cinta stutir vacah
bhuyat sarvatmana vishno
madiyam tvayi ceshtitam
aparadha sahasrani
kriyante har nisham maya
daso 'ham iti mam matva
ksamasva madhusudana
pratijna tava govinda
na me bhakta pranasyati
iti samsmrtya samsmrtya
pranan samdharayamy aham
kva caham kitavah papo
brahma ghno nirapatrapah
kva ca narayatety etad
bhagavan nama mangalam
na dharma-nistho 'smi na catma vedi
na bhaktimams tvac-caranaravinde
akincano 'nanya-gatih sharanya
tvat-pada-mulam sharanam prapadya
"I am not a virtuous person, fixed in the principles of
religious conduct, and neither am I a great
transcendentalist, awakened to spiritual knowledge. In
addition to this, I have not the slightest trace of devotion
for Your lotus feet. O refuge of the devotees, although
I am so unqualified, please permit me to take shelter under
your lotus feet, for I am now lost in this material world,
I do not possess anything of value, and I have no place
to turn."


Aum Namasivaya

[Sahasranama]

Thank you both for posting beautiful mantras and shlokas.

Ashvanti, I am sorry, I do not recognise the radha krishna priya sakyuh mantra.

Om gang ganapataye namo nama is generally chanted without the namo in between.

One stotra that I really like is the ramaraksha stotra, I invite you to listen to this stotra for a blissful experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wZrXQJbqbU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b_1zB6ZLXY&feature=related


asya śrīrāmarakṣāstotramaṃtrasya . budhakauśika ṛṣiḥ .
śrīsītārāmacaṃdro devatā . anuṣṭup chaṃdaḥ .
sītā śaktiḥ . śrīmad hanumāna kīlakam .
śrīrāmacaṃdraprītyarthe rāmarakṣāstotrajape viniyogaḥ ..

.. atha dhyānam ..

dhyāyedājānubāhuṃ dhṛtaśaradhanuṣaṃ baddhapadmāsanastham .
pītaṃ vāso vasānaṃ navakamaladalaspardhinetraṃ prasannam .
vāmāṃkārūḍha sītāmukhakamalamilallocanaṃ nīradābham .
nānālaṃkāradīptaṃ dadhatamurujaṭāmaṃḍanaṃ rāmacaṃdram ..

.. iti dhyānam ..

caritaṃ raghunāthasya śatakoṭi pravistaram .
ekaikamakṣaraṃ puṃsāṃ mahāpātakanāśanam .. 1..

dhyātvā nīlotpalaśyāmaṃ rāmaṃ rājīvalocanam .
jānakīlakṣmaṇopetaṃ jaṭāmukuṭamaṃḍitam .. 2..

sāsitūṇadhanurbāṇapāṇiṃ naktaṃcarāntakam .
svalīlayā jagatrātuṃ āvirbhūtaṃ ajaṃ vibhum .. 3..

rāmarakṣāṃ paṭhetprāj¤aḥ pāpaghnīṃ sarvakāmadām .
śirome rāghavaḥ pātu bhālaṃ daśarathātmajaḥ .. 4..

kausalyeyo dṛśau pātu viśvāmitrapriyaśrutī .
ghrāṇaṃ pātu makhatrātā mukhaṃ saumitrivatsalaḥ .. 5..

jivhāṃ vidyānidhiḥ pātu kaṃṭhaṃ bharatavaṃditaḥ .
skaṃdhau divyāyudhaḥ pātu bhujau bhagneśakārmukaḥ .. 6..

karau sītāpatiḥ pātu hṛdayaṃ jāmadagnyajita .
madhyaṃ pātu kharadhvaṃsī nābhiṃ jāmbavadāśrayaḥ .. 7..

sugrīveśaḥ kaṭī pātu sakthinī hanumatprabhuḥ .
ūrū raghūttamaḥ pātu rakṣaḥkulavināśakṛt .. 8..

jānunī setukṛtpātu jaṃghe daśamukhāntakaḥ .
pādau bibhīṣaṇaśrīdaḥ pātu rāmokhilaṃ vapuḥ .. 9..

etāṃ rāmabalopetāṃ rakṣāṃ yaḥ sukṛtī paṭhet .
sa cirāyuḥ sukhī putrī vijayī vinayī bhavet .. 10..

pātālabhūtalavyomacāriṇaśchadmacāriṇaḥ .
na draṣṭumapi śaktāste rakṣitaṃ rāmanāmabhiḥ .. 11..

rāmeti rāmabhadreti rāmacaṃdreti vā smaran .
naro na lipyate pāpaiḥ bhuktiṃ muktiṃ ca vindati .. 12..

jagajaitraikamaṃtreṇa rāmanāmnābhirakṣitam .
yaḥ kaṃṭhe dhārayettasya karasthāḥ sarvasiddhayaḥ .. 13..

vajrapaṃjaranāmedaṃ yo rāmakavacaṃ smareta .
avyāhatāj¤aḥ sarvatra labhate jayamaṃgalam .. 14..

ādiṣṭavān yathā svapne rāmarakṣāṃmimāṃ haraḥ .
tathā likhitavān prātaḥ prabhuddho budhakauśikaḥ .. 15..

ārāmaḥ kalpavṛkṣāṇāṃ virāmaḥ sakalāpadām .
abhirāmastrilokānāṃ rāmaḥ śrīmān sa naḥ prabhuḥ .. 16..

taruṇau rūpasaṃpannau sukumārau mahābalau .
puṃḍarīkaviśālākṣau cīrakṛṣṇājināmbarau .. 17..

phalamūlāśinau dāntau tāpasau brahmacāriṇau .
putrau daśarathasyaitau bhrātarau rāmalakṣmaṇau .. 18..

śaraṇyau sarvasattvānāṃ śreṣṭhau sarvadhanuṣmatām .
rakṣaḥ kulanihaṃtārau trāyetāṃ no raghūttamau .. 19..

āttasajjadhanuṣāviṣuspṛśāvakṣayāśuganiṣaṃgasaṃginau .
rakṣaṇāya mama rāmalakṣmaṇāvagrataḥ pathi sadaiva gacchatām .. 20..

sannaddhaḥ kavacī khaḍgī cāpabāṇadharo yuvā .
gacchanmanorathosmākaṃ rāmaḥ pātu salakṣmaṇaḥ .. 21..

rāmo dāśarathiḥ śūro lakṣmaṇānucaro balī .
kākutsthaḥ puruṣaḥ pūrṇaḥ kausalyeyo raghuttamaḥ .. 22..

vedāntavedyo yaj¤eśaḥ purāṇapuruṣottamaḥ .
jānakīvallabhaḥ śrīmāna aprameya parākramaḥ .. 23..

ityetāni japannityaṃ madbhaktaḥ śraddhayānvitaḥ .
aśvamedhādhikaṃ puṇyaṃ saṃprāpnoti na saṃśayaḥ .. 24..

rāmaṃ durvādalaśyāmaṃ padmākṣaṃ pītavāsasam .
stuvaṃti nāmabhirdivyaiḥ na te saṃsāriṇo naraḥ .. 25..

rāmaṃ lakṣmaṇapūrvajaṃ raghuvaraṃ sītāpatiṃ suṃdaram .
kākutsthaṃ karuṇārṇavaṃ guṇanidhiṃ viprapriyaṃ dhārmikam .
rājeṃdraṃ satyasaṃdhaṃ daśarathatanayaṃ śyāmalaṃ śāṃtamūrtim .
vaṃde lokābhirāmaṃ raghukulatilakaṃ rāghavaṃ rāvaṇārim .. 26..

rāmāya rāmabhadrāya rāmacaṃdrāya vedhase .
raghunāthāya nāthāya sītāyāḥ pataye namaḥ .. 27..

śrīrāma rāma raghunaṃdana rāma rāma .
śrīrāma rāma bharatāgraja rāma rāma .
śrīrāma rāma raṇakarkaśa rāma rāma .
śrīrāma rāma śaraṇaṃ bhava rāma rāma .. 28..

śrīrāmacaṃdracaraṇau manasā smarāmi .
śrīrāmacaṃdracaraṇau vacasā gṛṇāmi .
śrīrāmacaṃdracaraṇau śirasā namāmi .
śrīrāmacaṃdracaraṇau śaraṇaṃ prapadye .. 29..

mātā rāmo matpitā rāmacaṃdraḥ .
svāmī rāmo matsakhā rāmacaṃdraḥ .
sarvasvaṃ me rāmacaṃdro dayāluḥ .
nānyaṃ jāne naiva jāne na jāne .. 30..

dakṣiṇe lakṣmaṇo yasya vāme tu janakātmajā .
purato mārutiryasya taṃ vaṃde raghunaṃdanam .. 31..

lokābhirāmaṃ raṇaraṃgadhīram .
rājīvanetraṃ raghuvaṃśanātham .
kāruṇyarūpaṃ karuṇākaraṃ tam .
śrīrāmacaṃdram śaraṇaṃ prapadye .. 32..

manojavaṃ mārutatulyavegam .
jitendriyaṃ buddhimatāṃ variṣṭham .
vātātmajaṃ vānarayūthamukhyam .
śrīrāmadūtaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadye .. 33..

kūjaṃtaṃ rāma rāmeti madhuraṃ madhurākṣaram .
āruhya kavitāśākhāṃ vaṃde vālmīkikokilam .. 34..

āpadāṃ apahartāraṃ dātāraṃ sarvasaṃpadām .
lokābhirāmaṃ śrīrāmaṃ bhūyo bhūyo namāmyaham .. 35..

bharjanaṃ bhavabījānāṃ arjanaṃ sukhasampadām .
tarjanaṃ yamadūtānāṃ rāma rāmeti garjanam .. 36..

rāmo rājamaṇiḥ sadā vijayate rāmaṃ rameśaṃ bhaje .
rāmeṇābhihatā niśācaracamū rāmāya tasmai namaḥ .
rāmānnāsti parāyaṇaṃ parataraṃ rāmasya dāsosmyaham .
rāme cittalayaḥ sadā bhavatu me bho rāma māmuddhara .. 37..

rāma rāmeti rāmeti rame rāme manorame .
sahasranāma tattulyaṃ rāmanāma varānane .. 38..

[harekrishna]

What are your favorite prayers you use in puja? What mantras, chalisas, shlokas, stotras, kathas, suktas do you like to use on a regular basis for your personal worship?

I like many, use them. One of my favorites is from Ramcharitamanas of Tulsidas. Tulsi makes Rama worship Shiva ( probably to bring the two sects together). What follows is the Bhakti of Tulsi, now turned to Shiva.
It goes like -

Namamishamisam nirvanarupam vibhumvyapakam ...
I salute my Isha deva, who is the form of Nirvana, whose glorious actions fill the whole world.

I like the end verses, similar to EM's "mantrahinam kriyahinam..'

na janaami yogam japam naiva pujam
na to-aham sadaa sarvadaa shambhu tubhyam
jara janma dukhowgh tatapya manam
prabho pahi apannanamamish shambho

I dont know yoga, neither do I know how to do puja
Shambhu, I always bow my head in front of you.
In Old age, in Sorrow, in pain,
Lord even in all these, save me, I always bow my head to you.

Bhakti poems, provided much needed relief from orthodoxy. What one
needed is the devoted mindset, no knowledge, no yoga was required.
In this everyone feels enabled, and is able to realise the spiritual bliss.

Hare Krishna

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Harekrishna:

Once upon a time I was a pandaram priest, and that ending prayer got me through it. For me it was very literally true as I had no training at all but was called to 'cover' for a temporary period. It's just humility basically, and apology, which kind of covered all the mistakes I had made earlier in the rites.

Aum Namasivaya

[Sahasranama]

It's very nice to include a kshama prarthana to the pujas. We all make mistakes, even the most learned pundits will mispronounce something.

There is a very beautiful stotra for Durga where the devotee asks the mother for forgiveness: http://www.esnips.com/doc/12f31742-0c6d-4822-a539-815869e35f56

[Eric11235]

At the moment, the only mantra I use is to saraswati, which is as such

Om Eim Saraswati Swaha

I like it because its short and sweet, it is effective, and it allows for various rhythms when chanting during my meditation and practicing Japa with my mala.

I hear that another mantra that is good for obtaining desires is

Om Kama Dayinyei Namaha

I haven't tried it yet, I'm going to use my current mantra for at least 40 days
and possibly more. I have found the effects is spiritual realizations, and more detachment.

[KaliBhakta]

Om Kreem Kalikaye Namah

It is short, simple and it is incredibly calming.


And, of course, the Namaskara Mantra I have my in signature.

[TatTvamAsi]

Interesting thread. I just want to point out though that "your" and "favorite" are two things that should be avoided when doing Sadhana of any kind.

When doing pUjA, if you recite your "favorite" mantra, then, the intent of the prayer turns towards "you", a non-entity IMO, instead of the Supreme.

Instead, if one were to follow the SAstrAs and do the pUjAs based on the day, function, and/or occasion, it will be more effective, again, IMHO.

Daily japA, depending on one's svAdharmA, varies tremendously. It would be silly for a VaiSnavite to do Sri Rudram and a Saivite to do Vishnu Sahasranama just because he "likes" it.

The SataRudriyA is recited by millions of Hindus, across sectarian lines if I remember correctly, daily. It is part of the Sri Rudram (AnuvAkam 1) and is simply beautiful.

Namaskar.

[Sahasranama]

It's not necessary, unless you have had diksha. People who have had upanayana sanskaar should do sandhya vandana, gayatri japa etc. Yes, you can take the occasion in regards, like are you observing ekadashi or mahashivaratri or navaratri vrata, then you can chant different stotras.


Daily japA, depending on one's svAdharmA, varies tremendously. It would be silly for a VaiSnavite to do Sri Rudram and a Saivite to do Vishnu Sahasranama just because he "likes" it.In smarta traditions people chant both. Also in Shri Vaishnava traditions people chant the shatarudriya, but look at the mantras as a decription of Vishnu. Smartas interpret the mantra om namo bhagavate rudraya vishnave, as Vishnu and Rudra are one and Vaishnavas as the Rudra praised here is Vishnu. In the Vishnu Sahasranama there are also many names of Shiva incorperated. The vishnu sahasranama and the shatarudriya are not sectarian texts. I personally use both, since they are very powerful and beautiful mantras. Other texts like the lalitha sahasranama are a little bit more sectarian in nature. I also see no problem for a Shaiva to worship Vishnu or for a Shakta to worship Surya, these are all Hindu gods. What would be silly is if a vaishnava would start singing the psalms of the bible or shaivas would start bowing down towards mekka.


When doing pUjA, if you recite your "favorite" mantra, then, the intent of the prayer turns towards "you", a non-entity IMO, instead of the Supreme.You are offering your favorite songs to the Supreme, that means you putting some effort into it. It's written in the puranas to offer your favorite prayers and favorite items during the puja. As long as they are sattvik and not contraindicated to the deity.

There should be some time to do the regular puja, like sandhya vandana, samidhanam, guru mantra japa, ishta deva puja etc, but if you have time left I see nothing wrong with singing a stotra of your liking. People who didn't have any diksha aren't required to do nitya karma though.

There are also traditions where people vary the daily worship of the deities according the day. Swami Shivananda for example has recommended children to worship different deities on different days of the week. This differs from tradition to tradition, but some worship:
Shiva on monday, Ganesha on tuesday, Vishnu on wednesday, Dattatreya on Thursday, Devi on Friday, Hanuman on Saturday and Surya on Sunday.

I would agree that if you sit down for puja and started to chant stotras and mantras eclecticly according to your liking that would be less effective than having some sort of structure in the worship. That is not what I meant with favorite. Still you can incoperate your favorite stotras in the puja, for Shiva for example some people may like to chant the siva mahimna stotra and other would like to chant the shivananda lahari. The choise is yours.