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Prayer Power

Before beginning Japa

Before beginning your Japa session, remember your Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada and the disciplic succession and offer prayers to them.

Such meditative prayers may include:

I am by nature the eternal servant of Krsna. But because of my bad fortune, I have been inimical towards Krsna from time immemorial.  Identifying with my body, I have been continuously wandering in the cycle of birth and death in the material world, suffering the burning three-fold miseries. As a result of some unimaginable good fortune I have attained the mercy of my spiritual master, and now I know that I am Krsna’s eternal servant. I am an infinitesimal spiritual being completely apart from the gross and subtle body. I have obtained the good fortune of serving the lotus feet of Sri Guru. Under his order, I am following in his footsteps to serve the lotus feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Sri Jagannatha – Baladeva – Subhadra, Sri Sri Radha– Shyamsundara and  Sri Sita Ram Lakshman Hanuman - Pancaratra Pradipa.

Oh Vaishnava Thakura, alone I have no strength to chant the holy name of Lord Shri Hari, I beg you, therefore, please be merciful and with a particle of faith, give me the treasure of the holy name of Krsna – Sri Bhaktivonoda Thakura.

O My Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, will I again be able to serve your eternal servants, who finds shelter only at your lotus feet? O Lord of my life, may I again become their servant so that my mind may always think of your transcendental attributes, my words always glorify those attributes, and my body always engage in the loving service of your lordship? Srimad Bhagavatam 6.11.24

O name that destroys the many sufferings of them who take shelter of You, O Name that is the form of delightful and intense spiritual bliss, O Name that is a festival of happiness for Gokula, O perfect and complete Holy Name of Lord Krsna, I bow down and offer my respect to you – Srila Rupa Goswami.

During Japa:

Often the mind will distract us during our chanting; prayers like the following can help us greatly during such frustrating times:

1. O fool! O rascal mind! This body is under constant attack from innumerable attachments and diseases and death is certain. What remedial measures have you taken? Just drink the medicine of Krsna’s name, which is the cure for all diseases! – Mukundamala.
2. O mind, why are you giving up the nectar of Krsna’s name to talk of such things as family problems, security and all? What can I say to you? Just chant the holy name – Madhurya Kadambini.
3. O Radha Krsna, you are like two great oceans of mercy. Please be merciful unto me, I take shelter of you and surrender unto you. Although I am a sinner and an offender, please engage me in your divine loving service – Sanat Kumara Samhita.
4. O Hari! My merciful Lord! All glories to You, the Lord of Radha! Many times I have avoided you, but these times please take me as your own – Songs of Vaisnava Acharyas

End with Prayer:

At the end of your chanting session, we suggest that you offer the result to Nama Prabhu with a personal prayer. The following prayers are also beautifully appropriate:

1. I commit thousand of offences day and night, O Madhusudana, but please think of me as your servant and kindly forgive them – Pancaratra Pradipa.
2. O Lord of my heart, please hear my prayer. You are the Supreme Lord. Please do not reject me. Even if I commit offenses, still you are my only protector. Please give me some insignificant service and consider me your own servant – Prema Bhakti Candrika.

After this, we suggest that you offer your heartfelt obeisances to Nama Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada and your spiritual master and beg your blissful day of service for their pleasure.

Simply by remembering the spiritual master, the devotees of the Lord, and the Personality of Godhead one invokes their benedictions, destroys all difficulties and very easily fulfills his own desires.

One receives one-hundredth portion of religious merit (punya phala) of an elevated person by thinking of him.

Sri Guru Vandana

1. The lotus feet of the spiritual master are the abode of pure devotional service. I bow down to those lotus feet with great care and attention. My dear brother (my dear mind)! It is through the grace of the spiritual master that we cross over this material existence and obtain Krsna.
2. Make the teachings from the lotus mouth of the spiritual matter with your heart and do not desire anything else. Attachment to the lotus feet of the spiritual master is the best means of spiritual advancement. By his mercy all desires for spiritual perfection are fulfilled.
3. He who has given me the gift of transcendental vision is my lord, birth after birth. By his mercy divine knowledge is revealed within the heart, bestowing prema-bhakti and destroying ignorance. The vedic scriptures sing of his character.
4. O spiritual master, ocean of mercy and friend of the fallen souls, you are the teacher of everyone and the life of all people. O master! Be merciful unto me and give me the shade of your lotus feet. May your glories now be proclaimed throughout the three worlds.

 Sri Tulasi – Kirtana

1. O Tulasi, beloved of Krsna. I bow down before you again and again. My desire is to obtain the service of Sri Sri Radha Krsna.
2. Whoever takes shelter of you has his wishes fulfilled. Bestowing your mercy on him, you make him a resident of Vrindavana.
3. My desire is that you will also grant me a residence in the pleasure groves of Sri Vrindavana dhama. Thus, within my vision I will always behold the beautiful pastimes of Radha and Krsna.
4. I beg you to make me a follower of the cowheard damels of Vraja. Please give me the privilege of devotional service and make me your own maid servant.
5. This very fallen and lowly servant of Krsna prays, “May I always swim in the love of Sri Radha and Govinda.

Sri Tulasi Pranama: I offer my repeated obeisances unto Vrinda, Srimati Tulasi Devi, who is very dear to Lord Keshava. O goddess, you bestow devotional service to Lord Krsna and possess the highest truth.

Sri Tulasi Pradaksina Mantra: By the circumambulation of Srimati Tulasi Devi all the sins that one may have committed are destroyed at every step, even the sin of killing a brahmana.