Sanskrit or English for home puja prayers? (yes ocpd)

[Jainarayan]

I don't do a typical puja (what is a typical puja anyway? ); rather, I light the oil lamps and incense sticks, ring my tiny bell and say prayers and mantras. I have them printed on 4x6" cards because I haven't memorized them. My large Tibetan bell tends to put Notre Dame Cathedral's bell to shame, though I use it when I want to "shake things up" at home (I can be such a schmuck ).

I'd prefer to use the Sanskrit versions, most of which I've gotten from these two sites Mantras, Slokas & Stotras in Sanskrit with meaning - Feel the Devotion and The Shiva Prayer Book because the English translations sound... well, a little funny. However, my Sanskrit sucks, maybe because I need practice; it's not an easy language to pronounce for a non-native speaker. Needless to say, Sanskrit has phonemes (OK, sounds ) that English never had. I know what the prayers and mantras mean because I have the English translations, so it's not like I'm mindlessly making sounds.

Now the question... is it better to... ?

Door #1. Use my currently-halting Sanskrit. Though one of my lady friends, and other people told me my accents in Hindi and Sanskrit really are good (I'm musically and linguistically inclined, if I do say so m'self).

Door #2. Use the "silly sounding" English translations as is.

Door #3. Use the English translations and substitute the "silly sounding" English translations for what I think are the real meanings?

In answering my own questions, personally think Door #1 is the better option. I will get better at my Sanskrit, and I think a worship is best done in the liturgical language of the religion (Russian, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Sanskrit) for their respective worships.

Comments?

Thus ends my first ocpd and overthought thought for the day.

 

[Vinayaka]

Sanskrit sound has an inner vibratory rate discovered by the rishis of old. It is part of the whole puja, just as the lights, the incense, etc. is. It draws the vibratory rates of the God's closer. I think the solution is, given we can't think in Sanskrit, is to speak in Sanskrit, but think in English.

Aum Pranayah Namaha .... is "Here is the prana, or Please take the prana I am offering to you. So thinking it is important too. Over time you will indeed notice the difference.

 

[Jainarayan]

Sanskrit sound has an inner vibratory rate discovered by the rishis of old. It is part of the whole puja, just as the lights, the incense, etc. is. It draws the vibratory rates of the God's closer. I think the solution is, given we can't think in Sanskrit, is to speak in Sanskrit, but think in English.

Aum Pranayah Namaha .... is "Here is the prana, or Please take the prana I am offering to you. So thinking it is important too. Over time you will indeed notice the difference.

That thought did cross my mind also... speak Sanskrit, think English, especially knowing the English meaning. I never saw that mantra before; I like it. Thanks.

 

[Maya3]

I think if you want to do a puja to prepare yourself for meditation, then definitely Sanskrit because of the vibrations in it.
But if you want to pray because you feel that you want to communicate something specific or your feelings or something then do it in English.

I think whatever feels right at the time is fine.

Maya

 

[Jainarayan]

Thanks, I thought so too. Wasn't sure though.

 

[Vinayaka]

When you're standing in front of God or gods, and praying in a specific way about some specific thing, you pretty much have to think in your own language. I'm not even sure if the Sanskrit priests really 'think' in Sanskrit. I'm going to ask my priest.

 

[Jainarayan]

Yes, when I pray for or about something specific, it's usually just in the form of conversation. Sometimes "talking to myself" is in a way I'm talking to God. I also use ready-made prayers of praise, asking for blessings, help, etc.. I think they are translations from slokas and stotras, but the translations are poetic. Maybe they were done by someone with a better grasp of both languages. I'd also like to hear what the priest says. I know they recite it, and understand it, but I wonder how many are conversant in it. This is something I'm too inexperienced and unfamiliar to know. I never knew what to say in front of a deity's sanctum in temple, but I think a simple "I am happy to be here in your presence, please give me your help and blessings" is good. It seems redundant and overkill to do it at each deity, but it's no different, imo, than just reciting it like a mantra if you were standing in one place. And of course, you could appeal to the deity's specific powers. Yes I know that was kind of trippy, but I'm in more of a brainfog than usual.

 

[Vinayaka]

"I am happy to be here in your presence, please give me your help and blessings"

In my experience, that's a general prayer, and simply doesn't work as well as stuff that is really specific. Of course I also believe in inner worlds and devas that are there, understand, and help in unseen ways, as my version of Hinduism is exceedingly mystical.

So, for example, I will mentally clearly say the time, date, address of the doctor's appointment, the doctor's name, if it's about good health. If it's clarity I'm wishing for, I'll be relating info regarding all the issues surrounding that particular issue. This specificity idea is precisely why you will see certain people standing for longer periods in front of a sanctum.

Consider going out to buy a car. You don't just tell yourself, "I'm going to buy a car today." You also know the dealership, the make, the cost, and much more. If you can be more specific with yourself, and you actually believe in devas and that prayers work, then you can also be more specific with them.

This, of course, is another reason I'm a full-blown all-out Hindu. Mystically, at the time of the namakarana samskara, you're assigned devas. So I have specific devas I'm talking to.

 

[Vinayaka]

ring my tiny bell

Even bells are sectarian. I won't use anything except the Nandi bells, unless there is just none other available. Bells, like Sanskrit, too have a sound that is specific to a particular devonic hierarchy.

 

[Jainarayan]

Wow, that is specific for time and place! The items I get are from Rudra Centre. They say they are all blessed and energized by a priest before being shipped out, but who knows. I'm inclined to believe them though. I like the huge silver hand bells the priests use. Beautiful ringing tone.

 

[Vinayaka]

Saiva bell ..
Google Image Result for http://www.redbag.in/93678-11032-thickbox/nandi-bell-brass-craft.jpg

 

[Jainarayan]

That is beautiful. I'm feeling the need to order some stuff from Rudra Centre. If I get a new bell, it will probably be the Garuda bell, being Vaishnava.

 

[Vinayaka]

That is beautiful. I'm feeling the need to order some stuff from Rudra Centre. If I get a new bell, it will probably be the Garuda bell, being Vaishnava.

Saiva ones have more brass so are less tinkly, if that's the right word. They come in a variety of sizes.

 

[Jainarayan]

Really? That's good to know. I love bells (this is from someone with bells in his batfry ). When I used to run, I wore bells around my neck for 2 reasons: as a warning to people that I was coming up behind them and because I said I like bells.

I have a set of heavy Lakshmi Ganesha bells hanging on a plant hanger jutting out from the wall. I take them off every now and again and ring them throughout the house to purify the air. They are so heavy, I have to get some good momentum going for them to start ringing.

 

[Vinayaka]

I asked the priest. In pujas, he does think in Sanskrit. In daily life, he thinks in Tamil. He can think a little bit in English, but not much.

 

[Maya3]

I asked the priest. In pujas, he does think in Sanskrit. In daily life, he thinks in Tamil. He can think a little bit in English, but not much.

Very cool, so he is fluent in Sanskrit then, that is awesome. I thought most priests just knew the prayers in Sanskrit to be honest.

Maya

 

[Vinayaka]

Very cool, so he is fluent in Sanskrit then, that is awesome. I thought most priests just knew the prayers in Sanskrit to be honest.

Maya

I don't think he can carry on everyday conversations in it. There are two many modern devices like computers, for example, that would have no equivalent in Sanskrit. There are a few people who can though. There are even a few who consider Sanskrit as their mother tongue.

But even more importantly in our conversation (I know this priest really well, we vacationed together last summer ... me the driver, him the tourist, the reverse of what happens in India) he was quite adamant about the importance of 'thinking' the puja. You can tell it's not just some 'going through the motions' thing, as he looks sort of tranced out and can't stop to converse. A lot of concentration/communion between him and the Gods.

 

[Breathe]

I have OCD, so I know where you're coming from.

I generally always use Sanskrit, simply because I'm a really private person and I become flustered if someone's watching or viewing something private to me. For the same reason, I write in a script nobody in my family can read, and it's similar for me with prayers in general; I could never pray 'with' someone like Christians do, and when I've visited churches I can't do it. I know how to pray, but I feel uncomfortable with it in front of others in English.

Yet I have no problem with chanting "Om namaḥ Śivāya" (or anything else) out loud...

Though at the same time, I don't like reciting something if I don't know the meaning, because it feels like empty words to me, I find the intent more important than the words; I'm reminded of the Buddhist story of the 'hermit and the monk' (link provided here)... yet I know that the correct pronunciation is incredibly important, too.

Gah. It's no wonder I don't do much 'formal' prayer, and instead usually just chant little and often throughout the day whenever the "mood" takes me.

So I'd say door 1 when possible, but don't be afraid of stealing the occasional lampshade from door 3 if you're having a tough time.

 

[Jainarayan]

Very cool, so he is fluent in Sanskrit then, that is awesome. I thought most priests just knew the prayers in Sanskrit to be honest.

Maya

I think it's cool too. J. Robert Oppenheimer of Trinity Test fame (infamy?) taught himself Sanskrit and translated the Bhagavad Gita. Apparently he became fluent in it. When he witnessed the Trinity atomic blast he quoted "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds". It gives me chills, in an eerie kind of way.

I don't think he can carry on everyday conversations in it. There are two many modern devices like computers, for example, that would have no equivalent in Sanskrit. There are a few people who can though. There are even a few who consider Sanskrit as their mother tongue.

A couple of states in India have Sanskrit listed as their official language. I read that there are attempts at reviving it, much as Israeli Hebrew is a revival of Biblical Hebrew. I suspect that modern spoken Sanskrit would not be exactly like Classical Sanskrit, as Israeli Hebrew is not identical to Biblical Hebrew. It will have to be monitored and maintained very closely by an academic society much as French is in France, to keep it from deviating, as is natural for languages to do. Even then, it's not 100% guaranteed to not diverge. At any rate, I think it's cool that such an influential language like Sanskrit could be revived for daily use.

I have OCD, so I know where you're coming from.

I generally always use Sanskrit, simply because I'm a really private person and I become flustered if someone's watching or viewing something private to me.

Yep, if I can't have privacy when I'm doing prayers at the altar, I'd prefer using Sanskrit. And with the (lack of) privacy issue in this house, I should be speaking Sanskrit 24/7.

Yet I have no problem with chanting "Om namaḥ Śivāya" (or anything else) out loud...

I can chant along with people and the priests at temple, and I sometimes get odd looks from people like "how do you know that?". Others don't pay any attention at all.

Though at the same time, I don't like reciting something if I don't know the meaning, because it feels like empty words to me, I find the intent more important than the words; I'm reminded of the Buddhist story of the 'hermit and the monk' (link provided here)... yet I know that the correct pronunciation is incredibly important, too.

Gah. It's no wonder I don't do much 'formal' prayer, and instead usually just chant little and often throughout the day whenever the "mood" takes me.

So I'd say door 1 when possible, but don't be afraid of stealing the occasional lampshade from door 3 if you're having a tough time.

Same here... I won't pick a Sanskrit sloka based on something vague like "Prayers For Blessings" without finding the English translation or interpretation. I'd like to have some idea of what I am asking for. Sanskrit's inflection can make for some really creative interpretations. I've seen this used for both Lord Vishnu and Lord Ganesha:

शुक्लाम्बरधरं विष्णुं शशिवर्णं चतुर्भुजम् ।
प्रसन्नवदनं ध्यायेत् सर्वविघ्नोपशान्तये ॥
ShuklAmbara-Dharam Vishnum Shashi-Varnnam Catur-Bhujam |
Prasanna-Vadanam Dhyaayet Sarva-Vighnopashaantaye ||

We meditate on Sri Vishnu Who is wearing white clothes, Who is all-pervading, Who is bright in appearance like the moon, having hour hands, having a compassionate and gracious face, let us meditate on Him to ward off all obstacles.

Lord Ganesha Who is garbed in white, with a moon-like complexion and four arms, upon that ever smiling and pleasing face do we meditate and ask Him to remove all obstacles.

 

[Viraja]

Sometime back someone gave the popular South Indian (Tamil) jyotishi A.M.Rajagopalan a translation into Tamil of the famous 'MantraRajaPada Stotram' addressed to Sri Lakshmi Narasimhadeva. To this, he said that, that Tamil translation can be recited by those who cannot otherwise pronounce Sanskrit but since the Sanskrit one was directly given by Lord Shiva to goddess Uma, that it is better to be recited in Sanskrit if possible, because those precise Sanskrit words had some miraculous vibrational power associated with them.

I believe in the same, Sanskrit if possible but when not possible, English or translation into any other language would do. But there are original works written in Tamil - like Skanda Sashti Kavacham to Lord Muruga or a Ramayana sloka recited by Periyavaachaan Pillai to Sri Rama - I also recite those in Tamil.