The Difference...

When you shift from a Christian school to a Hindu school, you end up not knowing anything about the mantras that the students recite there. It’s the same condition with me. I remember having eyes wide open during the first assembly in school. And, I faced the reality, the fact that I don’t know anything except for gayathri matra. First, I was under impression that the students here knew the meaning to whatever they are reciting. But, bit by bit, I realized that people here recite the mantras just like the parrot like chanting. They don’t know the meaning of the things they recite. I found it hollow, hypocritical and what not!

This way, I am better. Atleast, I know what I pray. Even though my prayers go “He bhagwaan…aaj meri madad karna…aaj maine ye nahi padha woh nahi padha”, but still, I know what I am praying about. And, Christian prayers are way better than reciting these mantras, for the fact that you mean to say the prayer at some point of time in your life (The case is totally different when you know meaning of the mantras). If you don’t know the meaning of your mantras, when you thank God for everything, do you really mean it? I guess every religion tells the same thing, “Remember god’s name whole heartedly”.

I have nothing against Hindu religion. I totally believe in “Sarva Deva Namaskaaram Pratigachhati”. I have a mixture of Hindu and Christian beliefs. But, what I am against is reciting mantras without knowing the meanings. It is not the case only with my school. Sandya Vandanam is a practice that Brahmin boys do after their Upanayanam or Poonal. It is basically a list of mantras that they recite in three parts of the day, and is a Hindu code of liturgical prayers. I really doubt if my cousins even know the Sandya Vandanam. Each line in the code has a meaning, and each line is said with a special tone and action. The only man whom I have seen doing it in the right way is probably my thata who used to day it out loud every morning. He told his Sandya Vandnam till the week before he passed away. I am sure one of my cousins would have been happy to discard his Poonal when my father made him say gayathri mantra a 108 times at four in the morning just the next day after his poonal ceremony!

I guess it was the same case with me also, sometimes. For example, while telling Ganesh Stuti, it was my sister who pointed out my mistake while I happily recited “Loka Vinasha Karanam” instead of “Shoka Vinasha Karanam”. The change in one word brought out SUCH a huge difference in meaning! I guess, it’s only from that day onwards that I was put-to think about the meanings of these lines. These mantras will be mere sentences if you don’t know their meaning, but will help you discover meaning of life, and existence of God when you know their meanings.

Take time to know what lies in these mantras – the meanings are not very complicated! Or, be like me, pray every day – “He Bhagwaaan meri madad karo! Aaj maine ye nahi padha..aage se ye nahi hoga”! :-)