Introduction:

Religion and spirituality are not separate walks of life in India, they are inseparably tied up with every walk of life, in fact they form part an parcel of daily life. Hymns, prayers, songs, musical compositions, are all full of devotion and highly philosophical, abstract ideas. These are used in ritualistic worship as also for daily prayer at homes. Many people do not understand the full meaning and import but even mere singing/listening can have a soothing effect on the mind. There is something magical about the very sounds. Here is a humble attempt to compile some of the best known s'looka-s, stava-s and stootra-s.

Our minds are usually in a highly confused and agitated state, like the scene near an ant-hill that has been disturbed. There is so much of action and commotion but no useful work done. A calm, focused mind, like the light focused by a lens, gives you tremendous power, power to feel, to know, to understand. And the secret of concentration is very simple - keep your mind occupied with one thing and do not allow it to wander here and there. Bring it back the moment it tries to go hither and thither. japa, puuja, dhyaana, yooga are all based on this single simple principle. Prayer is the simplest of all techniques. It suits everybody, it appeals to everyone, it works for all kinds of people. There is nothing unscientific here. Many think so only because of ignorance.

What should we pray for? People often pray for material benefits. they pray for themselves or for their kith and kin. Indians go beyond. We pray for the wellbeing of all human beings (without regard to race, colour, religion, caste/creed/community, sex, age, whatever.) We believe that God has created all equally and any differences we perceive are superficial in nature and largely due to our own making. Nobody is superior or inferior. No religion is superior to any other. There is no God who is superior to any other - after all there is only one God in the ultimate. In fact the very thought that some God is superior to others implies that there are other Gods and hence your God will be, by your own stand, not all-inclusive, all-pervading, omni-present and omni-potent. Because you accept 'others'. Hence your God can only be inferior! This is simple logic. It is surprising that so many people i the world continue to have feelings of superiority and inferiority. Superiority implies inferiority. Perhaps it is only in India that right from ancient times the illogical nature of inequality was well understood and equality was practiced in its true spirit. Hindus consider all religions to be equal. All are one and the same. If some prefer to call it by another name, that is perfectly alright. Hindus pray for the all round well-being, health, wealth, longevity, progeny, peace, happiness of whole of humanity. Everyday millions are praying for everybody's good, for your good. Further, we pray not just for human beings but for the well being of all living creatures. For, in His view, all creatures are equal. You will not find this degree of maturity in thought, word and deed with regard to equality any where else.

veedaaMta shows that, in the ultimate equation, there is no real difference between the food, the one who eats and the act of eating itself. The subject, the object and the verb are not different from one another. The differences we see are only due to ignorance. This may appear strange and illogical in the beginning but you will get this right once you study the rigorous proof that veedaaMta provides. I may eat a banana but I pray not just for my good but for the good of the banana as well. After all my good lies in the good of the food I eat. Hindus pray and worship for the good of the entire universe, including all the living and non-living things. Where else can you find this kind of broad-mindedness?

Sanskrit stootra-s, s'looka-s and stava-s: Here is a collection of choicest stootra-s, s'looka-s and stava-s in Sanskrit. These may include descriptions of form and great capabilities in praise of the glory of the deity. They may include requests for worldly gains such as health, wealth, intelligence, effulgence, success etc. Or the devotees may be seeking higher things such as true knowledge, realization or liberation. Stootra-s and s'looka-s may also be deeply philosophical, not merely asking for things in this world or that. Various forms of bhakti (devotion) may be pouring down from the heart. For example, in one of his compositions the great saint puraMdara daasa asks people to pour the water of the lake back to the lake and feel blessed! After all the flowers and other worldly things we offer to God in ritualistic worship are all His own creations. In another of his compositions, he asserts that he is superior to God because he has a Lord to depend upon, whereas the God, being the lord of all lords, has none to look forward to as His Lord! S'looka-s and stootra-s are thus full of devotional fervor as also great literary grace and poetic excellence. Many of them are masterpieces, no wonder they are all-time favourites. Come, read, learn, listen, sing, enjoy!

Notes: A paMcaka has five verses. A SaTka has six verses. An aSTaka has eight verses. A das'aka has ten verses. bhujaMga stootra-s are called so because they are composed in the bhujaMga prayaata metre. Many stootra-s have added verses at the end giving phala-s'ruti - the merits of chanting the stootra. These are not part of the stootra-s themselves. In some cases, there may also be invocatory verses in the beginning.

                  We have to pray,
Not for tasks equal to our powers,
But for powers equal to our tasks
                  - Hellen Keller