Popular Mantras and Prayers

A Hindu Devotee

Guidelines for pronunciation are in the footnotes

Hare Rama Hare Krishna

Aum,
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare |
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare ||


Isvara Dhayaanam

shivaaya vishnuruupaaya shivaruupaaya vishnave
shivasya hridayam vishnu rvishtoshcha hridayam shivaha
yadhaashivamayo vishnu revam vishnumaya sshivaha
yadhaastharam napashyaami tathaame svasthiraayashi
namo brahmanya devaaya gobraahmana-hithaayacha
jagaditthaaya krishnaaya govindaaya namonamah.


A Mantra Extolling Rama's Name

Shree raama raama raamethi rame raame manorame |
sasranaama tatthulyam raamanaama varaanane ||


Devi Shothram

Aum Namo Chaamundesvaree
Aum Namo Paramesvaree
Aum Namo Raajaraajesvaree
Aum Namo Sarasvathee
Aum Namo Naaraayanee
Aum Namo Shankaree

Aum Devi Saadhu mahaabhaage mahaabhagya pradaayakam
Sarvaisvaryakaram punyam sarva paapa pranaalanam
sarva daaridryasamanam sravanaath bhukthi mukthidam
Raajavasyakaram divyam guhyaathi guhyatharam param


While Wearing the Yajnopaveetham (sacred thread)

Yajnopaveetham paramam pavithram prajaapathe ryathsahajam pursthaath |
Aayushya magryam prathimuncha shubhram yajnopaveetham balamasthu tejaha!!


While Removing the Yajnopaveetham

Yajnopaveetham chinnathamthum, jeerna kasmaladhuushitham |
Vissajaami yasho brahmavarcho deerghaayurasthame||


While Looking at Shiva or Shivalingam Through Nandi's horns

vrshasya vrshanam prushtvaa isvarashyaavalokanam
shrngamadhyai shivam drshtvaa kailasam bhavathi dhruvam


A Prayer for the Thulasi Plant

yanmuule sarvatheerthaani yanmadhye sarvadevathaa |
yadagre sarvavedaascha thulaseem tvaam namaamyaham ||


Suggestions for Further Reading

Guidelines to pronunciation: Sanskrit is essentially a language of sounds and sound vibrations. The efficacy of Sanskrit prayers depends upon the vibrations that are produced during chanting. It is difficult to transliterate Sanskrit words into English with full justification to the original sounds. In the above stated transliteration we followed a simple approach to make it easier even for those who are not familiar with English or Sanskrit. Wherever you find repeat vowels (aa, uu, ee) please stretch the vowel sound (for ex., aa as in vast or path, uu as in cool or root, ee as in eel or feel). Similarly, "ai" should be pronounced as in gait, fight, or tight. Th should be pronounced as in think or thick, but when t alone is used, it should be pronounced as in two, top or tip.

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