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Hinduism
Om Jaye Jagdish Hare This simply worded
prayer produces tremendous vibrations and literally compels a person to
become quiet and poised. It can be a very relaxing experience. Glory be to thy Name (Om) This is the prologue of the Aarti. In it is revealed the power of the word "Om". Om, is perhaps the only word that phonetically and logically signifies the primordial sound. The great masters and saints have for thousands of years contemplated upon this one Word. It has even been said that all the Vedas dissolve into Gayatri and Gayatri itself dissolves into Om. In the Yoga, experiments have been conducted extensively to assess the impact experienced by an aspirant by simply uttering Om in a particular manner or by chanting repeatedly (Simran). It is not a case of hypnotism or auto-suggestion, but an established fact that one's association with the word Om with understanding helps in attaining transcendence. One can go on and on .... Om, thus, simply stated is the Word that is unequaled and unrivaled, therefore Supreme. It is perhaps for this reason that almost all Vedic Shlokas (verses) begin with the word Om. Thus establishing Om as the Supreme One, the prologue of the Aarti asserts that all evils of the worshipper get annihilated instantaneously. Anyone who Contemplates on thy name is rewarded In this verse the worshipper is being motivated to contemplate on the Name. Reward is offered in the form of mental peace and healthy body, both essential ingredients to lead a harmonious life. It is my understanding that all our mental chaos and ill-health is projection of our own ego. It is due to the neglect or the lack of understanding of our own unique individuality that we find ourselves dragged into comparisons both subjectively and objectively. This chaotic state can turn into order when we learn to accept ourselves the way we are. Thou art my mother and my father God, the primordial seed, is the Creator. Thus God is both the mother and the father. This being so, I can only beseech You and surrender myself to You. Without God there is nothing, hence my highest aspirations can only be You. We notice in our daily life that we neglect God and rely upon transient sources for our existence. Resultantly, our lives are chaotic and full of frustrations. However, by realizing that God is the sole Cause, one can understand one's true being. Thou art the complete One In the fourth verse of the Aarti, the worshipper is guided to realize that only God is complete. It is like looking at Him in the form of an infinite canvas, without beginning and without end. The understanding of the emphasis on God being the only 'all-pervading' One guides us to treat all creation in reverence. This acceptance only brings about Love and compassion. Thou art the compassionate Ocean The fifth verse glorifies and accepts God as an ocean of compassion and the only provider. The worshipper humbly accepts his state of ignorance and his being entrapped in sensory perceptions. A confession of sort is being made by proclaiming God the Master and the worshipper as the servant to invoke a sense of humility. And in the end the seeker seeks fulfillment which is only possible if one is liberated. Thou art the unmoving The sixth verse deals with metaphysics. It seems to be projecting the underlying principle of the Upanishads. To the ancient Hindu sages, Sun seemed to be the only constant or immutable object cognizable by the naked eye. The Upanishads proclaimed that everything revolves around the Sun. Everything has manifested from the Sun. Thus Sun is the source of all life as known to us. In this verse, the
worshipper is cognizing God as the only immutable principle, the source of all creation.
This cognition is realization of the worshipper. This proclamation is what Apostle Peter
says in the Corinthians, "All that you see and hear is subject to change".
Guru Granth Sahib says, "Jo Dise So Chalaan Har..."
Shankara said, "Brahm Satyam, Jagat Mithya" ... Verily
only God is Truth, all else is perishable. Friend of the meek, Annihilator of evils In the seventh verse again the worshipper, accepting God as the supreme Sovereign, seeks Him and pleads for His grace. Annihilate my sensory traps The eight verse
emphasizes the yearning of the worshipper to become compassionate and loving so that he
can render service to mankind. Body, mind and material wealth Since the worshipper
accepts God as his Creator, the physical body thus already belongs to Him. Consequently,
the mind, which is but a subtle part of the body, cannot be ours. It too belongs to Him. The
acquired material wealth is a result of body's actions and mental plans. Since the body
and mind do not belong to us, how can then we claim the material wealth to be our
possession?
September 1999 |
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In simple words 'Aarti'
means Prayer.
Back home, perhaps
after 
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