Prayer Procedures

”While praying to the Lord one should pay obeisance again and again with complete dedication of one’s mind and intelligence and repeatedly say, let my prayers spread everywhere like that of the fame of the learned and be heard by the imperishable Lord’s devotees who reside in His transcendental abode.”

yunje vam brahman purvam namobhir
vi sloka etu pathyeva sureh
srnvantu visve amrtasya putra
a ye dhamani divyani tasthuh

PURPORT BY SRI KRSNA BALARAM SWAMIJI

When mind and intelligence are properly engaged in the Lord’s service, the Lord reciprocates as He did with the Vrajavasi devotees of Vrindaban. Following Lord Krsna’s advice, when all the Vrajavasis worshipped Govardhana Hill and wanted to feed it Lord Krsna personally entered inside the Hill and ate everything offered to Him. No hill ever eats anything from anyone but because the Vrajavasis were following Lord Krsna’s advice He was reciprocating through the Hill. Similarly when one sincerely follows Lord Krsna’s advice through the scriptures then He will surely hear the prayers. Here the Lord is ordering through the sages to follow the procedure of prayers. Sincere prayers fulfill wishes because the Lord hears them all. Before and after the prayers, humble obeisances are paid. Prostrated obeisance means showing respect and pleading prayers means showing of humility. Prayers are done while speaking softly and also loudly. Either they are loud or soft; if they are done sincerely then everyone who lives in the spiritual world will also hear them. These four previous verses describe the proper procedure of how to pray the Lord.

[Svetasvatara Upanisad, 2.4, KBS0014]