Types of prayers

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Types of prayers

(from Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidhana)

 

 

1. Samprarthanatmika - direct prayer glorifying the Lord. We have many

examples of this type of prayer in Narottama Dasa's Prarthana.

 

2. Svadhainyabodhika - expressing humility and embarrassment, informing

the Lord: I am very fallen.

 

3. Manah-siksa - examples are Bhajahu Re Mana by Govinda das or

Manah-siksa by Raghunatha das Gosvami. In this type of prayer the mind

becomes a disciple and we teach it how to deal with the senses and relate to

intelligence. We consider the mind a separate entity and tell it: Pull

yourself together! Meditate on Krsna! The challenging spirit of intelligence

becomes manifest. One function of the intelligence is to challenge the mind.

 

4. Vilapatmika - statements of supreme lamentation. This may be confusing;

we hear the devotees are always happy, so how can a devotee lament? But this

kind of lamentation is a type of devotional ecstasy - it draws a devotee

closer to Krsna.

 

5. Vaisnava Mahimaprakasika - revealing the greatness of the Vaisnavas.

Krsna doesn't want to be considered separately from the Vaisnavas, therefore

we can please Him by glorifying them.

 

6. Sri-Guru-Vaisnava-vijnapti-rupa - statements of submission and

glorification of the Vaisnavas, especially of the guru. The example is

Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura.

 

7. Sridhama-vase-lipsatmika - expressing the desire to live in the holy

places. There are many prayers of this kind, composed by Prabodhananda

Sarasvati, glorifying Sri Vrndavana. In one of them he says: Anyone who

desires to leave Vrndavana I consider to be a madman.

 

8. Sadhaka-dehe-lalasa-sucika - expressing the desire to practice

devotional service.

 

9. Siddha-dehe-lalasamayi - desire to attain siddha-deha and serve Krsna

in this spiritual body.

 

10. Aksepabodhika - lamentation again: extreme grief and sorrow that we

have fallen to this material world.

 

 

We can see that out of the ten types of prayers listed, three

express feeling "bad." So these feelings are not useless. They can be

incorporated into devotional service. We shouldn't think: First let me

become a pure devotee, free from all lamentation, no problems - then I can

come before the Lord and offer nice prayers. No. A pure devotee feels his

deficiency so he comes before the Lord and prays.