By Ananta Gopal Das | Head Pujari (Priest) at Bhaktivedanta Manor

One evening, when I was about five or seven years old, I walked into my grandmother’s room without knocking on the door. As I entered the room, I saw my grandmother on her knees beside her bed, with folded hands and her head slightly tilted forward, offering prayers. Tears were visible in her eyes. I never asked why she cried or what she prayed for, but that moment greatly impacted my spiritual life. From that day on, I became interested in prayers.

Prayer became a daily practice, a medium through which I could connect with God and gain strength in challenging times. School exams, job applications, health problems, friendships, and good or bad times were, and still are, supported with a prayer.

First thing in the morning, before getting out of bed, and last thing at night, before sleep, I offer prayers, sometimes reciting from the prayer book, or, at other times, offering my prayers. Prayer became the spiritual anchor that helps me remain grounded regardless of the situation.

When I began my journey in Krishna consciousness, I learned that vandanam — prayer — is one of the nine ways to perform bhakti in devotion to Lord Krishna.

The Vaisnava tradition is rich with great saints who practised the same path that I follow. My all-time favourite prayer is from Mādhavendra Purī, a fifteenth-century spiritual teacher who also practised the bhakti path:

“Let the sharp moralist accuse me of being illusioned; I do not mind. Experts in Vedic activities may slander me as being misled, friends and relatives may call me frustrated, my brothers may call me a fool, wealthy mammonites may point me out as mad, and the learned philosophers may assert that I am much too proud; still my mind does not budge an inch from the determination to serve the lotus feet of Govinda, though I am unable to do it.”

Begin your dialogue with the Lord by offering a prayer, and you will be surprised at how quickly Lord Krishna responds.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.30.3. Purport: One can offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead directly, but if one repeats the prayers offered by great devotees like Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā, or if one follows in the footsteps of great personalities, one can please the Supreme Personality of Godhead very easily.