I often read the words of many ‘intellectuals’ (rationalists) in this forum that one should not chant slokas blindly and should understand them before one starts chanting them. I want to narrate my personal experience in this regard. I had the privilege of attending prayers at a nearby temple during my childhood. We used to chant a lot of slokas including Vishnu Sahasranamam, Lakshmi Ashtotram, Indrakshi stotram, Siva kavacham, etc. It used to be pretty fast and as a child (not knowing Sanskrit), I used to just parrot the slokas, most of them (if not all of them) with wrong pronunciation. It is needless to say that I did not know the meaning of any of the slokas. At the end, the devotees would chant the following mantra:
यदक्षरपदप्रुष्टं माथ्राहीनं तु यद्भवेदः
तत्सर्वं क्षम्यतां देव नारान नमोस्तु ते
विसर्गबिन्दुमाथ्राणि पदपादाक्षराणि च
न्यूनानि चातिरिक्तानि क्षमस्व पुरूषोतम
The meaning of the above sloka is as follows:
Whatever I am doing, whether it is an act of (my) body or a word, or a thought or of senses or of instinct dictated by natural laws, all such deeds I dedicate (surrender) to Lord Narayana.
Lord Purushothama, forgive the short pronounciation or excess pronounciation of aspirants, bindus, syllables, words, quarters or letters committed by me during the recitation of the (of the Verses) Vishnu Sahasranaama stothra.
Ironically, I used to chant even the above mantra with mistakes and without understanding the meaning. Yet I did not give up attending the prayers. (Probably, the prasaadam was a pulling factor??). But today, I know the meaning of many slokas and I pronounce most of the slokas correctly. I of course close my prayers with the mantra given above, only this time I feel it for I know the meaning!
The point I am trying to make is that as a child, forming the mould is more important than to be rational. As one grows, the habit would be the base but rationalism would demand analyzing the purpose and meaning of slokas (or rituals for that matter).
यदक्षरपदप्रुष्टं माथ्राहीनं तु यद्भवेदः
तत्सर्वं क्षम्यतां देव नारान नमोस्तु ते
विसर्गबिन्दुमाथ्राणि पदपादाक्षराणि च
न्यूनानि चातिरिक्तानि क्षमस्व पुरूषोतम
The meaning of the above sloka is as follows:
Whatever I am doing, whether it is an act of (my) body or a word, or a thought or of senses or of instinct dictated by natural laws, all such deeds I dedicate (surrender) to Lord Narayana.
Lord Purushothama, forgive the short pronounciation or excess pronounciation of aspirants, bindus, syllables, words, quarters or letters committed by me during the recitation of the (of the Verses) Vishnu Sahasranaama stothra.
Ironically, I used to chant even the above mantra with mistakes and without understanding the meaning. Yet I did not give up attending the prayers. (Probably, the prasaadam was a pulling factor??). But today, I know the meaning of many slokas and I pronounce most of the slokas correctly. I of course close my prayers with the mantra given above, only this time I feel it for I know the meaning!
The point I am trying to make is that as a child, forming the mould is more important than to be rational. As one grows, the habit would be the base but rationalism would demand analyzing the purpose and meaning of slokas (or rituals for that matter).