Du’a (Dua) – worship of Allah

Du’a or Dua (as it is commonly written) a prayer of asking or request in Islam. It is an Arabic word meaning ‘to call out’ or to summon. It is regarded as the second greatest acts of worship in Islam.

The Qur’an quotes Allah’s commands related to Dua:

“Call on Me; I will answer you!”

Prophet Muhammad spoke of it as the most noble act of a Muslim. He called it the ‘best form of worship’.

Kinds of Dua:
There are essentially two types of supplication or Dua – a Du’a al-mas’alah (Dua of Asking) and a Du’a al-ibadah (Dua of Worship).

A dua is called Du’a al-mas’alah (Dua of Asking) when the supplicant asks Allah for something. It may be a need or a request to remove some danger.

One best example is:
Rabbi la tadharni fardaw wa-anta Khairul Waritheen
O my Lord! Leave me not without offspring, though thou art the best of inheritors

A dua is called Du’a al-ibadah (Dua of Worship) when the supplicant worships Allah in his prayer. Usually even some Duas of asking are also considered Duas of Worship because even Dua of Asking engages in worship of the Almighty. But dua of worship is best described when the prayer offered does not include any request for a fulfillment of need.

Example:
Bismillahi, al-ladhi, La illaha illa huwa
In the Name of Allah. There is no God but He.

Other examples include duas given during salat, zakaat or fasts.

TYPING A DUA ON 9DOZEN.COM

• When you type or mentally chant a du’a on 9dozen do it with utmost devotion and faith.
• Certain duas have a prescribed number of times to be chanted and it’s better to follow those prescriptions
• Set aside a regular time for dua and the time of the day depends on the kind of dua chosen.
• Start now. You can start offering dua right now.

Indra Gayatri – security and success in war

Indra is the central deity of the Rig Veda and is considered the most valiant in war. Hence it is no surprise that the chant for security during war and attack is Indra Gayatri.

Chanting Indra Gayatri gives one a security and protection in war and also ensure success against the opponent. Here is Indra Gayatri:

Aum Sahasra Netraye Vidmahe
Vajra Hastraye Dhimahi
Tanno Indrah Prachodayat

Typing Indra Gayatri on 9Dozen.com

You can either type this chant or mentally chant it. If you are mentally chanting use the copy paste method to keep track of your count. Chant a minimum of 108 times and do the chant for 11 days.

You can search for this chant by typing the keywords ‘security’ or ‘indra’ in the search chants page. (Click on ‘Select Available Chants’ to go to the search page.)

Keep your mind focussed and on the words you are chanting. Meditate on the warrior aspects of Indra while you are chanting or typing.

Start now. Click here to start your chant now.

Om Gan Ganapatye Namah – meaning and purpose

This is the mul mantra of Lord Ganesh (also called Ganapathi, Vinayaka, Vigneshwar). This mantra is said to have the power to remove all evil and obstacles.

Origin of the mantra
This mantra was first mentioned in Ganapati Atharvarshisha. Ganapati Atharvarshisha is said to have been written by Atharva Rishi after he had the darshan of Ganapti.

What does it mean?
Om Gan Ganapatye Namah means the devotee bows/ offers salutations to the Lord of the World.

How to pronounce it?
There are quite a few ways over how this mantra should be written, especially its second word ‘gam’. And various authorities stress over different pronunciations.

Here are some ways of pronunciation:

Om gan ganapatye namah
Om gam ganapatye naman
Om gung ganapatye namah

Whatever the pronunciation, the meaning is always the same.

TYPING OM GAN GANAPATYE NAMAH IN 9DOZEN.COM

This mantra removes all evil and obstacles that prevent you from reaching your goals.

Type the keywords ‘evil’, ‘ganapati’ or ‘obstacles’ to find the chant in the search results. Click the add link next to the chant to start your new chant.

Typing this mantra early in the morning can be beneficial. It is one of the best ways to start your day, both for job goers as well as students.

You can also do mental chant and use copy paste method to keep count of your chanting.

Try to type or chant 108 times everyday. And try to do consecutively for 11 days.

Typing the mantra just after bath is very good or very early morning is extremely beneficial.

Start now. There is no better time than now.

Dalai Lama’s definition of Om Mani Padme Hum

H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama’s definition

Dalai Lama is considered to be the incarnation of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig and his devotees are particularly partial to this mantra. He defines the mantra like this:

“It is very good to recite the mantra Om mani padme hum, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast… The first, Om […] symbolizes the practitioner’s impure body, speech, and mind; it also symbolizes the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[…]”

“The path is indicated by the next four syllables. Mani, meaning jewel, symbolizes the factors of method: (the) altruistic intention to become enlightened, compassion, and love.[…]”

“The two syllables, padme, meaning lotus, symbolize wisdom[…]”

“Purity must be achieved by an indivisible unity of method and wisdom, symbolized by the final syllable hum, which indicates indivisibility[…]”

“Thus the six syllables, om mani padme hum, mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[…]”

Om mani padme hum – its meaning and importance

Om mani padme hum is one of the most important mantras in Buddhism. This is the mantra of Avalokiteshavara, the bodhisattva of compassion. In Tibet the bodisattva is also called Chenrezig while the Chinese name is Guanyin. This mantra has six syllables and is associated with four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara.

Some say this mantra originated from Sadhanamala published as early as the twelveth century while others claim the mantra has its source in Karandavyuha Sutra in the Chinese Buddhist canon.

There are various versions of the mantra as this mantra is very famous and is chanted by buddhists of many countries.

In Devanagari: Om Mani Padme Hum
In Tibetan: Om Mani Peme Hung
In Korean Hangul: Om Mani Padeume Hum
In Japanese Katakana: On Mani Hatsumei Un
In Mongolian:: Um maani badmi khum
In Chinese pinyin: Am Mani Bami Hong

Meaning of Om mani padme hum:
Various buddhist schools interpret the mantra differently. But the essence and function of the mantra remain the same.

Mani padme is frequently interpreted as ‘jewel in the lotus’ from Sanskirt Mani-lotus and padme-lotus. Another interpretation of mani padme is ‘Jewel Lotus’, an epithet of Avaloktesvara bodhisattva. Om and Hum are harmonic tunes of non-duality and limitless compassion respectively. Om corresponds to the crown chakra visualized as white light while hum is represents the heart chakra seen as a blue light.

Some schools of Buddhism, especially the Tibetan Buddist, take the mantra’s six syllables to be symbolic or representation of purification of the six realms of existence.

Om purifies pride.
Ma purifies jealousy and lust for entertainment
Ni purfies passion and desire
Pad purifies ignorance and prejudice
Me purifies poverty and possessiveness
Hum purifies agression and hatred

Hence the recital and meditation over the mantra removes ones causes of human suffering.

TYPING OM MANI PADME HUM ON 9DOZEN.COM

This mantra can be typed any number of times. You must however choose a meaning of the mantra and meditate upon the meaning while you are typing it.

You can also chant the mantra in your mind and use the copy paste function to keep count of your chanting.

This mantra can be typed to remove pride, jealousy, desire, ignorance, prejudice, poverty, possessiveness, aggression and hatred.

Keep a special hour for typing this mantra and stick to the daily routine.

This mantra also increases ones concentration and broadens ones heart.

Start now! You can start typing this mantra now.

Thanksgiving Day and its significance

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in every November in the United States. This year it falls on 27 November. Its usually a end of harvest season and in US it is an American Federal holiday. It originated as a religious community tradition where the community offers thanks to God for its material and spiritual possession. Of late it has become a day for national celebration, festivities and general gaiety. The period between Thanksgiving and New Year is now called the holiday season.

American Thanksgiving’s origins can be traced to as early as the 1565 when on September 8 when about 600 spanish settlers landed on what is today St. Augustine, Florida and held a communal Thanksgiving for their safe journey. Today it is considered the first Thanksgiving of US. Next notable Thanksgiving days were on December 4, 1619 at the Virginia Colony and the Thanksgiving of the Pilgrims of Plymouth in 1621. The 1777 Thanksgiving after the Battle of Saratoga is another important date in the history of American Thanksgiving. On October 3, 1789, George Washington made Thanksgiving a national day.

Most important part of the Thanksgiving is the family meal in every home. The whole family gathers at the meal and start with the saying of grace. The meal usually consists of roasted turkey, pumkin pie, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet corn, etc.

There are also communal feeding of the poor and most foods are collected by various organizations from every home several days before the Thanksgiving. For this reason the food primarily consists of canned food. Though Thanksgiving is not really associated with the religious past of Christianity, it is the only non-holy day that sees mass gatherings of Christians at various Catholic churches.

Thanksgiving is also a time for shopping and public parades in the US. Seasonal shopping season usually begins on friday next to Thanksgiving and is usually called the Black Friday. But due to commercialized consumerism there have been protests across US since several years and some communities observe Black Friday as the Buy Nothing Day.

Various national parades take place during that day and here is a short list of American Thanksgivin Parades:

• Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York
• McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade, Chicago, Illinois
• 6abc IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Parade, Plymouth, Massachusetts
• H-E-B Holiday Parade, Houston, Texas
• Ameren St. Louis Thanksgiving Parade, St. Louis, Missouri
• America’s Thanksgiving Parade, Detroit, Michigan
• UBS Parade Spectacular, Stamford, Connecticut
• Celebrate the Season Parade, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

THANKSGIVING ON 9DOZEN.COM

Thanksgiving Grace is the best prayer to type or mentally chant for the Thanksgiving.

Here’s the Prayer:

Thanksgiving Day Grace

Thank thee, Lord
For all my many blessings,
thank thee, Lord.
I have bread,
thank thee, Lord.
for room and board.
thank thee, Lord.
for friends and family.
God takes such good care of me.
Amen

You can add this prayer to your chant page from our ‘Select Available Chants‘ and by typing ‘Thanksgiving’, ‘grace’, ‘Christ’, ‘Jesus’, or ‘gratitude’ into the search box.

You can type the prayer or you can mentally repeat it in your mind. However you choose to do it, it is very important you mean each and every word of the prayer and mean it in your heart.

Start now! You can start your own thanksgiving right now!

Gayatri Mantra and its meaning

Gayatri Mantra is one of the oldest and the holiest mantras among Hindus. Traditionally the source for Gayatri Mantra is the vedas. Since the actual verse in the Vedas was in the form of a Vedic chant, it was rephrased many times variously and is still used by Hindus all over the world. It is considered the most powerful mantra by many Hindus. The mantra is also called the ‘Mother of the Vedas’.

Gayatri, also called Savitri,  is five-faced Goddess who presides over the five human senses and hence protects the five life forces of any aspirant who chants her mantra with devotion and focus. Lord Krishna, in Bhagvad Gita, says to Arujuna ‘Among all mantras, I am the Gayatri’.

Here is the mantra and a list of its common interpretations:

Aum bhur bhuwah swaha tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dheemahi dhiyo yo naha prachodayat

Translation/Interpretation:
May the Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path

Other interpretations:

Interpretation of the Mantra by Sir William Jones

“Let us adore the supremacy of that Divine Sun, the Godhead, who illuminates all, who recreates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our understanding aright in our progress towards his holy seat.”

Interpretation of the Mantra by the Arya Samaj

“O God, Thou art the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness; O Creator of the Universe, may we receive Thy supreme sin-destroying light; may Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.”

Interpretation of Mantra in the Brahmo religion

As Savitr in the original Sanskrit may be interpreted in two ways, first as the sun, secondly as the “originator or creator”, Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Maharshi Debendranath Tagore used that word in the second sense. Interpreted in their way the whole formula may be thus rendered :

“We meditate on the worshipable power and glory of Him who has created the earth, the nether world and the heavens (i.e. the universe), and who directs our understanding.”

Gayatri Mantra removes all obstacles in your path and bestows you with wisdom and spiritual growth.

TYPING GAYATRI MANTRA ON 9DOZEN.COM

This mantra can be chanted during the three sandhyas of a day i.e., dawn, midday and dusk. Its very beneficial to chant or type the mantra 108 times. However, you can also chant it for 3, 9 or 18 times.

Take your time to type or chant the mantra. Read through the mantra and chant it mentally while typing.

Type or chant with devotion and focus. Medidate on the meaning of the chant or on the aspect of Gayatri Devi.

You can upload a picture of Gayatri Devi or you can select it from our user images database.

You can either type the mantra or ‘chant, copy, paste‘ the mantra if you are chanting for 108 times per day.

You can start now.

Navakar Mantra for humility

Navakar Mantra (alternatively known as Namokar Mantra, Namaskar Mantra or Navkar Mantra) is the central mantra of Jains. By chanting this mantra an aspirant is offering respects to five spiritual guides or masters called Panch Parmesthi together. These five people are Arihantas, Siddhas, Acharyas, Upadyayas and Sadhus or Sadhvis. The most important point to note here is that the mantra makes no mention of any names of any specific people including Tirthankaras and Siddhas. The reason for this is that the mantra seeks to guide an aspirant’s focus on to the virtues and spiritual aspects of the Panch Parmesthi rather than on the names and lives of earlier spiritual guides. It is common belief among Jains that by chanting this mantar and striving to emulate the virtues of Panch Parmesthi, the aspirant will become inspired and be shown the path to liberation.

Let us look at the mantra, its meaning and the Panch Parmesthi a bit more closely:

Mantar:
Namo Arihantânam
Namo Siddhânam
Namo Âyariyânam
Namo Uvajjhâyanam
Namo Loe Savva Sahûnam
Eso Panch Namokkaro, Savva Pâvappanâsano
Mangalanam Cha Savvesim, Padhamam Havai Mangalam

English Translation:
I bow to the Arihantas (Prophets).
I bow to the Siddhas (Liberated Souls).
I bow to the Acharyas (Preceptors or Spiritual Leaders).
I bow to the Upadhyaya (Teachers).
I bow to all the Sadhus (Saints).
This fivefold bow (mantra) destroys all sins and obstacles
and of all auspicious mantras, is the first and foremost one.

I bow to the Arihantas – Arihantas means prophets. The word is made of two root words – Ari and Hanta. Ari means ememies and hanta means destroyer. Hence Arihanta is literally Destroyer of Enemies. But just like no mention of actual prophets or gurus is made in the mantar, here too enemies means human vices in each of us rather than real physical enemies. Thus Arihant is a person who has successfully destroyed his ego, anger, physical craving, greed, etc.

I bow to the Siddhas – Liberated people. People who have attained salvation and who have broken free of the chain of birth and death. They are said to be free from the karmic debt and do not collect any more karmas.

I bow to the Acharyas – Spiritual leaders are those people who carry the word and message of the Tirthankaras. Since the last Tirthankara was Mahavira, Acharyas after him are all those who dedicate their life to spreading and upholding the message Lord Mahavira.

I bow to all the Upadhyaya – Upadhyayas are teachers who have complete knowledge of Agamas, the Jain scriptures. They are also teachers because they teach the scriptures to other aspirants.

I bow to all the Sadhus – A sadhu or sadhvi is a man or a woman who was previously a householder and who subsequently, having been disillusioned with the material life, has given up worldly matters for the sake of spiritual upliftment.

TYPING NAVAKAR MANTAR ON 9DOZEN.COM

You can type this mantra anytime of the day. However, it is important that you set aside separate time everyday for chanting this mantra as repeated chanting at the same time of the day will bring results quickly.

You can type or ‘chant, copy, paste‘ this mantra. It is important that when you type this mantar you contemplate on the virtues and spiritual aspects of each guide you are bowing to.

You can type this mantra any number of times per day. Try to be punctual and chant a minimum number of times in every session.

Navakar Mantar will bring humility in a person and helps in removing the egoistic nature of the mind. Hence you also become tend to become a more understanding person. Also, as stated in the mantra, chanting it will destroy one’s sins and will remove all obstacles hindering your progress.

Start now! Delaying only results in postponement of progress.

Waheguru means Almighty God

Waheguru (alternatively pronounced as Vahiguru or Vahguru) is the Gurumantar for Sikhs. It is also called Mool Mantar or Mul Mantar. It is a reference to God. Literal meaning of the word is ‘Wonderful Lord’ in Gurumuki language. The term is made from two root words – Wah and Guru.

Wah is an expression of wonder, while Guru means teacher (spiritual/enlightened teacher in this context). ‘Waheguru’ occurs 18 times in Shri Guru Granth Sahib.  Other names used are Onkar, Satguru (true teacher), Satnaam (true name), Rama, Rahman and Purushah.

Guru Granth Sahib has a verse explains that God is one and is only referred to by different names by different people. Here is the verse:

Koyi Bole Ram Ram, Koyi Khuda
Koyi Seve Gosain, Koyi Allah
Kaaran Karan Kareem
Kirpa Taar Raheem

Translation:

Some call (you) Ram Ram, Some Khuda
Some serve (you) as the Gosain, some Allah
You alone are the cause of everything
Shower your mercy and Compassion (on me)

Other names for God in Sikhism are: OnKar, Nir-vair, Akaal-moorat and Gobind.  Waheguru is used in meditation and chanting by Sikhs. Chanting can be mental, verbal with or without a rosary. By repeating it egoism is cast out and one becomes humble.

Typing Waheguru on 9Dozen.com

There are two ways to take up chanting of Waheguru on 9Dozen.com. One, you can type the word repeatedly in the chant box for a set number of times everyday.

Alternatively, if you prefer mental chanting you can use the ‘chant, cut, paste’ method of chanting. In this method you copy the Gurumantar text, then, for every mental repetition you paste the mantar into the chant box and press enter. That way you can keep count of how many times you have chanted it without trying to hold the numbers in your mind which is quite distracting. In the end you can simply know  your count by looking at the count number above your chant box.

Early morning is one of the best times to chant the Gurumantar since chanting it also calms your mind and brings peace of mind. You can remain calm and relaxed the rest of the day. But if you find it difficult to keep up the early morning chant, then you can follow any time that is convenient for you. However, it would be very beneficial if you can type the chant for a few minutes before beginning your daily work.

Concentrate on the meaning of the word while you are typing. Try to reflect on the aspect of a Supreme Creator. By chanting Waheguru your ego is subdued and you become humble.

Start now.

Subhan’allah and its meaning

In general, the term Subhan’Allah can mean ‘Glorious is Allah’ or ‘Exalted is Allah’. But the meaning of the word goes deeper and is insightful than that.

Mohammed bin AbeeBakr Abdulqader al-Razee, in his classic book “Mukhtar al-Sihah” explains the meaning of the word like this –

The meaning of subhanallah is making Allah pure, and it is bound to its original word (sabh, meaning void) as if he said, I verily absolve Allah from all evil.

Like he said, the origin for the word is sabh, voidness, or tasbeeh, making something void.

This would render the term Subhan’allah to mean Allah is void. However the word means more than that. Subhan’allah means ‘Allah is void of all evil’, where ‘of all evil’ is left unsaid but always understood by devout Muslims.

And this is the way Subhan’alla is used in the Quran. For example it says; “Subhanallah amma yasiffon – Void is Allah from that (evil) which they ascribe (to Him)”.

Some devout muslims also tend to look at the root word ‘sabh’ to mean ‘immersed in’. Hence Subhan’allah could also mean immersed in the almighty, being a part of Him.

The word is most commonly used by Muslims during their salat (prayer) and during khutba (sermons).

TYPING SUBHAN’ALLAH ON 9DOZEN.COM

Chant or typing Subhan’allah has immense benefits. But one must type while simultaneously meditating upon the word and its deep meaning. Such a recital or typing will bring purity of thought, one-pointed concentration as well as increases ones understanding of Him. It also cleanses one’s soul and removes evil from the heart.

Type this chant or use ‘chant, copy, paste‘ method.

Allot time for daily chanting and try to stick to one schedule. If you typed Subhan’allah in the evening then type it everyday in the evening.

Start now, there is no better time like now.