Eprarthana

There was an article on BBC on the sites like this.  These sites are defaming India at a global level.  BBC says -they will just take your money & do some ritual which no one knows.

If you dont have the time or inclination to even talk to god -- is he going to listen to you? Just pay these sites money & they will give a sifarish to god.

Its totally unethical and such sites should be really discouraged.

Sahaj Marg translates to "The Natural Path." It is a natural, simple system of Raja Yoga meditation and spiritual practice that helps one realize the ultimate potential within oneself.

Regular spiritual practice under capable guidance enables aspirants to progressively experience the sublime presence of the divine in their daily lives.

The Sahaj Marg system is freely offered to seekers worldwide through the Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) under the guidance of current living Master, Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari (also known as "Chariji"), and is effectively practiced by individuals from all walks of life - diverse nationalities,

The Gayatri Mantra is a highly revered mantra in Hinduism, second only to the mantra Om. It consists of the prefix :o? bhur bhuva? sva???, a formula taken from the Yajurveda, and the verse 3.62.10 of the Rigveda(which is an example of the Gayatri mantra). Since all the other three Vedas contain much material rearranged from the Rig Veda, the Gayatri mantra is found in all the four Vedas. The deva invoked in this mantra is Savitr, and hence the mantra is also called Savitri. By many Hindus, the Gayatri is seen as a Divine awakening of the mind and soul, and within it a way to reach the most Supreme form of existence, and the way to Union with Brahman. Understanding, and purely loving the essence of the Gayatri Mantra is seen by many to be one, if not the most powerful ways to attain God.

Text See Sanskrit for details of pronunciation. In IAST

? bhur bhuva? sva?

(a) tát savitúr váreniya?

(b) bhárgo devásya dhimahi

(c) dhíyo yó na? pracodáyat

Translation**Word-by-word explanation:-

om* The sacred sound, see Om.

bhu'earth'

bhuvas'atmosphere'

svar'light, heaven, space'

tat'that'

savitúr of Savitr the god'(genitives of savitr-, 'stimulator, rouser; name of a sun-deity' and deva- 'god' or'demi-god')

varenyam'Fit to be worshipped' varenya-'desirable, excellent'

bhargo'Glory Effulgence'(radiance, lustre, splendour, glory)

devasya'of God'

dhimahi'may we attain'(1st person plural middle optative of dha-'set, bring, fix' etc.)

dhíya? na?'our prayers'(accusative plural of *dhi-'thought, meditation, devotion, prayer' and na? enclitic personal pronoun)

yá? pracodáyat'who may stimulate'(nominative singular of relative pronoun *yad- causative 3rd person of pra-cud-'set in motion, drive on, urge, impel')Goddess Originally the personification of the mantra, the goddess Gayatri is considered the veda mata, the mother of all Vedas and the consort of the God Brahma and also the personification of the all-pervading Parabrahman, the ultimate unchanging reality that lies behind all phenomena. Gayatri Veda Mata is seen by many Hindus to be not just a Goddess, but a portrayal of Brahman himself, in the feminine form.[citation needed] Essentially, the Goddess is seen to combine all the phenomenal attributes of Brahman, including Past, Present and Future as well as the three realms of existence.[citation needed] Goddess Gayatri is also worshipped as the Hindu Trimurti combined as one. In Hindu mythology, there is only one creation who can withstand the brilliance of Aditya and that is Gayatri. Gayatri is typically portrayed as seated on a red lotus, signifying wealth. She appears in either of these forms:

Having five heads with the ten eyes looking in the eight directions plus the earth and sky, and ten arms holding all the weapons of Vishnu, symbolizing all her reincarnations.

Accompanied by a white swan, holding a book to portray knowledge in one hand and a cure in the other, as the goddess of Education

The Raja Yoga system known as "Sahaj Marg" is still relatively obscure in the West, even among Yoga aficionados. This is largely due to the fact that Sahaj Marg has been a low-key, word-of-mouth practice. Works by the lineage of Sahaj Marg Masters, published under the auspices of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM), are difficult to locate, and beyond the abhyasis or practitioners of Sahaj Marg, few are aware that SRCM centers have been established worldwide since the Mission was founded in India fifty years ago.

What is Sahaj Marg? There are no easy answers to this question, just as there are none for questions like "What is Zen?" or "What is Sufism?" Sahaj Marg (which may be translated as "Natural Path" or "Simple Way") has no surface and its habitat is Infinity; thus by definition Sahaj Marg resists definition. Given the hopelessness of description, then, we must remain content with classifying, comparing, and giving historical accounts. These are outer matters and have little to do with the essence of Sahaj Marg, for spiritual Sadhana is not only a "study" but also a "practice," and as such can be understood only through actual experiment.

Though its method may seem novel to some, those acquainted with the great Dharmic traditions will find Sahaj Marg a natural extension of the continuing refinement and accommodation that living yoga has always emphasized. Sahaj Marg is a practical method designed to give the direct experience of realization, right here, right now, in the midst of our daily situations. This has always been the heart of all spiritual traditions, as Vivekananda observed: "Religion consists in realization. We all know as a fact that nothing will satisfy us until we realize the Truth for ourselves. However much we may argue, however much we may hear, but one thing will satisfy us, and that is our own realization; and such an experience is possible for every one of us, if we will only try."

WHERE RELIGION ENDS

All religions begin with the experience of God, the realization of a single person such as Christ or Buddha or Mohammed. After the founders pass on, their followers codify their teachings, and if these teachings are deep and true and helpful enough to stand the test of time, eventually they crystallize into a religion. But the original experience of its founder remains the bedrock of each religion, and to the degree that his followers can partake of that experience themselves, the religion remains valid and transformative, rather than degenerating into a set of mechanical rituals or a dry body of moral rules and social expectations.

We should not denigrate religion, for religions are regulating systems for societies and the preparatory schools for spirituality. My Master is of the opinion that while it is a wonderful thing to be born into a religion, it is a tragedy to die in a religion. We must transcend mere belief and conformity, and experience the Truth of the scriptures for ourselves. My Master told me that Christ, for instance, to keep his experience alive and to pass the light along, had to transmit this experience to someone, a human being who then would be the temporary vehicle of the essence of his Master, until he in turn passed it on to the most fit of his own disciples, who would pass it on again, and so on, down through the ages. Whether Christ actually transmitted this to Peter we do not know, but the Catholic Church has at least recognized the necessity for a living Master and the reality of such transmission in the doctrines of apostolic succession and the office of the pope as vicar of Christ.

Sahaj Marg also affirms the necessity of a realized Master in human form to assist most people in their journey Home. A true Master comes to serve, not rule, for as my Master's own Master taught, "God is the real Guru or Master and we get light from Him alone. But as it is extremely difficult for a man of ordinary talents to draw inspiration from God directly, we seek the help of one of our fellow beings who has established his connection with the Almighty." In Sahaj Marg, "Master" simply refers to one who has mastered himself, and who has the ability to make Masters like himself. Thus, though the Masters of the Sahaj Marg lineage are each unique in terms of physique, personality, taste, and temperament, in their most essential Nature they are one and the same person.

THE SIMPLE WAY

What, then, does one actually do in Sahaj Marg? According to the teachings of Sahaj Marg, God is simple, and the Way to God may also be simple. Thus there are no rituals in Sahaj Marg. Do's and don'ts are few. There are no secret mantras or mudras, no arcane Asanas, no special clothes, no changing of names. Really, there is nothing about Sahaj Marg to believe or disbelieve, because the practice involves direct experience. Sahaj Marg asks us not to believe, but to observe; not to trust, but to test. Anyone over 18 years of age who is willing to give a sincere effort is invited to do so. One can begin the practice by contacting a preceptor for the introductory sittings. No fee or "love offering" is asked for these or any other sittings from a preceptor. Sahaj Marg teaches that spirituality cannot be sold any more than the sky can be sold, for no one owns it.

The daily abhyas or practices are quite simple. The abhyasi is asked to sit comfortably and meditate at the beginning of the day for at least 30 minutes, eventually for an hour if possible, focusing on the heart (a preceptor can detail the method). At the end of the day, sit again for at least 30 minutes, but this time, the purpose is for cleaning, and again the technique is quite simple. Weekly Satsanghs or group meditations are helpful, along with individual sittings from preceptors. Abhyasis are encouraged to keep a diary of their inner life, and most soon notice a feeling of Shanti or peace, a sense of lightness, and an awakened intuitive ability. Though these experiences are not uniform, they are common in the beginning, and many other experiences and conditions will follow. Sahaj Marg recognizes a plexus of subtle Granthis or knots beyond the traditional Chakra system of Kundalini and other yogas, and abhyasis during their practice make the Yatra or voyage through various spiritual regions as they approach the Center. At various stages obstacles are encountered, sensations occur, and visions or dreams may be seen, but with the guidance of the Master the abhyasi will not be distracted and can move on toward Reality.

So the basic practice takes about one or two hours a day -- we begin our day with meditation, end it with another, and enter sleep in a state of prayer. By an art called "Constant Remembrance" the abhyasi can eventually extend these meditations to 24 hours a day. Curiously enough, many find that the simplicity of the practice is its major difficulty, especially since Sahaj Marg claims to aim for a level of human perfection beyond that which even Patanjali described. This claim can be easily tested, for Sahaj Marg was designed so that even the busiest person could integrate a profoundly transformative spiritual practice into his or her daily life.

It was with great expectations that I decided to offer prayers for loved ones on the https://eprarthana.com website. The layout and contents were excellent and I didn't give a second thought before ordering a Pooja to be performed and the Prasad to be shipped to an overseas address. Total cost 1600 INR.

The only drawback I found (which I think should have been avoided) was that there is no customer service being offered. I needed some because one of my transactions (yeah, I wanted to make more than one!) was incomplete due to network issues.

I wanted to know whether my account was debited or not. With no link (let alone a page) dedicated for customer service, I resorted to sending mails to the address listed on the site and to htt:// http://www.sify.com. And guess what? No response for a week. I called up their office (an international call) finally to find out that my account is not debited and that they have recorded my other transaction!!!

I think for any site which deals with electronic transactions should have a solid customer service desk (People at sify have responded to my mail since and have promised to look into the matter). But overall I would rate the service as satisfactory and would recommend the service to others.