Prayer to the One Supreme

I learnt this sloka from a movie on Sri Adi Shankaracharya's life.
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आकाशात् पतितं तोयं यथा गच्छति सागरम्
सर्व देव नमस्कारः केशवं प्रतिगच्छति

AkAshAt patitam tOyam yathA gacchati sAgaram
sarva dEva namaskArah kEshavam pratigacchati 


ஆகாசாத் பதிதம் தோயம் யதா கச்சதி ஸாகரம்
ஸர்வ தேவ நமஸ்கார: கேசவம் ப்ரதி கச்சதி

As all raindrops falling from the sky ultimately meet their end in the ocean, prayers offered to all gods ultimately reach the One Lord.

21 comments:

  1. This is one of the wonderful shlok from vedic literature.This not only propagates the ADWAITA SIDDHANTA but also indicates the universal brotherhood explained in our great SANATAN DHARMA.

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  2. This is one of the wonderful shlok from vedic literature.This not only propagates the ADWAITA SIDDHANTA but also indicates the universal brotherhood explained in our great SANATAN DHARMA.

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  3. Thank you so much for your valuable inputs, Dr. Tiwari. It is one of my favorites. May the Supreme bless us all.

    Hari Aum,
    Nandini

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  4. I am not sure how you got Adwaita from here. It is comparison between raindrops and prayer. Just like raindrop [wherever it falls] ultimately reaches ocean, Prayer offered to all gods ultimately reaches one God. It doesn't say that Atman and Paramatman same or different. It says there is one God.

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    1. The inner meaning of the sloka is, the approaches and origins might be different. But, the destination is one. If there is a duality then the destination may not be one. Hope you get the heart of the sloka.
      Moreover Sanskrit is not a mere language. Also we should not consider only the upper meaning of the words. As the name says, ADWAITA, is not an open book of secretes.

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    2. Just as the river water joins with ocean, the Atman merges with Paramatman.

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    3. Just so because Advaita accepts every being to be Bramhan. It is impossible to differentiate between any one being from any other being. This is expressed by the words "ब्रम्ह सत्य जगत् मिथ्या जीवो ब्रम्हैवनापरः " the ony truth is Bramhan the rest is all untruth and every being is Bramhan and that is the only truth.
      In the same way, every prayer uttered by any being always reaches That Supreme Being.

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  5. Its not just a prayer but ultimate truth. Like wise every drop from the sky merges with the ocean every living being ultimately merges with the Supreme Being.

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  6. Its not just a prayer but universal truth. Likewise every drop from the sky reaches the ocean every living being ultimately merges with the Supreme Being.

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  7. This sloka clearly talks about prayer [dEva namsakaram] to all gods[sarva]. But if we want to see in this sloka that is not mentioned, that is fine too.

    I am not against Adwaita, but want to clarify that this sloka doesn't talk about it.

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  8. The inner meaning of the sloka is, the approaches and origins might be different. But, the destination is one. If there is a duality then the destination may not be one. Hope you get the heart of the sloka.
    Moreover Sanskrit is not a mere language. Also we should not consider only the upper meaning of the words. As the name says, ADWAITA, is not an open book of secretes.

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  9. Akashat Patitam Toyam Yatha Gacchanti sagaram
    Sarva-Deva-Namaskaraha Kesavam Prati Gachati
    Kindly let me know the origibal source of this sloka. nkgopal@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. It is in sandhya vandana mantras.

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  10. It's very nice sloka which speaks of universal truth that there is only God but the worship of the one God in different religion. Though we worship the one God in different religion, we all belong to the one God and ultimately we reach the one God and all our prayers are to that one God. It's the truth of universal brotherhood.

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  11. Similar one is
    “Sathyam Sathyam puna: sathyam uthdridhya buja muchyathe
    Vedhasasthrath param naasthi na deivam Kesavath param..”

    There is no Sasthra superior to Vedhas and likewise there is No Supreme God than Kesava..

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  12. This is Will come in RigVeda Sandhyavandanam !

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  13. I also learnt it from same movie... and now it has caught hold of me..

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    Replies
    1. Good to know that :)

      God bless us all!

      Hari Aum!

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  14. The above sloka has an inner meaning that is the sight of all should be centred in the same God's legs.

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Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita