It Makes more Sense to Pray for Others than for Yourself

All Scriptures of Sanatana Dharma make one thing very clear:

You can have happiness and peace only when the world around you is happy and peaceful.

You don’t need to be Albert Einstein to understand and appreciate this. It is simple.

What makes you happy are signals that go inside you through your eyes, ears, skin, nose, and tongue. These are your only sources. And what goes in through these five senses comes from what is outside.

So, if what is outside is miserable, then what goes in will also be miserable—and that would make you miserable as well.

If you want to be happy in life, make those around you happy.

This is why, in Sanatana Dharma, we seldom pray for ourselves. You will mostly find plural words in prayers: We, Us, Give to Us—very rarely Give to Me. Especially in the Vedas, it is very rare to find I and Me. Even when used in singular form, it often has a broader meaning, implying plurality.

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत्

(Translation: May all beings be happy, may all be free from illness. May all see only what is auspicious, may no one suffer.)

If you observe closely, this is also a very 'selfish' prayer. Let everyone, especially those around you, be comfortable—because only then will you be comfortable. If they are not, they will not allow you to be comfortable.

Consider this:
An enemy country attacks you. Why? Because they don’t have peace, they are discontented, and they live in fear. So, for you to be safe, pray that your enemy finds peace, is contented, and does not live in fear of you.

Let everyone be healthy. If people around you, especially your close ones, are unhealthy, you will end up spending most of your time in hospitals or with doctors.

Let everyone see Bhadram (good things). Let the experiences of the people around you be positive. You know this: if your spouse, son, or daughter faces trouble at work, you bear the emotional brunt of it.

May no one suffer in any way, so that they do not pass their suffering on to you.

Once, I heard a wise saying from someone:
'I always pray that my brother is richer than me, so that he doesn’t come and ask me for money.'

Jokes aside—this is a realization. Only if the world and the people around you are happy, peaceful, and healthy, will you also be happy and peaceful.

So, rather than praying for yourself, start praying for others. Sanatana Dharma has always told us this.

By doing so, in turn, you will also become happy and peaceful.

Knowledge Bank

How do bhaktas control their mind?

They will keep on watching their mind. The moment they see that it is drifting away, they will bring it back to Bhagavan.

Ashwini Nakshatra God

Ashwini Kumaras.