Prayer of the Day

Prayer from Kena Upanishad

ॐ

ब्रह्म ह दॆवॆभ्यॊ विजिग्ये, तस्य ह ब्रह्मणॊ विजयॆ दॆवा अमहीयन्त ।
त ऐक्षन्तास्माकमॆवायं विजयॊऽस्माकमॆवायं महिमॆति ॥ ३.१ ॥

ॐ

Hymn as Romanized text

 
Om

brahma ha dEvEbhyO vijigye, tasya ha brahmaNO vijayE dEvA amahIyanta |
ta aikShantAsmAkamEvAyaM vijayO&smAkamEvAyaM mahimEti || 3.1 ||

(brahma ha dEvEbhyO vijigye, tasya ha brahmaNO vijayE dEvA amahIyanta |
ta aikShanta asmAkam Eva ayaM vijayH asmAkam Eva ayaM mahima iti || 3.1 || )

Om

Meaning of the Prayer Hymn:

 The Omnipresent made the divines to win.
That victory of the Omnipresent, the divines got elated!
They thought, "This victory is our own!
This is all because of our greatness!!"

 Notes: 

1. amahIyanta - glorified.

2. When we are in distress we plead in a big way to God,
"Oh Lord! Am I not Your devotee. I have been doing so many
virtuous deeds! People say You are highly Merciful!
Why don't You help me come out of this distress, please...."
Shortly afterwards when we are out of the distress and the going
is smooth, our thought are, "How brave am I! I have successfully 
navigated through situations and all I am enjoying reflects my smartness!"

In this example story that the Upanishad quotes the divines,
who are also souls like us but at an elevated state due to their Tapas,
also did the same mistake. The Supreme made their victory.
Instead of paying humble obeisance to the God, they had let the
misattribution of the victory spoil their thoughts due to the veil of darkness 
they were in. 

Contrast this with the state of liberation the realized devotees get to.
In that there is an absolute balance. Other than the beloved Shiva,
there is nothing desirable or undesirable. Hence either victory or failure
does not disturb their balance. There is nothing more to seek for them,
as they are already filled in Bliss. All they do is enjoy that and they have lost 
themselves in that enjoyment!