Shyam teri akhiyan badi-badi
Dekhein yein sab kutch gadi-ghadi
Shyam teri mor pankhi hari hari
Nishkam bhakti ho gadi-gadi
Shyam teri baiyan khuli-khuli
pyar yein barsayein ghadi-ghadi
shyam tere karnda bade-bade
sune yein man ki ghadi-ghadi
shyam teri bansuri khadi-khadi
maya meri todhe ghadi-ghadi
shyam mera swami ghadi- ghadi
main teri dasi ghadi-ghadi
निद्रा समये - Nidra Samaye
(Before going to bed)
रामस्कन्धं हनुमन्तम वैनतेयं वृकोदरं |
शयने यः स्मरेन्नित्यं दुःस्वप्नम् तस्य नश्यति ॥
ramaskandham hanumantam vainateyam vrkodaram
sayane yah smarennityam duh swapnam tasya nasyati
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:
ramaskandham- Rama’s loyal follower; hanumantam- Hanuman; vainateya- Garuda; vrkodaram- Bhima; sayana- sleep time; yah- this; smaren- chant; nityam- always; duh- bad; swapnam- dream; tasya- then; nasyati- detroyed
Translation:
Meditating upon Hanuman, Garuda and Bhima before going to bed ensures a sleep without disturbing dreams.
Brief Explanation:
It is always good to have positive thoughts in one’s head before going to sleep. Lord Hanuman, Garuda and Bhima are symbolic of great courage, valour and strength; hence it advised to visualize and meditate upon them so that this drives away bad dreams.
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः |
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चित् दुःखभाग्भवेत् ॥
sarve bhavantu sukhinaha sarve santu niraamayah
sarve bhadrani pashyantu ma kaschit duhkha bhag bhavet
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:
sarve- all; bhavantu- may be; sukhinah- happy; niramayah- free from disease; badrani- prosperity; pashyantu- may enjoy; ma- not; kaschit- anybody; duhkhabhag- one who suffers; bhavet- may be
Translation:
May all be happy. May all enjoy health and freedom from disease. May all enjoy prosperity. May none suffer.
Brief explanation:
This is usually chanted after finishing a meeting or conference call. These are prayers for the prosperity and welfare of humanity. To achieve anything in life, one has to make an effort and await the results. In addition, many unknown factors and laws influence the outcome of that effort. By praying to the Lord, one acknowledges these laws as the natural order inseparable from the Lord, and one acknowledges the Lord as the giver of all results of action.
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविः ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणाहुतम् |
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्म कर्म समाधिना ॥
brahmarpanam brahma havih brahmagnau brahmanahutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma karma samadhina
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:
Brahma- The Supreme Lord; arpanam- offering; brahma- The Supreme Lord; havih- clarified butter (offered in in the fire); agni- fire; brahmanahutam- by brahman in to the fire; brahmaiva- brahman will only be; tena- by the one; gantavyam- realized/attained; brahma karma samadhina- considering everything as an act(karma) of brahman
Translation:
Brahman is the oblation (fire sacrifice). Brahman is the ghee (clarified butter, used in a fire sacrifice) The oblation is poured by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. Brahman shall be realized by the one who considers everything as (a manifestation or) an act of Brahman.
Brief Explanation:
It is customary to partake food before eating and offer it as ‘prasad’ to God and chant this shloka. The shloka draws a parallel between the sacrificial fire (yagna) and the fire of hunger. In essence, the meaning conveyed by the act of chanting the shloka and by partaking food is as follows: ‘Dear Lord You are provider of this food, taster of this food and you’re food. I take this food as a gift from you and I offer this food at your divine lotus feet.’
सरस्वति नमस्तुभ्यं वरदे कामरूपिणि |
विद्यारम्भं करिष्यामि सिद्धिर्भवतु मे सदा ॥
saraswati namastubhyam varade kamaroopini
vidyarambham karishyami siddhirbhavatu me sada |
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:
saraswati- o saraswatI ; namastubhyaM- bow(namaH) to you (tubhyaM); varade- giver of boons (vara); kAmaroopiNi = giver of form/shape to desire (kama); vidhyArambhaM = start of (ArambhaM) studies (vidyA); kariShyAmi = I will do; siddhirbhavatu = accomplishments (siddhiH) may happen (bhavatu); me sadA = always (sadA) mine (me)
Translation:
My salutations to Goddess Saraswathi, the bestower of boons and the fulfiller of my wishes. I begin my studies seeking your blessings so that I shall always be successful.
Brief Explanation:
Goddess Saraswati is considered as the supreme goddess for learning & knowledge. Hence it’s customary to start one’s studies by chanting this shloka.
(While performing Pradakshina Namaskara)
यानि कानि च पापानि जन्मान्तर कृतानि च |
तानि तानि विनश्यन्ति प्रदक्षिण पदे पदे ॥
yani kani ca papani janmantara krtani ca
tani tani vinashyanti pradakshina pade pade
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:
yani kani ca- whatever; papani- sins; janmantara- all my lives; krtani ca- committed; tani tani- those; vinassyanti- destroy; pradakshina- circumambulation; pade pade- with every step
Translation:
O Bhagawan! Whatever sins I have committed all my lives (including previous lives), please destroy them at every step I take around you.
Brief Explanation:
Pradakshina, meaning circumambulation, consists of walking around in a clockwise ‘circle’ around the deity, as a form of worship in Hindu ceremonies. We see people doing this at our temples where they go around in circles either chanting some shlokas or just walking with pure devotion. In that context, this shloka can be sung where in, one asks the lord for forgiveness from the sins that he/she has committed with every step taken during the Pradakshina.
This prayer to Lord Ganesha is to be recited before starting any new task. 
शुक्लाम्बर धरं विष्णुं शशि वर्णम् चतुर्भुजम् |
प्रसन्न वदनं ध्यायेत् सर्व विघ्नोपशान्तये ॥
shuklambaradharam vishnum shashivarnam chaturbhujam
prasanna vadanam dhyayet sarva vighnopa shantaye
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:
Shuklambara- white cloth; dharam- worn; vishnum- all pervading ; Shashivarnam- bright complexion(like a full moon); Chaturbhujam- 4 shoulders; Prasanna Vadanam- Pleasant face; Dhyayet- I meditate; Sarva- all; Vighnopa- obstacles; Shantaye- pacify
Translation:
For the removal of all the obstacles in my effort, I meditate upon Bhagwan Ganesha, who wears a white garment, who is all pervading, who has a bright complexion (like a full moon), who has four shoulders, who has an ever-smiling face.
Brief Explanation
Lord Ganesha is considered the deity for removal of all obstacles in our life. Hence it is customary to pray to Him first before starting any new activity whether it be pooja, new business or a new journey. Thinking about the Lord who has a pleasant face (prasanna vadanam) will help us overcome all the obstacles that might arise in our task.
This sloka is to be recited while lighting lamp.
शुभं करोति कल्याणम् आरोग्यं धन-सम्पदा |
शत्रुबुद्धिर्विनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोस्तुते ॥
subham karoti kalyanam arogyam dhana sampada
shatru buddhir vinashaya dipa jyotir namostute
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:
Subham- auspiciousness; karoti – which brings; kalyanam- prosperity; arogyam- good health; dhanasampadah- abundance of wealth; shatrubuddhih- of the intellect’s enemy (ignorance); vinasaya- for the destruction; dipajyotir- that lamplight; namosthuthe- I salute thee.
Translation
I salute the One who is the lamplight that brings auspiciousness; prosperity, good health, abundance of wealth, and the destruction of the intellect’s enemy (ignorance).
Brief explanation
This prayer is chanted before lighting the lamplight. Light is considered a symbol of auspiciousness, prosperity, and abundance in many cultures. Light brings with it brightness, but how does it destroy the intellect’s enemy? The intellect’s enemy is ignorance, which is likened to darkness. Light removes the darkness and makes it possible to see things clearly.
Prayer to recite while taking a bath
गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति |
नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् सन्निधिं कुरु ॥
gange ca yamune caiva godavari saraswathi
narmade sindhu kaveri jalesmin sannidhim kuru
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning:
Ganga, Yamana, Godavari, Saraswathi, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri-names of holy Indian rivers; Ca- of; Jalesmin- In this water; Sannidhim- presence; Kuru- Invoke
Translation:
In this water, I invoke the presence of holy waters from the rivers Ganga, Yamana, Godavari, Saraswathi, Narmada, Sindhu (Indus) and Kaveri.
Brief Explanation:
An important part of ritual purification in Hinduism is the bathing of the entire body. It is considered auspicious to perform this form of purification before any festival, before visiting a temple or performing a pooja. One not only purifies one’s body but also the mind during taking a bath. Such a purificatory bath is ultimate if it is done in the sacred waters of some great rivers of India like the river Ganga. Hence one chants this shloka invoking the presence of holy waters while taking a shower.
कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मीः करमूले सरस्वती | 
करमध्ये तु गोविन्दः प्रभाते करदर्शनम् ॥
Karagre vasate lakshmi kara mule saraswathi
kara madhye tu govindah prabate kara darshanam
Sanskrit to English Word Meaning
Karagre-on the tip of your fingers; vasate- dwells; Lakshmi- the Goddess of Prosperity; karamule- on the base of your hands; Saraswathi- the Goddess of Knowledge Saraswathi; karamadhye- in the middle of your hands; tu-whereas; Govindah-the Lord Govindah; prabhate-in the morning; karadarshanam-look at your palm.
Translation
On the tip of your fingers is Goddess Lakshmi; on the base of your fingers is Goddess Sarasvati; in the middle of your fingers is Lord Govinda. In this manner, look at your palm
Brief Explanation
This is a morning prayer called “karadarshana”. One begins the day with this prayer. “Kara” means the palm of the hand and it stands for the five karmendriyas, or the organs of action. While looking at the palm, one invokes the Lord in the form of various deities, thus sanctifying all the actions that will be done during the day. By acknowledging the Lord as the giver of the capacity to perform actions and as the giver of the fruits of those actions, one sanctifies the actions. Thus, one prays in the morning to reinforce the attitude that all actions are performed as a service to the Lord.