________________
(i) Eulogising (= stuti):
Mahir asya pranītayah pūrvir uta prasastayah Nasya ksīyanta utayah. (RV, 6/45/3) i.e., Vast are His designs, manifold are
His praises, and His protections
are never withdrawn. Ya eka it tarn u stuhi krstīnām vicarsanih Patir jajñe vrsakratuh. (RV, 6/45/16) i.e., May you glorify that resplendent Lord,
who, alone and on His own, supervises, and is the Lord of each and everyone-, the showerer of blessings.
Mā cid anyad vi saṁsata sakhāyo mā risanyata Indram it stotā vrsanaṁ sacā sute muhur ukthā ca saṁsata. (RV, 8/1/1)
i.e. O friends, do not worship anybody but Him,
the divine one. Let no grief perturb you. Praise him alone, the radiant, the showerer of benefits. During the course of self-relization, go on repeatedly uttering hymns in his honour.
Accordingly, there are ample verses in the Vedas which not only make mention of stuti or eulogy in clear terms but also exhort the seeker/devotee to address and invoke the divinity in various names so as to please it and attain the desired goal:
Yanme chidraṁ caksuso hrdayasya manaso vătitrnnaṁ Brhaspatirme taddadhātu. (YV, 36/2) i.e., Whatever defect I have of eye, of heart, of mind,
or whatever excess there is,
may Brhaspati remedy it.
(ii) Seeking (=prārthana):
There are several statements in the Vedas which invoke the divine for bestowing the best upon his seekers: Ime ta indra te vayaṁ purustuta ye tvārabhya caramasi prabhūvaso Nahi tvad anyo girvano giraḥ saghat ksonīr iva prati no harya tad vacaḥ (RV, 1/57/4)
652