India, Sept. 15 -- From my earliest childhood, prayer came to me as naturally as breathing. Whenever I was sick, anxious, or dreading an exam, I instinctively folded my hands and turned to God. At the time, I did not understand why it felt so spontaneous. Now I do. The Bhagavad-Gita explains: "The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts" (15.7).

Just as a child instinctively seeks a parent's embrace, the soul naturally turns to God. Prayer is not a ritual - it is the soul's most natural response. As I grew older, I began to recognise the immense benefits of prayer. The first is its immediacy. Prayer connects us to God instantly - no waiting, no intermediaries. Krishna Himself says: "Four kinds of virtuo...