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“Yes, you shall be together in even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness. And let the winds of heaven dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.” Kahlil Gibran on Marriage.

We live in a world where homes and furniture are both available on hire. You don’t have to commit to sitting at the same table or living in the same locality. There is always a choice, you can move, at will. Today, we live in a society that thrives on constant movement and change, sometimes this reflects in our personal lives, where our younger generation chooses to flit from one partner to the next. The paradigm of relationships has changed and become mercurial. This can affect the peace and harmony of a home.

My generation grew up with this injunction from our parents – you live once, you die once and you marry once (unfortunately, sometimes not at all!), and they proved it during their lifetimes. While this is not a judgement call on live-in partnerships, we do want our young adults to enjoy a fruitful and happy marriage, preferably one which will produce many wonderful and happy babies!

Mino Ram Yazad carries the vibration of joy, love and togetherness. He is called upon to bless couples and his name is invoked in the Ashirwad during the marriage ceremony. So, whether we are faced with marital problems or whether a dear one cannot find a spouse or whether some youngsters refuse to get married, the incantation of Mino Ram Yazad will overcome all these obstacles.

Reciting the Mino Ram Yasht is extremely beneficial for bringing peace and harmony in a household. However, not many have the patience and time to recite the entire Yasht, which is a long prayer. The second-best option is to recite the Ram Rojni Setayesh. Even though it is not as short as a Nirang, it is a very short version of the Yasht, and should be prayed regularly to achieve positive results.

All Setayesh prayers are available in the Gujarati Tamaam Khordeh Avesta, from pages 547 to 579.  For those who are like me and cannot read Gujarati, the entire 30 Rojni Setayesh book is available in English at the Karani Agiary Library in Colaba. It will be a worthwhile effort to source this prayer book – it is a treasure beyond measure.

Marriage is security and an anchor in an ever-changing world; it can bring deep fulfillment, joy and happy companionship. It is the smallest unit of our society and country. Let us make it a strong and let the warp and the weft of life be interwoven with the golden strings of prayer and love!