Sandhyavandanam -5

We saw that the first seven stages of Sandhyavandanam were only preparatory and the important aspects starts with “arghya pradaanam” where we throw water in the direction of the sun after chanting pranava, vyakrithi and gayatri. The Mandeha rakshanas did severe penance and wishing to attack the sun god especially during the sandhya times. Prajathi had no recourse but to accede to them. So to save Aditya when noble people chant gayatri and throw the waters those become vajram weapon. They throw away the rakshasas into a dweepa, an island, called Mandeharuni dweepa. They come again the next day and so the seeker also must do the arghya pradaanam to keep them away from harming the sun. There is the story part but there is a philosophical significance also. Here the mandeha asuras represent the asuras within the individual in the form of deha abhimana (body consciousness) in the form of kama, krodha, mada etc. There are thousands of negative thoughts in the mind. This alone is described in the 16^th chapter of the Gita as Asureem Sampath. And the surya devata represents the athma within. Swayam Prakashah Suryah and Swayam Prakashah Athma. Because of deha abhimana and its consequent asurum vruthi the athma is attacked as it were, destroyed as it were. Destroying the athma is covering the athma from our vision, because when something is covered it is as good as destroyed. Therefore arghyam is done to remove the deha abhimana (body consciousness) and deha abhimanam is supposed to be more at the time of sandhya. During dawn and dusk one feels this body conscious more. So philosophically would mean that doing argyam with gayatri will remove the deha abhimana so that athma is not covered. This is the arghya pradaanam part.

            Now we will go to the nineth part called “Sandhyopaasanam” or “Abheda Dhyanam”. As the name suggests it is meditating on Sandhya Devi. We have already seen Sandhya Devi as Ishwari. Any upaasanam is done in two different ways – in bheda upaasam we meditate on the Lord as though HE/SHE is different. In fact most of the worship is bheda only. When we worship Rama or Krishna or Ganapathy we see them as different from us. When you meditate outside you always take a God as though outside. But we know from Vedantic teaching that the Lord is not different from me, so to train the mind of the seeker the scriptures themselves prescribe “abheda upaasam” as a higher state. Here we don’t invoke the Lord anywhere but I invoke the lord in myself. And I see “I” and the “lord” to be one and the same. Only after this upasaadam one is introduce to Vedantic knowledge, Vedantic vichara. What is the difference between “abheda upaasam” and “abheda jnanam”. In the former I see the oneness with the Lord only as an imagination. At this stage there is no enquiry, no understanding, it is a mere imagination. Much like imagining a stone to be Vishnu and worshipped, so why can’t I be imagined as Vishnu who is slightly better than stone. While in Vedanta after a thorough enquiry we come to discover that “I am God is not an invocation, it is not an imagination” but it is a statement of a fact. When it is converted into a fact it becomes jnanam, when it is imagination it is upaasanam. Suppose a person dwells on this fact after gaining jnanam then it is “nidhidyasanam”. So dwelling after understanding is nidhidyasnam while imagining is upaasanam. For ignorant abeda is upaasanam, while for jnanis it is nidhidyasanam. Therefore Sandhya Upaasanam can function in two different ways. For those who do SV after exposure to Vedantic teaching it will abheda nidhidyasanam, while for those with no training on Vedanta the ritual becomes abheda upaasanam. The mantras here is Asaavaadityo brahma – brahmaiya-aham-asmi. The sun represents Ishwara or Brahman. And “I” represent the jiva, the individual. That sun is Brahman and this is not something far away tat-brahman-aham-asmi. You may ask that the reference is with respect to Brahman and why do you call it “Sandhyopaasanam”. Remember Sandhya and Brahman are one and the same. This is based on the famous Taitreya Upanishad mantra Sayascha ya purushe, yasya va aditye sayakah – the difference between them is just superficial only but essentially they are Brahman. So for an ignorant person not initiated into Vedanta he can imagine himself to be Sandhya Devi. While saying this mantra they touch the heart with both the hands indicating the chaitanyam (hrudaya kruta chaitanyam). This is the nineth stage “sandhyapaasanam” or “abheda upaasanam”. Why this is important? Because this is the ultimate goal of life for all human beings.

            Then comes the tenth and the final item “adityadi tharpanam”. In this tharpanam is done by offering waters because that is the easiest and cheapest. Tharpanam literally means “pleasing” and “to make someone happy”. That’s why we perform pitru tharpanam or aditya tharpanam or amavasya tharpanam to please them. In Sandhyavandanam (SV) we have nine offering to the nine grahas. Aadityam tharpayaami, somam tharpayaami, angaarakam tharpayaami, budham tharpayaami, bruhaspatim tarpayaami, shukram tarpayaami, shanaishcharam tarpayaami, raahum tharpayaami, and ketum tharpayaami. This is navagraha prarthana, the worship of navagrahas. There are some byproduct benefits; if there are any graha doshas it will go away for the regular practitioner of SV. This is also an appreciation of totality. We mostly live as a frog in the well with our mind on our work, family, children, our neighbourhood etc. This is an opportunity to remember the solar system and how these planets contribute to our survival thus serving as an expansion of our vision. After navagraha tharpanam we do the tharpanam of the Lord in this twelve forms. Keshavam tharpayaami, narayanam tharpayaami etc; the 12 names of Vishnu are uttered. Most of the prayers are directed to Vishnu as HE is the protector deity. Here also we seek the protection and blessings of the lord by uttering these names. With this navagraha and Ishwara tharpanam the first part of Sandhyavandam is concluded. This is the purva angam of the SV. This is generally done in the room nowadays, before this was performed in the river and performed immediately after one’s bath. Besides there you can offer plenty of water and from both hands! In the house you have use a panja patram and odarani and be careful not to spill water beyond the patram. In the olden days after bath they perform the purva angam and come to the house or temple only for the japa part. That is why in many books the mantras for the asanam is given at the end of purva angam; while in modern books they give it at the start. Now we don’t have rivers or tanks, if you go to Mylapore tank the kids are playing cricket there. …(laughs). Or who can do SV in Coovam, so you must do SV at the home itself.

            Now we are entering the second part of Sandhyavandanam called “Gayatri japa” or “uttarangam”. This must be done in a secluded and sacred place as in a temple or a quiet corner of the house which is used for puja etc. This second anga also has ten divisions. The first four are common as in the purva angam. …asanam & achamanam, vigneshwara dhyanam, pranayama and sankalpah. Therefore I am not explaining them. In Sankalpah there will be difference; praatah sandhya Gayatri Maha mantra-japam karishye; maadhyahnika-gayatri maha mantra-japam karishye, or saayam sandhyaa-gayatri mahaa mantra-japam karishye according to the time.

            The fifth stage is the pranayamaha. This we did at the start of the gayatri japa, doing it once is called “prayaschita pranayama”. But in the fifth stage of the gayatri japa the pranayama has to be done thrice or ten times. If you do breathing and japa then do it thrice but if you only chant the mantra then do it 10 times. For the young, old, and sick person only chanting is recommended (no breathing). But if the person wants to include the breathing part then he has to poorakam is filling up the lungs that is deep inhalation, kumbakam is retaining the air for some time and rachakam is exhalation. Breathe in through the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril by keeping your fingers in a particular shape (two fingers of the right hand at left and the thumb to the right side of the nose). Pranayama is a big Science by itself involving surya nadi, chandra nadi, nadi shudi, antakaran shudi etc. When breathing is combined with chanting it is “sagarba pranayama”. We chant so as to dilute our deha abhimanam (body consciousness); it like taking an antibiotic and B-complex side by side! You take care of your health but your body should not become an obsession for you. The first part of pranayam (upto Om Satyam) is purvakam, Gayatri part is kumbakam and Om aapo jyteeraso up to bhoor-bhuvas-suvarom om is rachakam. I discussed about Vyakriti, Gayatri, and Gayatri Shiras in the earlier talks, you can refer to your notes or memory….whichever is stronger! When we are doing pranayam the outgoing breath is coming in contact with the hand and it is considered to become impure. By touching the right ear the hand is purified for it is believed that Ganga resides in the right ear. That is one belief, another is Gayatri itself is chanted in the right ear when a person is first initiated into japa during upanayanam. In the ceremony the gayatri upadesha is done by the father it is given as a secret in the right ear. So in the right ear both Ganga and Gayatri are there. That’s why when some people yawn they touch their right ear as a sort of purification. If you are not in breathing just chant the pranayama mantra ten times but healthy people are supposed to include breathing also. But before this pranayama mantra we invoke rishis, meter, and devata  pranavasya rushih-brahma, devee gaayatri chandaha, paramaatma devatha. Bhooradi saptavayaahrteenam atri bhrugu kutsa vashishta gautama kaashyapa aangirasa rushayaha. Gayatri ushnig anushtup bruhatee pankti trishtup jagatyah chandaamsi. Agni vayu arka vaageesha varuna indra vishvedevaa devatahaa. There is nothing to explain as these are the names of 7 rishis and 7 devatas and 7 metres (chandas). With this pranayama part is over.

            Next is Gayatri japa. Before Gayatri there are some invocation mantras. The first part is called gayatri aavaahanam. Aayaatu varadaa devee aksharam brahma-sammitam, gayatreem chandasaam maatedam brhama jushasva naha. In this mantra the gayatri devi is invited and installed in the heart. When I say “Gayatri” it means “Sandhya Devi” for Gayatri is one of her many names (Savitri and Saraswati are the other names). This is done in any japa, first we invoke the deity and install it in our heart. Gayatri Aayaatu means may Gayatri come and take her seat in my heart. The rest of the words are her glorification. Varada is one who gives all the boons, if we ask for health or wealth or prosperity or by mistake ask for moksha Gayatri is capable of giving all those. The next is “devi” which is svayum prakasha svarupa, the effulgent goddess. And in scriptural language the “Chitanyam”svarupa. Asksharam brahma-sammitam; Gayatri who is equal to aksharam brahma which is the infinite and imperishable truth. Gayatri is equal to Brahman and who is none other than Brahman(sammitam). Satyam, jnanam, anantham brahma. Another glory is “chandasaam maate” – Gayatri who is the mother of all Vedic mantras. That is what makes Gayatri mantra the most sacred of all mantras. And for what purpose I am inviting you; idam brahma jushasva naha. Here Brahma means stotram, stuthi May you accept our glorification of you. The stotram comes in the next part. There are ojo’si saho’si balamasi bhraajo’si devaanam dhaama naamasi vishvamasi vishvaayuhu sarvamasi sarvaayuhu. The essence of this glorification is “Sandhya Devi, you are everything. You are sarvam.” Ojaha means indriya shakti. You are the power in all the ten sense organs (5 jnanadriyas and 5 karmadriyas) and so you give me “Indriya” shakti. By praising the Goddess in one aspect it means we asking HER to bestow or confer that quality in us. Sahosi means “mental strength” (so give me mental strength to face the ups and downs of life). Balamasi, physical health (I need to have a fit body to even do the spiritual sadhana so give me physical health), then bhrajosi, you are bright, shining one. Then devanam dhama si; you are the abode of gods. From here we get this wonderful idea; once you worship one Sandhya Devi it means you have worshipped all the gods. It is much like cow worship. As all the devatas are in the cow, just worshipping the cow means worshipping all the devatas. Namasi, you are all the names. Why? All names belong to you as all forms belong to you. All this you will appreciate if you know the Vedantic angle. Then Vishwamasi comes which we will see in the next class. Hari Om.