Sri Kanchi Mahaperiyavaa on SandhyAvandhanam - Gleanings from Deivathin Kural

Sri Kanchi Mahaperiyavaa on Sandhyaa Vandhanam

(Gleanings from Deivathin Kural - different sections)

1. Six occupation of which Sandhyavandhanam is of Prime Importance

These six ‘occupations’ are mentioned in the Manusmrti. Another dharma Sastra, the Parasara smurthi, fists six other duties as part of a Brahmin's daily routine.

Sandhya snanam japOhomam devathanamcha pujanam

Aathithyam vaiSvadevamcha sathkarmani dhini dhinee

Sandhyavandhana must be performed after bathing. A Brahmin must never be afraid of taking a dip in cold water. He has to bathe so often, twice or thrice a day, at dawn, midday and dusk (pratah-snana, madhyahnika-snana and sayamkala-snana). Sandhyavandana must be performed after the bath in the morning and evening respectively and madhyahnika after the midday bath. Though the verse says ‘sandhya snanam 'you should not construe it perversely to mean bath after performing sandhyavandhana

Sandhyavandana is the most important rite for the Brahmin. That is why it has been mentioned before bath. Of the six duties according to Parasara, the first is constituted by sandhyavandhana and bathing. The second is japa, the muttering of great Mantras, especially those pertaining to one’s family deity (or one’s chosen deity). The third is homa, offering oblations in the sacred fire, in other words, yajna. The fourth is deva-pujana, worshipping the Lord with flowers, incense, light, food articles, etc. The fifth is aatithya, honoring and feeding guests, and the sixth vaisvadeva, offering balis to outcastes, animals, birds, etc

Such a great man as VaLLuvar (Thiruvalluvar/திருவள்ளுவர்) describes people who are charged with six duties as  - ஆறு தொழிலோர் - ‘Aru (six) tozhilor (duty performing ones) ’. He states that in a country that has gone to rot the Brahmins will not chant the Vedas, that indeed, they will even forget the scripture. We learn from this the ideal nation or kingdom according to VaLLuvar is one in which the Brahmins keep intoning the Vedas.

SubrahmaNya is called the god of Tamils. He has six faces and, while describing them, the Sangam work Thirumurugatrupadai (திருமுருகாற்றுப்படை) mentions that one of the faces is meant to protect sacrifices performed by Brahmins., to ensure that the Brahmins adhere to the rules laid down in the Vedas for their conduct.

2. Sri Mahaperiyavaa's characteristic humility and unconditional concern for our well being.

In this unfortunate situation, if I am wasting your time by speaking about such matters, it is because I have a duty to remind you of your responsibility with regard to your children’s Athmic advancement.

I do not know whether you will do what I ask you to do, nor do I know how you will do it. I will have to carry out the duty imposed on me by the Mutt. The Mutt bids me to see it that the upanayana of children is performed when they are of the right age, all those children who are entitled to learn the Vedas. Further, the Mutt also bids me to see to it that, once the boys are invested with the sacred thread, they perform the Sandhyavandhana without fail every day and that they learn to chant the Vedas at least one hour a day.

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3. SandhyOpasana necessary criterion for Brahmana. 

Today we perform upAkarma as a one-day ceremony without keeping up the study of the Vedas. We do not go through the ‘uthsarjana'  (daily learning of Vedas) at all. For our failure to do it we mutter a mantra in expiation, the mantra called ‘Kamokarshith' which says, ‘ I did not sin. Kama (desire) did it. Anger did it... ’ There is no need to repeat this mantra if we perform the ‘uthsarjana'

The householder has to continue to chant the Vedas, as he was taught, as a brahmacharin. He has also to teach these scriptures, perform a number of sacrifices and rites like aupasana and sandhyavandhana. At present the conduct of sacrifices has become rare and not many are learned in the Vedas. But the tradition of Sandhyavandhana and Gayathri-japa is still followed though only to a very small extent.

If the Gayathri has not been chanted for three generations in the A family of a Brahmin, its members lose their Brahmanhood (they cease to be Brahmins). The quarter where such Brahmins live cannot be called an ‘agrahara’. It is perhaps not yet three generations since Brahmins gave up the Gayathri. So, they may still be called Brahmins.

In the same way if the Brahmin family has not performed yajnas for three generations its members will be called ‘Dhurbrahmanas’, degenerate Brahmins. Even though degenerate the label ‘Brahmin’ sticks to them. There are prayaschiththas (expiatory rites) by means of which the degenerate Brahmins can regain their Brahmanatvam. But there is no such hope for a Brahmin in whose family Gayathri has not been chanted for three generations. A member of such a family ceases for ever to be a Brahmin and cannot regain this Brahmanatvam. He is just a ‘Brahmana- bandhu’, a kin or a friend of Brahmins. The same rule applies to Kshatriyas and Vaishyas with regard to the Gayathri mantra; they become ‘Kshatryia-bandhus’ and ‘Vaisya-bandhus’ respectively

At least on Sundays, all those who wear the sacred thread must do Gayathri japa a thousand times. They must not eat unclean food, go to unclean places and must atone for lapses in ritual observances and in maintaining ritual purity. Henceforth they must take every care to see that their body is kept chaste and fit for it to absorb the power of mantras.

Even in times of misfortune the Gayathri must be muttered at least ten times at dawn, midday and dusk.

In the morning the dominant presence is that of Vishnu, at noon that of Brahma and at sundown of Siva. So, we must meditate on Gayathri in the morning as Vishnu personified, at noon as Brahma personified and at dusk as Siva personified.  Gayathri contains in itself the spirit and energy of all Vedic Mantras. Indeed, it imparts power to other Mantras. Without Gayathri-japa, the chanting of all other Mantras would be futile.

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4. Importance of Arghya and Japa

Gayathri-japa and ‘arghya’ (offering libation) are the most important rites of sandhyavandhana. The other parts of this rites are ‘angas’ (limbs). The least a sick or weak person must do is to offer arghya and mutter the Gayathri ten times.

Arghya must be offered before sunrise, at noon and at sunset. Once there was a person called Idai-kAttu Siddha who grazed cattle. 

He said: ‘kAnAmal kOnAmal kandu kOdu aadu kaan poghuthu par’ 

காணாமற் கோணாமற் கண்டு கொடு; ஆடு; காண்; போகுது பார் 

‘kAnAmal’ means before you see the sun rise and ‘kOnAmal’ means when the sun is overhead and ‘kandu’ is when you see the sun before sunset.

These are the three times when you ought to offer arghya. ‘aadu’ (ஆடு) means ‘niradu’ (நீராடு), bathe in the Ganga. ‘kAn’ (காண்) here means ‘visit Sethu’ or ‘have darsana of Sethu’. 

‘poghuthu par’ (போகுது பார்) - by bathing in the Ganga and by visiting Sethu, your sins will be washed away (i.e. you will see your sins leave you -poghuthu par) 

(i.e. போகுது என்றால் கங்கா ஸ்நாநத்தாலும் ஸேது தர்சனத்தாலும் நம் பாபம் துலைகிறது)
Here is mentioned the custom of going to KaSi, collecting Ganga water there and going to (Sethu) Rameswaram to perform the abhiseka of Ramanathaswamin there.

Only by the intense repetition of Gayathri shall we be able to master all the Vedic Mantras. This japa of Gayathri and arghya must be performed every day without fail. 

At least once in our lifetime we must bathe in Ganga and go on pilgrimage to Sethu.

What is the ‘asthra’ which is to be thrown or discharged [by the twice - born]? We throw water so as to drive away or destroy the demons or evil forces that have taken hold of the minds of people. This water, the asthra, is the same as the libation offered during Sandhyavandhana. We must keep this purpose in mind when we offer arghya : ‘May sins and falsehood etc., be annihilated. May Jnana shine bright. May the obstacles that keep the effulgence of knowledge dim in us get eradicated. 

‘Whatever else you do or not, you must offer this arghya thrice a day with determination

5. Power of Gayatri and SandhyOpasana. 

If a man has a high fever, people looking after him must perform Sandhyavandhana pour on his behalf and drop into his mouth the water with which sandhyavandhana has been performed. These days it seems all of us are suffering all the time from high fever! 

When you run a high temperature, you have to take medicine; similarly, Gayathri is essential to the Self and its japa must not be given up at any time. It is more essential to your inner being than medicine is to your body. Sandhyavandhana must be performed without fail every day. Gayathri-japa can be done by all of us without much effort and without spending any money. All that you require is water. Sandhyavandhana is indeed an easy means to ensure your well being. So long as there is life in you, you must perform it.

Gayathri must be worshiped as a mother. The Lord appears in many forms to bestow his grace and compassion on his devotees Mother loves us more than anybody else. We know no fear before her and talk to her freely. Of all the forms in which Bhagavan manifests himself that form in which he reveals himself as mother is most liked by us. The Vedas proclaim Gayathri to be such a mother.

The mantras are numerous. Before we start chanting any of them, we say why we do it so, mention the ‘fruit’ that will yield. The benefit we derive from the Gayathri mantra is the cleansing of the mind (chiththasuddhi). Even other Mantras have this ultimate purpose, but chiththasuddhi is the direct result of Gayathri-japa.

6. Make time to do Sandhyavandhana

Even in these days it is not difficult to perform Sandhyavandhana both at dawn and dusk. Office goers and other workers may not be at home during midday. They may perform the madhyahnika (the midday vandana) 2 hours 24 minutes after sunrise that is called ‘sangavakalam’.

We must never miss the daily Sandhyavandhana unless it is absolutely impossible. When we fall ill, in our helplessness we ask others for water or kanji. In the same way, we must ask our relative or friend to perform sandhyavandhana on our behalf.

Let us all pray to God that he will have mercy upon us so that the fire of Mantras is never extinguished in us and that it will keep burning brighter and brighter

  

7. Importance of PranAyama in Sandhyavandhana 

Arghya must be offered with one-pointed mind. If the breath is controlled (PrAnayama) it will create mental concentration…when breathing momentarily stops, the mind becomes one-pointed. This is the reason why the breath is controlled when arghya, libation, is offered.

If we practice pranAyama we will train ourselves to have mental concentration. This is important to yoga. Practicing pranayama for long is difficult and it must be done under the guidance of a guru. In Sandhya Vandana we do it only ten times. For some rites it is performed three times as a preliminary step. If we had practiced pranayama regularly from the time of our upanayana we should have become yogeeshwaras by now. What we do we must do properly.

When we practice pranayama as a part of Sandhyavandhana we must stop our breath for 30 seconds or so, not more. When the vital breath stops, the mind will become still. If the arghya is offered in this state, the evil forces will truly be driven away. The water that we pour or throw when our mind is still will turn a weapon to destroy all evil.

  

After employing the arghya weapon against the evil forces, we must perform Gayathri-japa. PranAyama must do according to our capacity, holding the breath for a while, then releasing it: this process may be repeated without controlling the breath for too long a time. All the steps in Sandhyavandhana- sankalpa, mArjana, arghya-pradhana, japa, Stothra, abhivandhana-have for their purpose the blessings of Iswara: this is stated in the sankalpa that we make at first. From beginning to end Sandhyavandhana is dedicated to Parameswara and PrAnayama is an important part of it.

According to the Sastras even the sick must do pranayama three times a day. This means that breath-control is not such as to cause trouble or discomfort. Indeed, it could mean a cure for the illness and a prescription for long life.

7. Sandhyavandhana - secret behind the glory and greatness of Rishis. 

ṛṣayo dīrghasaṃdhyatvāddīrghamāyuravāpnuyuḥ .

prajñāṃ yaśaśca kīrtiṃ ca brahmavarcasameva ca .. 4.94

By prolonging the twilight devotions, the sages obtained long life, wisdom, honor, fame, and excellence in Vedic knowledge.

In abhivandhana we mention the name of the sage from whom we are descended. It is our duty to observe Vedic rituals at least for the fact that we belong to the gothra of that sage. After him there have been so many rishis in the line. We use the terms ‘ thrayarsheyam', ‘pancharsheyam’, ‘ekarsheyam meaning that, in the gothra concerned, there were three sages, fives sages, one sage. . . They must have lived long and secured knowledge, fame, Brahma thejas and spiritual eminence by performing Sandhya vandana. This is what the Manusmrti sloka means.

By our neglect we should not sever the thread, the tradition, handed down to us uninterruptedly. We must perform sandhyavandhana as an offering to Parameswara and must do so understanding its meaning and with faith and devotion. There must be one-pointedness in it and no mantra must be left out

In Sandhyavandhana we mutter the Mantras with our mouth and, even as we repeat the Gayathri, we meditate on it with our mind and in such rites as mArjana (sprinkling of water) we acquire bodily purity. Sandhyavandhana is karma yoga, bhakthiyOga and jnanayOga combined [it unites the three paths of karma, devotion and knowledge].

8. A Brahmana's daily routine as per Sastras. 

Let me now speak about a Brahmin’s daily religious life according to the Sastras. It is indeed a harsh routine. A Brahmin must get up two hours, before sunrise. ‘Pancha -pancha- ushathkAle’, so it is said. ‘Pancha-pancha’ means five-five - ‘pancha-pancha ushathkAle’ denotes during the 25th nazhika (நாழிகை) (nazhika is 24 minutes) ’. From sunset to sunrise is 30 nazhikas. So, a Brahmin must rise at the commencement of the 25th nazhika- from this time to sunrise is ‘Brahma muhurta’.

After getting up, he cleans his teeth, bathes in cold water and performs sandhyavandhana and japa. Next he goes through aupasana and agnihothra. These rites come under ‘deva yajna’, sacrifices to the gods. Next is ‘Brahma yajna’, the daily study and chanting of the Vedas. As part of this rite there are some tharpanas libations to be offered. (For people following certain sutras these come later). If daytime is divided into eight parts one part would have been over by now.

In the second part of the daytime, the Brahmin must teach his disciples the Vedas-this is adhyApanA. Afterwards, he must gather flowers himself for the puja he is to perform.  Since he is not expected to earn a salary- and if he does not own any land received as gift - he must beg for his food and also for the materials for the conduct of various sacrifices. The Brahmin has the right to beg, but it is a restrictive right because it means that he can take only the minimum needed for the upkeep and what is required for the performance of the rituals. A considerable part of what he receives as gifts is to be paid as dakshina to the priests officiating at the sacrifices he performs.

Of the six ‘occupations’ of the Brahmin one is ‘prathigraham’ or accepting gifts. Another is ‘dhana’, making donations to others. It is asked why Brahmins alone, have the right to receive gifts. The answer is that they are also enjoined to make gifts to others. Indeed, the Brahmin accepts gifts for the purpose of the charity he himself has to render. This apart, he has also to make gifts during the rites to be mentioned next, ‘aadhithya’ and ‘bhoothayajna’.

After the second part of the day and a portion of the third have been spent thus, the Brahmin must bathe again and perform madhyahnika. Next he does pithru-tharpana, that is he offers libations to the pithrus; and this rite is followed by homa and puja. In the latter rite he must dedicate to the deities all those objects that he perceives with his five senses (the five jnanendriyas). It must now be midday and the fourth part of the daytime will have been over and the Brahmin must have completed the rites meant for the deities, the Vedas and the pithrus.

Of the five great sacrifices or pancha-mahayajnas, two remain- manushya yajna or honoring and feeding the guests and ‘bhoothayajna' which includes bah to the creatures of the earth and feeding the poor (vaiSvadeva).

In Bali, food is placed in different parts of the house to the chanting of Mantras- food meant for outcastes, beggars, dogs, birds, etc. In the manushya-yajna, guests are entertained, and it is also known as aathithyam. The Brahmin’s is mealtime is only after going through these rites that is about 1.00 p.m. Until then he must not take anything except some milk or buttermilk, but never coffee or any snacks. If he has any other sacrifices to conduct, paka, havir or soma, his mealtime will be further delayed.

 Even today Brahmins who work in offices or other establishments must try to live according to the Sastras. They must get up at 4 a. m. (Brahma muhurta), perform aupasana, agnihothra, Brahma yajna, etc., in the traditional manner. They may perform puja and madhyahnika during the sangava time (8. 24 a. m. to 10. 48 a. m. ). ‘Madhyahnika’ as the name suggests is a midday rite but, making allowances for present-day life, it may be performed during the sangava kalam. In the evening too, the rites may be gone through according to Sastra. If there is a will there is a way. On holidays it must be possible for a Brahmin to perform all the rites expected of him.

Even those who are on the morning shift and have to rush to their places of work must perform the rites as best they can. In the evening the Gayathri-japa be extended to compensate for non-performance in the morning. If it is morning shift for a week, will it not be mid-shift or night shift in the subsequent weeks? There could be adjustments made to suit these timings.

Brahmins must feel repentant if they fail to perform the rites they are duty-bound to perform. They must devote the years of their retirement to the pursuit of their dharma instead of feeling sorry for not going out to work. There are rare cases -perhaps one in a lakh of people who have learned the Vedas during their retirement and lived the rest of their life according to the Sastras.

The rites of our religion go back to a time when no other faith was prevalent. We must make every effort to ensure that they do not cease to be performed. They are not meant for our sake alone [as individuals] but for the welfare of all mankind.

9. Importance of Sandhyavandhanam, in plane of duality

I am just giving this discourse of Advaita so that we don’t totally forget our goal. 

But if you get caught coming to me personally, don’t I trouble you and insist, ‘Do sandhyavandhana, do aupasana, light a ghee lamp in AmbaL’s sannidhi, pick out the thorns from corridors, dig up ponds, distribute prasada in hospitals, and implement the handful-of-rice plan, and so on?’ 

I am doing all these because Acharya has mandated such dvaithic inconveniences in order to get rid of the dvaithic troubles that we have already earned.

There are two sandhyas, ‘prathah sandhya and ‘sayam sandhya dawn and dusk. During these two sandhyas our minds are naturally absorbed in the ParamAtma. 

If Ambal’s right and left eyes create daytime and night, has not the eye between them (the forehead eye) necessarily to create the two sandhyas, dawn and dusk? The skies during dawn and dusk are red and the forehead eye of Ambal is a golden red. So, there is no doubt that the two sandhyas are created by the eye in her forehead.

Sandhyavandhana is the backbone of our religious observances. Can we fail to perform it?