Friday 27 January 2017

Sandhya Vandhanam & Its significance



|| Jai Sriman Narayana ||











Sandhya is converging point of night & early hours of dawn, morning & afternoon and evening & night/early hours of dusk.  Sandhya Vandhanam is a ritual performed during the above mentioned three most propitious hours of a day, practice of worship of Lord Surya during the above mentioned periods of time is called Sandhya Vandhanam.  Sandhya is three particular period of time of a day known as early hours of dawn, noon and evening.  There are six important activities involved in the practice of Sandhya Vandhanam such as Achamaneeyam, Pranayamam, Sankalpam, Arkhyapradhanam, recitation of Gayathri hymns and Upasthanam.  Achamaneeyam is recitation of sacred hymn such as Acchuthaya Nama: Ananthaya Nama: Govindaya Nama: with the pure water.  Pranayama is the practice of releasing the lungful of air methodically which we have already consumed, holding the nose with the thumb finger and taking lungful of air  and releasing the air meticulously through the  nose by holding the other nose with the ring finger.  Sankalpam is the process of offering salutation to the hour of performance of Sandhyavandhanam.  Arkhyapradhana means offering of pure water to supreme Lord Surya and deities, and Pithrus/ancestors, followed by sacred chants.  It is one of most significant process in the performance of Sandhyavandhanam, it is believed that thirty thousand and millions of valorous and dreadful demons Mantheha will be waiting to swallow Lord Surya during the hours of Sandhya.  Therefore deities, Rishis and Sages performs Arkhyapradhanam during the hours of Sandhya in order to protect Lord Surya from the vicious demons, it is also believed that the water poured as Arkhya will transform into fierce weapons made of Vajra/diamond, and this would protect Lord Surya from the threat of the demons, therefore Bhramins on the Earth also follow the same practice.  Sandhyavandhanam is performed by people who had their Upanayanam/Bhramopadhesha/ sacred thread ritual, it is usually performed by Bhramin, Vaniya, potters and Kshathriya, but recitation of Gayathri is destined to Bhramins.  Children while performance of Bhramopadhesha offer salutations to their parents assuming them as Goddess Saraswathi and Lord Bhrama respectively, offers water on their feet, meditates upon Lord Bhrama and Goddess Saraswathi, there after receives the sacred hymns of Gayathri in their ears.  The recitation of sacred Gayathri hymns provides the meritorious reward of recitation of four Vedas.  The sacred hymns of Gayathri consists 24 sacred syllables, consists of 24 Rishis, Agni and deities, it has 24 Chandhas, 24 philosophies, and 24 Shakthis.  Gayathri hymns should be recited systematically 108 or 54 or 27 times.  It should be recited meticulously and it should be recited in heart.  Karmas are classified into three such as  Nithya Karma/it is known as daily obligatory duties, Naimithika/it is occasional obligatory duties, and Kamya Karma/rites performed to fulfill desires.  Sandhya Vandhanam  falls into the category of Nithya Karma and it is daily obligatory duty, Kamya Karma is not at all necessary to follow, but abandoning Nithya Karma/Sandhyavandhanam is treated as greatest sin and the person who does not follow this rite is considered as impure/sinner.  A person who does not follow the ritual of Sandhyavandhanam is considered as impure and he will automatically lose the right to perform any of the spiritual or ceremonial rite, or fire sacrifices, and it is definite that he will not benefit any of the meritorious reward of the spiritual deeds.  It is evident that attainment of knowledge of Bhramam and pleasure of senses/satisfaction/contentment are very important aspect in human life.  Person who does not follow Vedic way of life or Adhyayanam or Upasana will not be considered as ‘Dvija’/twice born/child born from mother’s womb take re-birth at the time of performance of sacred thread ceremony.  Person who strictly follows the rite of Sandhyavandhanam gets purified from the sins committed by words, thoughts and deeds.


|| Jai Sriman Narayana ||