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Sandhya Vandhana
Q. : Could you please provide me few details on Sandhya Vandhana, as per the vaishnava sampradayam.. Is there any softcopy of the daily rituals & matras that chat will doing gayatri. Could you please share these details. I'm really thankful for this
Ans .: This is an exhaustive and complete description about the Sandhyavandanam according to Yajussakha people. We follow a different rule for ours (Vaikhanasas).
Scriptural Authority (Pramanam)
There are references in the vedas regarding Sandyavandanam. A reference occurs in "Second prasna, Second Anuvaka of Thaithria Aranyaka (Yajur Veda)", explaining procedure of worship. The procedure of worship indicated is by offering "Arghya" (water in the palms of both hands thrown up), at the time of sunrise and sunset, meditating on Aditya
(Sun).
Ishvashya upanishad of Shukla Yajurveda also refers to Sun worship as above at sunrise and sunset. Chandogya upanisad (Chapter 2 Section 6) discusses "Aditya vidya" explaining the importance of meditation of Sun or Aditya at sunrise and sunset, bringing out also the points mentioned above. Chapter 3, Section 12 of this upanishad explains meditation of aditya through gayatri. It also explains that the sun in the horizon outside and the sun element inside us are one and the same and there is no difference. The identity should be kept in mind while meditating through gayatri. This is the meaning of "Asavadityao brahma" recited during sandyavandanam.
These views are also echoed in Aditya Hridaya of the Yuddakanda of Ramayan. Agasthya explains to Sri Rama, the merits of worshipping Aditya. Aditya protects everyone, helps them in their duties, gives lustre, removes ignorance and provides happiness. He is friend of water and resides in every living thing.
All vedic religions have given great importance to sandyavandanam. It is said that one who does not perform Sandyavandanam is ever impure and is thus rendered unfit to perform the vedic rites.
Oth Ans .: Sri Ramakrishna garu has excellently explained the significance of Sandyavandanam and I am penning my 2 cents worth.
Sandhyavandanam is considered to be the most important Vedic ritual and its significance has been clearly stressed in Vedams. Its prime importance as a Vedic ritual comes from the fact that, it is contains "gAyathri mahA mantra" - the mother of all vedic mantras.
Lord SrI Krishna Himself has declared in Bhagvad Geetha "gAyatree chhandasAm-aham!" meaning "I am verily the "gAyathri" metre itself".
Every Veda Shaka has its own Sandhyavandanam taking the mantras from that particular Vedam. If you can let me know, which Veda Shaka's Sandhyavandanam you are referring to, I can help you in obtaining the procedure.
Jai Srimannaryana !
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