Kanchi Periva Forum - eBook on Important Daily Rituals

 At present, in matters like this, no regard is paid to the canons. In contrast, in the old days, people had faith in the scriptures and acted according to their dictates.” In present days, many people ask questions like: 

"Who has the time for performing Sandhyavandanam everyday?"

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“What‟s the purpose of throwing a few spoonfuls of water around?”

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"Is this something worth doing?"

These questions may sound legitimate but what is not understood is that our 'smritis' and 'puranas' (ancient scriptures) emphasize the necessity of performing this daily service. It is binding on all except the people who do hard labor. Taittreya Upanishad (Aran II, Pra, 2 anu) mentions that the person who meditates on the rising and setting sun as the Supreme being enjoys all happiness. In the Ramayana and Mahabharata, one can find references on how divine personalities like Rama, Yudhishtira who were Kshatriyas performed Sandyavandhnam even when facing distress.  As regards time, we never shall have any more time. We have, and we have always had only 24 hours a day! One way of finding time is to rise a little early in the morning. In the morning, facing east, Sandhyavandanam should be performed before sunrise. It means that you should rise early in the morning - a difficult task for many! Once a habit is formed, it becomes easy to wake up early. After bath, you should wear the sacred marks of  your faith (vibhuti or gopi chandana). Sandhyavandanam begins with performing Achamana  or sipping water from the right palm with accompanying mantras. It is done three times, supposedly to clean the internal organs of the body. It is followed by a short prayer to Lord Ganesha. The next step is pranayama  that has three components to it. The first called Puraka, drawing in the breath through one of the nostrils; Kumbhaka, holding the breath and Rechaka , expelling air through one of the nostrils. During the process, a mantra beginning with „ Om  Bh oo’ is recited. Pranayama is considered as a yogic practice that helps in concentrating our  mind on the Supreme Being and launching ourselves on a path of devotion.  After the pranayama comes Sankalpa  or determination. In order to achieve any activity, we must make a resolution - like taking a vow. So, the sankalpa helps to make a resolution to perform the Sandhyavandanam. © 2012 Kanchi Periva Forum www.periva.proboards.com www.periva.org

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