DETAILS OF THE PRACTICE OF SANDHYA WORSHIP (Page 3 )

12. Japasankalph
Sankalpa for Japa

Sit on a wooden plank or small carpet. The eyes should be half-closed and the mind should be concentrated on the mantras which are to be uttered mentally.
Morning: Sit facing east.
Noon: Sit facing north.
Evening: Sit facing west

The vessel of water should be kept in front. First chant :

        Suklambaradharam…. Vighnopasantaye (as in No.2) Om Bhurbhuvassuvarom

Then do one pranayamah
Now chant the following, with the palms as in No.4 :

        Mamopatta samasta duritaksayadvara sri paramesvara prityartham
        Morning :  Pratah sandhya gayatri mahamantra japam karisye
        Noon :     Madhyahnika gayatrimahamantra japam karisye
        Evening : Sayam sandhya gayatrimahamantra japam karisye

Meaning 12
I start performing the great mantra of gayatri in the morning (noon/evening) in order to get the grace of God by removing all the sins incurred by me).

13. Pranava japah
Japa of Pranavah

Touching the head with the fingers of the right hand recite :
       Pranavasya rishi Brahma

Touching the upper lip, recite :
       Devi gayatri chandah

Touching the chest, recite :
       Paramatma devata

Again touching the head, recite :
       Bhuradi sapta vyahritinam atri bhrigu kutsa vasistha
       gautama kasyapa angirasa risayah

Touching the upper lip, recite :
      Gayatri ushnik anustup brhati pankti tristup jagatyah chandamsi

Touching the chest, recite :
       Agni vayu arka vagisa varuna indra visvedeva devatah

Now do ten pranayamas as in No.3.

Meaning 13
For Omkara, Rsi is Brahma; chandas is Devi gayatri, deity is Paramatman.
For the seven vyahrtis commencing from Bhuh, the rishis are Atri, Bhrgu, Kutsa, Vasistha, Gautama, Kasyapa and Angirasa
The chandas are gayatri, usnik, anustup, brhati, pankti, trstup and jagati.
The deities are Agni, Vayu, Arka, Vagisa, Varuna, Indra and Visvedevah.
Then do three Pranayamas repeating the mantra (as in section 3) thrice for each Pranayama - thus chanting the mantra nine times.

14. Gayatri-avahanam
Invoking Gayatri devi

Touching the head, recite       --    Ayatu ithi anuvakasya vamadeva rishi
Touching the upper lip, recite  --    Anustup chandah
Touching the chest, recite      --    Gayatri devata

With the following mantras invoke gayatri devi in the heart by means of the Avahani mudra ( to be learnt from the teacher).

        Ayatu varada devi aksaram brahma sammitam
        Gayatri chandasam mata idam brahma jushasva nah
        Dhamanamasi visvamasi visvayuhu, sarvamasi
        Sarvayurabhibhurom gayatrim avahayami
        Savitrim avahayami sarasvatim avahayami

Meaning 14
For the anuvaka ayatu the rishi is Vamadeva, chandas anustup and deity gayatri May gayatri devi who bestows all the boons we seek, who is eternal, who is to be known through the Vedas and who is the Mother of the Vedas, appear here and now and accept this hymn of Vedic praise.

GAYATRI, You are the vital force, the power of the sense organs, you quell enemies; You are superbly healthy in your limbs; You are the light of knowledge; You are the famous effulgence of the celestials; You are the cosmos; You are the life of he world marked by time; You are everything; You are the life of all; You transcend everything.

Then,
Touching the head, recite        --       Savitrya rishihi visvamitrah
Touching the upper lip, recite   --       Nichridgayatri chandah
Touching the chest, recite       --       Savita devata

Meaning 14
For the gayatri mantra, the rishi is visvamitra, chandas nicrdgayatri and the deity Savita.

15. Gayatri japah
Gayatri japa

Morning :      Stand facing east, the palms joined and held in front of your face
Noon :          Stand or sit facing east, the joined palms in front of the chest
Evening :      Sit facing west, the joined palms in front of your navel

The hands should be covered with the Angavastra. The mantra should be chanted mentally without movement of the lips. After each of the following lines you should pause for a second. There will thus be a total of five pauses. The mind should be concentrated on the meaning of the mantra..

        Om Bhurbhuvas suvah
        Tat savitur varenyam
        Bhargo devasya dhimahi
        Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

Meaning 15
[ Meaning : see No.3 We meditate …. Consciousness ]
This gayatri should be chanted 108 times. If there is not enough time, chant at least 64 or 28 times. But make up the deficit when you get time.

16. Gayatri upasthanam
Prayer to gayatri to return to Her abode

First do pranayama once, sitting down.
Then stand up, facing the same direction as in No.15, join the palms and recite :

Morning :

        Pratah sandhya upasthanam karisye
        Uttamey sikharey devi bhumyam parvata murdhani
        Brahmanebhyo hyanu jnanam gaccha devi yathasukham

Noon :

        Adityopasthanam karisye
        Uttamey yatha Sukham

Evening :

        Sayam sandhyopasthanam karisye
        Uttamey yatha sukham

Meaning 16
O radiant gayatri bless us on earth who are worshipping Brahman. Please return joyously to your divine abode on the highest pinnacle of Mount Meru.

17. Suryopasthanam
Worship of the Sun-god

Stand facing the same direction in which the japa is done, join the palms and salute the Paramatman who is shining in the centre of the rising sun.

Morning :

        Mitrasya charsani dhritah shravo devasya sanasim
        Satyam chitrsra vastamam
        Satyam chitrsra vastamam
        Prithivimutadyam. Mitrah kristi sabhichasthe
        Satyaya havyam ghritavad vidhema
        Pra sa mitra marto astu prayasvan. yasta aditya
        Siksati vratena. Na hanyate, na jiyate, tvotho
        Nenam agmho asno tyantito na durat

Meaning 17
I meditate on the glory and fame of the all-protecting sun which is adorable, eternal, bewitching the hearts of all listeners.
The sun guides all, knowing everything. He supports the earth and the sky. He watches all creation unwinkingly. To Him we offer cooked rice soaked in ghee for attaining eternal fruits.
O sun who is Mitra, may he who longs to worship You scrupulously get the full benefit of righteousness.
One protected by you will not suffer from any disease; sin will not approach him from far or near.

Noon :

        Asatyena rajasa vartamano nivesayannamrtam
        Martyam cha. Hiranyayena savita rathenadevo yati bhuvana vipasyan
        Udvayam tamasaspari pasyanto jyotiruttaram
        Devam devatra suryamaganma jyotiruttamam
        Udutyam jatavedasam devam vahanti ketavah. Drise visvaya suryam

        Chitram devanamudagadanikam chaksurmitrasya
        Varunasyagneh. A pra dyava prthivi antariksam
        Surya atma jagatastasthusachva. Tacchakshurdevahitam
        Purastacchukramuccharath

        Pasyema saradassatam jivema saradassatam
        Nandama saradassatam, modama saradassatam
        Bhavama saradassatam, srinavama saradassatam
        Prabravama saradassatam ajitasyama
        Saradassatam jyok cha suryandrise

        Ya udaganmahato arnavadvibhrajamanah
        Sarirasya madhyat sama vrishabho lohitaksassuryo
        Vipascvin manasa punatu

Meaning 17
The Sun riding a golden chariot goes round scrutinizing all the worlds and shining with self-effulgence and directing by means of His radiance celestials and humans in their respective tasks. The Sun rises swallowing darkness, with great splendour, protecting the celestials also. We who gaze at the Sun shall attain the great radiance of the Self.
For inspecting the worlds the horses of the Sun in the form of His rays bear Him, the god who knows everything.
Up rises the Sun who is like an eye to Mitrah Varunah and Agnih and who is of the form of all the celestials. He the Lord of all moving and unmoving things pervades the heavens, the earth and the middle regions.
May we see and adore for a hundred years that orb of the Sun which rises in the east and looks after the welfare of the celestials like an eye. May we live thus for a hundred years. May we rejoice with our kith and kin for a hundred years. May we live gloriously for a hundred years. May we speak sweetly for a hundred years. May we live for a hundred years undefeated by the forces of evil. We desire to enjoy gazing at the Sun for a hundred years.
May my whole mind be sanctified by the Sun who bestows all our needs, whose eyes are red, who is omniscient and who rises from amidst the waters of the ocean illuminating all the quarters.

Evening :

        Imam me varuna srudhi havam. adya cha mridaya
        Tvam avas yurachake
        Tattva yami brahmana vandamanastadasaste Yajamano
        Havirbhih. Ahedamano varuneha bodh. yurusam sa
        Ma na ayuh pramosih
        Yacchiddhite viso yatha pradeva varuna vratam
        Minimasi dyavi dyavi
        Yatkinchedam varuna daivye jane abhidroham
        Manusyascharamasi. Achittiyattava dharma yu yopima
        Ma nastasmadenaso deva ririsah
        Kitavaso yadriripurna divi yadvagha satyamuta
        Yanna vidma. Sarva ta visya sithireva devatha te
        Syama varuna priyasah

Meaning 17
O Varuna, please fulfil this prayer of mine and make me happy here and now. I pray for Thy protection.
I seek refuge in Thee uttering the Vedic mantras. The sacrificers seek Thee with the ingredients of offering.
O famous Varuna, please accept my prayer and don't ignore it. Please do not shorten my span of life.
O Lord Varuna, Please protect us without punishing us for sins committed by us in different ways - by omitng to perform daily. Thy worship like the ignorant folk, by committing frauds on the celestials because of human ignorance or by infringing the path of righteousness laid down by you.
O Varuna, please expunge the sin like those arrtibuted to me unjustly by wicked people like gamblers who go where the good do not go or the sins committed by me consciously or unconsciously. We must ever remain beloved of you.

18. Samastyabhivadanam
Prostration to all

Stand facing the same direction as in No.17. Turn round to the next direction after each of the first four mantras. Then stand facing the original direction for the remaining mantras, palms joined :

        Sandhyayai namah. Savitryai namah. Gayatryai namah. Sarasvatyai namah
  &n"sp;    Sarvabhyo devatabhyo namo namah. Kamo akarsit manyurakarhsit namo namah

Meaning 18
Salutations to goddessess Sandhya, Savitri, Gayatri, Sarasvati and all the deities. The sins I committed were impelled by desire and anger and not of my own free will. The sins that arose out of ignorance under the compulsion of desire must all be forgiven. O gods, I bow to you again and again.
Now cover both the ears with the fingers of the two hands and recite the following, touching the ground at the end with the hands. (The Rishis etc, vary for each gotrah and are therefore to be learnt from the teacher; and hence those portions are given in parantheses).

Chant -

        Abhivadaye (Vaisvamitra, Aghamarsana, Kausika, traya- ) arseya pravaranvita        (Kaushiks) gotrah, (Apastamba) sutrah, (Yajuh) sakhadhyayi, sri (Your name)        namaham asmi bhoh

Meaning 18
O all-formed Devi, I salute your lotus feet. I am born in the gotrah which has (Visvamitra, Aghamarsana, Kausika) rsi-triad as the patriarchs. I follow the (Apastamba) sutra and study (Yajur) Veda. I am called Sri (Your name).

19. Digdevata-vandanam
Prostration to the deities of the directions

Stand facing the same direction as in No.15, Turn round and make obeisance to the deities of the four directions etc :

        Prachyai dise namah. Daksinayai dise namah
        Pratichyai dise namah. Udichyai dise namah
        Urdhvaya namah Adharaya namah. Antariksaya
        Namah. Bhoomyai namah. Brahmane namah
        Vishnave namah. Mrityave namah

Meaning 19
Obeisance to the deities of east, south, west, north, above, below, middle and earth. Obeisance to Brahma, Vishnu and Rudrah

20. Yama vandanam
Prostration to the Lord of Death

Stand facing south, palms joined.

        Yamaya namah
        Yamaya dharmarajaya mrityave chantakaya cha
        Vaivasvataya kalaya sarvabhuta kshayaya cha
        Audumbaraya dadhnaya nilaya paramesthine
        Vrikodaraya chitraya chitraguptaya vai namah
        Chitraguptaya vai nama om nama iti

Meaning 20
Obeisance to Yamah who controls everything, who is the Lord of dharma, who is death and who is Time, who disintegrates all beings, who is very powerful, who is called dadhna, who is black in complexion, who is worshipped by all, who has an ample stomach, who keeps secrets marvellously and who is a wonder himself. Obeisance again to Chitragupta.

21. Harihara vandanam
Prostration to Harihara

Stand facing west

        Rutam satyam param brahma purusham krishna pingalam.
        Urdhvaretam virupaksam visvarupaya vai namah.
        Visvarupaya vai nama om nama iti

Meaning 21
I bow down before Harihara who is Parabrahman, the ground of beauty in all visible things, who pervades all bodies, who is the confluence of the darkness of Vishnu, and the redness of Siva, who transcends sex, who is three-eyed, and all-formed. Obeisance again and again to the all-formed.

22. Suryanarayana vandanam
Prostration to Suryanarayana

        Namah savitre jagateka chaksuse,
        Jagat prasuti, sthiti nasa hetave,
        Trayimayaya trigunatma dharine,
        Virinchi narayana sankaratmane
        Dhyeyah sada, savitrmandala, madhyavarti,
        Narayanah sarasijasana samnivistah
        Asavadityo brahma. Brahmai vaham asmi
        Keyuravan makarakundalavan kiriti
        Haari, hiranmayavapu rdhrta sankha chakrah
        Sankha chakra gadapane dvarakanilayachyuta
        Govinda pundarikaksa raksa mam saranagatam
        Akasat patitam toyam yatha gacchati sagaram
        Sarvadeva namaskarah kesavam pratigacchati
        Kesavam pratigacchati om nama iti

Now as in No.18, chant

        Abhivadaya ….. bhoh

Meaning 22
Salutations to the sun who functions as the sole eye of the world, who is the cause of the creation, sustenation, and dissolution of the worlds, who is of the form of the veda, and who appears as Brahma, Vishnu and Siva by the manifestation of the three gunas.
We must always meditate on Narayana, who is centred in the solar orb, who is seated on a lotus in the padmasana pose, who is decked with bracelet, earrings shaped like Makara fish, with head adorned by a crown, with a garland of flowers dangling on His breast, sporting the conch and discuss and whose complexion rivals gold.
May I who have taken refuge in Thee be protected by Thee, who sports the conch, discuss and mace, whose permanent abode is Dvaraka, who protects the whole universe and whose eyes rival the lotus.
Just as all the waters that fall from the sky inescapably reach the sea, all salutations to all the deities reach only Keshava; indeed they reach only Keshava.
O all-formed… as in No.18 chant.

23. Samarpanam
Dedication

Sit down, take a little water in the palm and pour it down through the fingers after reciting the following mantra :

        Kayena vacha manasendriyair va, buddhyatmana va, prakriteh svabhavat
        Karomi yadyat, sakalam parasmai, narayanayeti samarpayami

Meaning 23
I dedicate to the Supreme person Narayana all that I do by means of the body, words, mind, the organs of action, the organs of knowledge and by the impulsion of nature.
Do achamanam.

24. Raksa
Protection

Chanting the following mantra, sprinkle a little water at the spot where the japa was performed. Then touch that spot with the ring finger and touch the forehead between the eyebrows.

        Adya no devasavitah prajavat savih saubhagam
        Para dusvapnyam suva
        Visvani deva savitarduritani para suva
        Yadbhadram tanma asuva

Meaning 24
O Savita, deign to bestow on us prosperity including many children. Please remove the cause and the effects of bad dreams. Please remove all sins; bestow on us what is good for us.

Acknowledgment : Swami Mukhyananda
                                  Shri Ramakrishna Math