Certain aspects of Sandhyavandana and Gayatri

[venkat veeraraghavan]

Dear Vidvans,

The below was a private correspondence with Shri Korada Garu.

I am posting it on BVP so that it would be of help/guidance to others who come looking for similar information.

Other Vidvans are also free to add to the knowledge.

Regards,

Venkat

Dear Shri Korada Garu,

An upanyasakar Shri Sundararama Dikshitar said the following:

I would like more directions from yourself:

1. prathas tishthan saayam aasinaH

In this many suggest that hand should be held in front of face during pratahkaala japa and hands kept on lap during sayamkaala japa.

Is this an arthavaada or to be taken literally?

--> I am asking here because although the hands perform the nominal karma of chanting, the real japa happens in the mind ...

So is the above's lakshyaartha taken as vaikhari japa in morning from kantha and pashyanti/para yathashakti (from mooladhara)? 

2. Gayatri nottaraam japet

--Gayatiri is not to be chanted facing North (ever)

--> The purohit who initiated me suggested that achamana should only be performed facing east/north and never south or west also saayam sandhya can be done facing North so that everything from achamana to japa can be done facing North only.

The above information from the upanyasa contradicts this directive.

3. Chaturvimshatyaaksharaa gayatr(Taittriya Aranyaka)

Sir how is chaturvimshatyakshara recinciled with Japakaale Gayatri which has only 23 aksharas and is in nichrit Gayatri?

4. Does the 100 syllable Gayatri given in the Devi Bhagavata have any support/ pramana  from kalpa or other Vedic shastras?

Thanks and Regards,

Venkat

आयुष्मान् भव वीरराघव

1. prathas tishthan saayam aasinaH 

As has been said earlier , such नियम-s do not have the sanction of वेद nor that of शास्त्र-s - there may be some आचार

of some people -- most of the people follow the सूत्रम् -- ’ better complicate' .

In any case as per शास्त्रम् it should be -- अन्तर्जानुः (hands should be in between the knees -- while sitting ) .

When one is performing सन्ध्यावन्दनम्  standing in waters  उपस्थानम् should be done on land only .

2. Gayatri nottaraam japet 

Either east or north - is the नियम । Generally , morning सन्ध्या is done facing east and evening it is वायव्य (northwest) |

Evening अर्घ्यप्रदानम् can be in sitting position .

If it is a new  place (directions are not known) then any direction will do .

3. Chaturvimshatyaaksharaa gayatr(Taittriya Aranyaka) 

वरेण्यम् - वरेणियम् -  

4. Does the 100 syllable Gayatri given in the Devi Bhagavata have any support/ pramana  from kalpa or other Vedic shastras? 

No. It is not a वैदिकमन्त्र

धन्यो’स्मि 

Dear Shri Korada Garu,

Thanks for the clarifications.

The confusion is because in sandhyavandana books people put these things like pratasthishthan in authoritative terms. It is hard to separate rice from chaffe.

Regarding Chaturvimshatyaaksharaa gayatr(Taittriya Aranyaka) This comes in the aavaahana shloka ityekaaksharam brahma etc..but where is वरेण्यम् - वरेणियम् transformation mentioned sir?

Prefixing the first pada with praNava has been mentioned in a few places.

Please satisfy this jijnasa of mine.

Many thanks,

Namaskarams,

Venkat

If you ask questions on BVP it will be useful to many who are interested . I cannot spend time for a single person.

ओमभ्यादाने ( पा सू ) - says one should use ओम् with प्लुत before a मन्त्र । So it cannot be a part of any मन्त्र ।

Better check the credentials of a scholar before accepting him - whether he learnt वेद , व्याकरण etc or not .

त्र्यम्बकम् - त्रियम्बकम् , अग्र्यम् - अग्रियम्  - etc are there in वेद । वैदिकप्रकरणम् in कौमुदी has some information .

व्यत्ययो बहुलम् (पा सू ) --is the general सूत्रम् ( also  बहुलं छन्दसि  पा सू ) - according to this there will /can be वर्णव्यत्यय

etc in वेद । 

You may check with वेदभाष्यम् -  वरेण्यम् can be वरेणियम् in वेद ।

शुभम् भूयात्

[Ramesh Kn]

Sir

I guess you are referring to Vidvan. Vadakudi sundararama dikshitar..

3. during arghyam it is 24 & while japa it is 23 nicrit...

http://knramesh.blogspot.com/2013/06/sandhyavandanam-its-significance.html

[venkat veeraraghavan]

Yes sir, the same gentleman.

Andhradesha and in the North they say the exact opposite nichrt -trayo vimshatyakshara at arghya kaala and paaTa kaala and chaturvimshatya Gayatri at Japakaala...

I wish these upanyaasakars would give proper reference when they make these statements.

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