Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara – One of our blog devotees (who wish to remain anonymous) has shared from Ithihasa Puranas and Sri Periayva’s teachings on the importance of Sandhyavandanam, Brahma Yagnam, our debts to Deva/Rishi/Pithrus and the doing anushtanams in Maha Kshethrams. From this Avani Avittam, let us take a sankalpam to perform all our nithyakarma anushtanams without fail. Rama Rama

Suprabhatham and Sandhyavandanam

Jaya Ganesha.

Suprabhatham means “good morning”. Su = Good and

Prabhatham = A good commencement, here we take it as ”morning”.

So, Suprabatham means singing verses to please Bhagavan for the day to run smoothy.

Almost everyone has a picture of Venkateshwara Swami, and hear Suprabatham in the morning.

The very essence of Suprabhatham is Sandhyavandanam.

Sloka 1

कौसल्या सुप्रजा राम पूर्वा सन्ध्या प्रवर्तते ।

उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्दूल कर्तव्यं दैवमाह्निकम् ॥1॥

kausalya suprajA rAma pUrvA sandhyA pravartate

uttiSTa narashArdula kartavyam daivamAnhikam (Valmiki Ramayana – 1:23:02)

Vishwamitra : Hey Rama ! Kausalya’s auspicious child ! Surya is about to rise in the Eastern side. Please arise to perform sandyopasanam (sandhyavandanam).

सन्ध्या  sandhyA = sandhyA kaalam & दैवमाह्निकम् daivamAnhikam = Sandhyavandanam (the act which pleases the Daivam)

Vishwamitra is the most compassionate sage and has uttered this verse not to wake up Rama but us.

This sloka from Bala Kandam of Ramayana has been used as the foundation for the composing Tirumala Srinivasa’s Suprabhatham.

(Sanskrit Grammar says Vishvamitra =  “Friend to the whole universe.” )

Sadhyavandanam is the supreme dharmam.

धरति इति धर्मः । dharati iti dharmaH

That which supports is “Dharma”.

Yaksha Prashnam

किं स्विदादित्यमुन्नयति के च तस्याभितश्चराः ।

कश्चैनमस्तं नयति कस्मिंश्च प्रतितिष्ठति ॥ (Yaksha prashna – sloka 1)

kim svidAdityam-unnayati ke ca tasyAbhitash-carAH

kashchainam-astam nayati kasmimshca pratitiSThati

Q1. What makes Aditya to rise ? ( Here, Aditya is also taken as our Atma in all instances.)

Q2. Who keeps Him company?

Q3. Who makes Him to set (astamam) ? (Surya astamam is called sunset, astamam is also called mukti here.)

Q4. In whom He resides?

ब्रह्मादित्यमुन्नयति देवास्तस्याभितश्चराः ।

धर्मश्चास्तं नयति च सत्ये च प्रतितिष्ठति  ॥ (Yaksha prashna – sloka 2)

brahmAdityam-unnayati devAs-tasyAbhitash-carAH

dharmashcAstam nayati ca satye ca pratitiSThati

A1. Brahmam makes Aditya to rise. (Brahmam makes our Atma or Atma Jnanam to rise, Yuddhisthra answers this with reference to Taithriya Upanishad.)

Rama is the Brahmam here, He is subtly showing, He as the Brahmam awakens our Atma Jnanam through Sandhyavandanam.

A2. The Devas  (devas = deva gunas like kshama and dama, kshama = patience and dama = self-control) help to preserve the Atma Jnanam. The Deva Gunas stay with the Atma Jnanam.

A3. Dharma (Bhagavath Upasana) makes Him (Aditya) to set or Dharma makes the person having the Atma attain mukti. (Rama is Dharma personified. Rama serves as a role model doing sandhyvandanam.)

Rama grants mukti as well as bhukti to a person performing his nithyakarma.

A4. Aditya/Atma resides in Satyam. Satyam here means “Brahmam “.

Atma resides (eventually) in Brahmam. ( Here, Satyam/Brahmam = Satyaloka/Vaikuntam/Sivalokam)

Sloka 2

उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ गोविन्द उत्तिष्ठ गरुडध्वज ।

उत्तिष्ठ कमलाकान्त त्रैलोक्यं मङ्गलं कुरु ॥2॥

uttiSThottiSTha govinda uttiSTha garuDadhvaja

uttiSTha kamalAkAnta trailokyam mangalaṃ kuru

Hey Govinda ! Arise ! Hey Garudhvaja (one who has Garuda on his flag) ! Arise !

Hey Kamalakantha ! Arise and render the त्रैलोक्यं (trailokyam) Three Worlds (Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka and Suvarloka) Auspicious !

The trilokas are the Vyahritis which we chant.

Kamala = lotus, kantha = husband

Kamala here must be taken as the lotus heart. Kamala or padma denotes our Hrdaya. The Parabrahmam (residing in the Hrdaya) is the Kantha for Kamala (Hrdaya) renders the three worlds – Bhu, Bhuvar and Suvar Lokas auspicious.

Usually we say, Lakshmi resides in Vishnu’s chest but here, Vishnu resides in Her Heart.

 By performing japam with focus on the lotus heart, Bhagavan is pleased and renders the trilokas auspicious through Lakshmi Kataksham.

Sloka 5 and the rest

अत्र्यादिसप्तऋषयस्समुपास्य सन्ध्यामाकाशसिन्धुकमलानि मनोहराणि ।5 ।

atryAdi-saptaRSayas-samupAsya sandhyAmAkAsha-sindhu-kamalAni manoharAṇi

Having perfomed their sandhyavandanam, the Sapta Rishis – Atri Adi (or atryAdi) means Atri, Bhrigu, Kutsa, Vasistha, Gautama, Kaashyapa and Aangirasa i.e., the seven rishis mentioned in sandhyavandanam come to worship Bhagavan Venkateshwara with Ganga jalam and flowers.

Then Suprabatham describes various Devatas including the NavaGraham coming for worship. One must understand that Navagrahas are compassionate Devatas and  they shower their blessings on those who perform Sandhyavandanam.

So, performing Sandhyavandanam is the ultimate pariharam (solution).

Again सन्ध्या (Sandhya) is mentioned, and the foremost of all the bhaktas (the SaptaRishis), perform sandhyavandanam before their worship. This is the base for bhakti or karma or jnana yoga.

What is Dhanam ?

We all need Dhanam, it is very essential. The dhanam earned as rupees or dollars is valid only in Bhuloka. But the dhanam earned by Bhagavat Bhakti or Upasana is very important, this dhanam is valid in all the main 14 Lokas and other Lokas too.

Rupees, U.S. Dollars, Euros etc. are accepted in our places but once we leave this world, only the multi-realm currency (Bhagavat punya) is valid throughout.

Acharyal installed a धन आकर्षण यन्त्र​ dhana AkarSana yantra to attract lots of ‘dhanam’ near Tirumala.

We have three Rinams (debts) to Devas, Rishis and Pithrus. We may pray for getting promotion, at the same time, we have to pray for doing more parayanams and chanting more namas. Only then, we can repay all the loukeeka and vaideeka debts. Acharyal kept a yantra keeping in mind of all these debts, not just worldly money.

Arghyam, Aditya and Atma

Periyava has explained this elaborately in Deivathin Kural (this is available in Hindu Dharma book also) and we have two explanations for giving arghyam.

One explanation is from Devi Bhagavatam, Asuras named Mandehas try to devour Aditya and our arghyam attacks them by becoming Vajrayudham (Indra’s thunderbolt). These Asuras recover and return during the next sandhya kaala, and again arghyam is required.

Another explanation is that evil thoughts corrupt everyone’s Atma thrice a day and Arghyam must be given to destroy those thoughts.

Periyava has mentioned both of these are correct, our body is related to the universe at the same time. So, a similar event happens at both the scenarios.

Every day, Ramunajacharyal gave Arghyam till He merged with Bhagavan. Inspite of His deteriorating health, He perfomed his anushtanas, His sishyas used to hold His trembling hands to help Him give Arghyam.

Tirumala – The Maha Kshetram

Both Bhagavan Ramana and Pudu Periyava were born in families with Kula Devatha as Venkateshwara Swami.

Many devotees have described both as avatars of Subrahmanya Swami, Srinivasa being pleased, has requested Muruga to take avatars again and again in the families worshipping him.

Swami Vedanta Desika who is the avataram of Tirumala temple’s Sacred Bell, belongs to Vishvamitra gotra and He tells Swami, “I am the Chakravarthy in doing paapam (sins) and you are the Chakravarthy in pardoning my paapam .”

This Mahan also prescribes Sandhyavandanam and Ekadashi vratam for our welfare.

Devas throng divine places like this.

Every place in Tirumala is a blessing for us, we must not get disheartened if we are unable to get Swami’s Darshan properly. It is enough if Swami sees us, he keeps seeing us though we may get a small glimpse. By doing meditation or nama sankeertanam in the divine places like Tirumala, Pushkara, Parvata Malai, Ganga shores etc. Even a beginner gets absolute control over his mind in these places. The whole mountain is Bhagavan and meditating on Srinivasa in our Hrdaya gives a huge satisfaction.

The trick is closing our eyes and seeing him inside. Don’t quickly leave the place and the benefits attained by doing sandhyavandanam in Maha Kshetras are immeasurable.

Pandavas visited various places, did snanam, sandhi and tarpanam with daanam (charity) near the sacred tank or river then visited the temples nearby. Only by following these things, our problems are truly resolved.

Without Sandhyavandanam, nothing is accomplished. Periyava frequently keeps reminding this through special visions and dreams. This is the defense system for all confusions in our current lives.

From now on, whenever we hear Suprabhatham, we must remember Sandhyavandanam. This karma is not to be perceived as a burden, this has immense benefits and this is the masterpiece of all the Rishis.

Almost everyone is affected with some problem, let us follow this prescription also for better results,

Sandhyavandanam    1 – 1 – 1

Brahma Yajnam        0 – 1 – 0

Venkateshwara Swami is watching us eagerly.

This karma is enough, the whole day will run smoothy by His Anugraham.

Sandhyavandana is a Seva for the whole world, Periyava is ever pleased if we also provide Sevai, we have to provide this Sevai for Parameshwara’s children daily.

Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara

Sri Rama Jayam

Categories: Deivathin Kural

Tags: deivathin kural, sandhyavandhanam