Thread by @DRenaissancMan

~ Sandhyā Vandanam ~

Of the Dharma śāstras ; Sandhyā Vandanam is the basic and most fundamental Nitya karma to be followed by us.
To understand why this act is important, let’s delve in detail.

नमः सवित्रे जगदेकचक्षुषे जगत्प्रसूतिस्थितिनाशहेतवे।

#Thread

त्रयीमयायः त्रिगुणात्मधारिणे
विरिञ्जनारायणशङ्करात्मने।।
{आपः सूक्तम्}

"I bow to the Savitr who is the Eye of the world, the reason for creation, sustenance and destruction of the universe, the embodiment of three Gunas and the holder of the power of the Trimurtis -

Virinja (Brahma), Narayana and Shankara."
If we carefully go through the ancient Indian literature, we will find that prayer to the Sun occupies most prominence, Sandhyā Vandanam being one, albeit important element. The celebrated Aruna Praśnaḥ (also known as Sūrya Namaskāram),

which is a part of the Taittirīya Aranyaka of Krishna Yajur Veda is a hymn to the Sun God, is recited with fervor even today. Even in day‐to‐ day Yoga practices, Sūrya Namaskāram is an integral aspect. All these point to the centrality of the Sun in many worldly matters.

In Praśna Upanishad, in response to a query, from Kātyāyana Kabandhī one of the six disciples, “Wherefrom the creatures are born?”, Sage Pippalāda replies that it comes out of matter (Rayi) and energy (Prāṇa). The sage further explains that the Sun is verily the life and the

moon is the matter.

अथ कबन्धी कात्यायन उपत्े य पच्छ । भगव कु ते ह वा इमाः जाः जायन्त इित ॥
रिंय च ाणं चत्े येतौ मे बहु धा जाः
किरयत इित ॥ आिदत्यो ह वै ाणो रियरेव चन्दर्मा ...

A great source of inspiration :
Let us turn our attention to another aspect of the Sun. It is known

to us by common sense that light is the source of enthusiasm, inspiration and energy for the life to go on.Also, bright light and the very notion of brightness in various forms are associated with knowledge, power and strength. The word 'Tejas' in Sanskrit nearly captures all

these aspects and relates it to the Sun. For all these reasons, light is associated with anything that is Divine. That is why in India the practice is to have a circular bright light source behind idols in temples (and even in photographs depicting divine entities and Gods).

If we reflect on the source of light to the earth, it is only the Sun. Without the Sun there is no possibility of finding an alternative source of light. All other known sources of light such as the Moon, current electricity from any available source are nothing but derived

sources of the Sun.
Recognizing such a central role of the Sun in our day‐ to‐day matters, our ancestors have felt it fitting to reflect on the Sun as the ultimate source of inspiration and knowledge.

The Notion of Time :
In the modern parlance some of the most commonly heard

phrases are "I am too busy, I don't have time.." We need to objectively think for a moment to understand what is the reference frame for us to make such comments. The notion of time, the notion of day and night are all nothing but manifestations of the Sun.

Bhartṛhari in his Vairāgya śataka brings this idea very beautifully as follows:
आिदत्यय गतागतैरहरहः संक्षीयते जीिवतं
यापारैबर्हु कायर्गुरुिभः कालोऽिप न ायते ।
{Bhartṛhari in his Vairāgya śataka}

As the Sun raises and sets every day, one’s life shortens and (the flight of)

time is not felt because we are too busy with a number of activities.The most important point to note is that without the Sun, we may not be able to measure time, know how much time has passed and set deadlines for many of our personal and professional activities that we pursue.

This is well articulated in the fourth mantra in Aruṇa Praśna. D Sun exercises certain Lordship over d Earth by being beyond the Earth and casting its light on the planet. Further, by its act of heating (creating several climatic cycles) it makes us aware of the notion of time.

This whole notion of time is an activity that happens continuously on account of the Sun, like a constant flow of water in a perennial river.

सूय मरीिचमादे । सवर्माुवनादिध । तयाः पाकिवशेषेण । मृतं कालिवशेषण । नदीव भवात्कािच । अक्षयात्यन्दते यथा ॥

Conclusion Remarks :
As we have seen so far, our ability to live happily is due to the Sun. Therefore we are duty bound to do this act of thanksgiving if we have any sense of fairness, just behaviour and gratitude. Sandhyā Vandanam is at the outset an act of thanks giving to the

Sun God.
Contemplating on the great qualities of the Sun, expressing a sense of thankfulness and praying for the intellectual and spiritual progress of an individual in a structured manner is what Sandhyā Vandanam is all about.

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