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Sandhya Vandanam

Tri Vedi Sandhya Vandanam
Procedure with Summary and Meaning
Compiled by P. R. Ramachander

Introduction
Sandhya Vandanam literally means either Salutation to the goddess of Dawn and dusk or the prayers done during dawn and dusk. Hindus considered the period just before dawn and just after dusk as well as the exact period of noon, as extremely suitable for meditation. All Brahmins after Upanayanam (prescribed to be done at the age of seven), were required to do these prayers without fail. Essentially these prayers are offering oblations to the devas (arghya pradanam), doing breathing exercises (pranayamam) and then meditating on Gayathri by chanting the king of all manthras Gayathri. This Manthra is taught to every boy by his own father during the ceremony of brahmopadesam. After learning Gayathri every boy is supposed to have taken a second birth and is entitled to be called Dwija. Our scriptures attach lot of importance to Sandhya Vandanam. They prescribe that a dwija should do it without fail every day. They also say that the knowledgeable Brahmin who salutes the Sun god daily thrice would attain whatever he wants. They further say that one who does not do sandhyavandanam is a sinner and is not eligible for any Vedic duties. What is given below is the Sandhya Vandanam procedure prescribed for Yajur Vedis. But the manthras to be chanted by followers of the other Vedas is also mentioned wherever there is a difference. All people are requested to do the Sandhya Vandanam initially for a few times under the guidance of their "Guru" and use the procedure and manthras given below later. This is requested because English being not a very phonetic language is inadequate to transliterate Sanskrit slokas and that too those written in the Vedic Sanskrit. A summary meaning of all the manthras chanted is appended at the end.

Sandhya Vandhanam - Part-I - Argya Pradhanam

Sandhya Vandhana has two parts, the first one normally to be done either standing in a river or sitting with hunched legs on the feet outside the house and the second part is done by sitting on firm ground using the lotus pose. (Padmasana). It is normally done facing east during dawn and noon and facing west during dusk..

1. Perform Achamanam
Take small quantities of water (just sufficient to soak one grain of black gram) three times in the right hand and take it with the following manthra:
Om Achyuthaya Namah, Om Ananthaya Namah, Om Govindaya Namah

Then
Touch with thumb both cheeks saying Kesava - Narayana
Touch with ring finger both eyes saying Madhava - Govinda
Touch with the first finger both sides of nose saying Vishno - Madhusoodana
Touch with little finger both ears saying Trivikrama - Vamana
Touch with the middle finger both shoulders saying Sreedhara - Hrishikesa
Touch with all fingers the belly button saying Padmanabha
Touch with all fingers the head saying Damodara

2. Ganapathi Dhyanam*:
Recite the following manthra slowly hitting the forehead with both fists together:
Shuklambaradharam Vishnum Sasi Varnam ChathurBhujam,
Prasanna Vadanam Dyayeth Sarva Vigna Upa Santhaye.
*This prayer is not recited by Vaishnavas. They are requested to go to the next section.

3. Do Pranayamam:
Hold both Nostrils with Thumb and the little and third finger of the hands and recite the following Manthra:
Om Bhoo
Om Bhuva
Ogum Suva
Om Maha
Om Jana
Om Thapa
Ogum Sathyam
Om Tat savithur varenyam Bargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yona prachodayath
Om Apa
Jyothj rasa
Amrutham brahma
Bhoorbuvasuvarom
Touch the ears three times saying
Om, Om, Om

4. Sankalpam
Keep the right palm inside the left palm and keep the palms on the right thigh and recite the following manthra:
Mamo partha samastha duritha kshaya dwara, Sri Parameshwara preethyartham*,
pratha sandhyam upasishye (for madhyannikam instead tell "madhyaynikam karishye" and for evening sandhya vandhanam tell "sayam sandhyam upasishye")
*Vaishnavas may instead tell "shri bhagavadaagnaayaa shriimannaaraayana priityartham"

5. Marjanam
Sri Kesavaya Namah (write OM in water with the ring finger)
Recite the following ten manthras. While reciting the first seven sprinkle water on the head, while reciting the eighth touch the feet, nine again sprinkle on the head and complete by reciting the tenth with Take little water on your right palm and throw around your head in clockwise direction like pradakshinam:
Aapo hishta mayo bhuva (1) thana oorje dadha thana (2) Mahe ranaaya chakshase (3) Yova shiva thamo rasa (4) Thasya bhajaya thehana (5) usatheeriva mathara (6) Thasma aranga mamava (7)
Yasya kshayaya jinwadha (8)
Aapo janayadha jana (9)
Om bhorbuvassuva (10)

6. Praasanam
Take in the hand small quantity of water in the palm (just sufficient to immerse one grain) recites the following manthra and drink it while telling "swaha".

Morning (Pratha Sandhya)
For Rig Vedis and Yajur vedis
Sooryascha ma manyuscha manyu patayascha manyukruthebhya.
Paapebhyo rakshantham
Yad rathrya papa ma karsham
Manasa vacha hasthabhyam padbhyam udarena sisnaa
Rathri sthadha valumbathu
Yad kincha duritham mayi
Idham aham mam amrutha yonau
Soorya jyothishi juhomi swaha

For Sama Vedis
Ahascha maa adithyascha punathu swaha

Noon (Madhyahnika)
Aapa punanthu prithweem, prithwee pootha punathu maam
Punanthu brahmanaspathir brahma pootha punathu maam
Yad uchishta mabhojyam yadhwa ducharitham mama
Sarvam punanthu mamopa asatham cha prathigraham swaha

Evening (Sayam Sandhya)
For Yajur and Rik Vedis
Agnischa ma manyuscha manyu pathayascha manyu kruthebhya
Papebhyo rakshantham
Yadahna papama karsham
Manasa vaacha hasthabhyam
Padbhyam udarena sisna
Ahasthada valumbathu
Yad kinchid duritham mayi
Idamaham maam amrutha yonau
Sathye jyothishi juhomi swaha

For Sama Vedis
Rathrischa ma varunascha punathu swaha.

7. Achamanam
Use the same manthras and action as given in "1" above

8. Punar Marjanam
Recite the following fourteen manthras. While reciting the first eleven-sprinkle water on the head, while reciting the twelfth touch the feet, thirteen again sprinkle on the head and complete by reciting the fourteenth with Take little water on your right palm and throw around your head in clockwise direction like pradakshinam:
Dadhi kravinno akarisham (1) Jishno raswasya vajina (2) surabhino mukha karaath (3) Prana ayugumshi tharishath (4) Aapo hishta mayo bhuva (5) Thana oorje dadha Thana (6) Mahe ranaaya chakshase (7) Yova shiva thamo rasa (8) Thasya bhajaya thehana (9) usatheeriva mathara (10) Thasma aranga mamava (11)
Yasya kshayaya jinwadha (12)
Aapo janayadha jana (13)
Om bhorbuvassuva (14)

Some Rik vedis after doing this punar marjanam recite the following manthra with little water in hand, smell the water and pour it in southwesterly direction.
Ruthancha sathyancha thapasodyadha thadho rathri jayatha thada samudhro arnavaa
Samudhradarnavaa dadhi samvadvaro ajayatha.
Aho rathraani vidhathat viswasya mishadho vasi.
Soorya chandrama sow dhatha yadha poorva magalpayath.
Divancha prithweem santharishmatho Suva.

9. Argya Pradhanam
Join both hands together and take hand full of water taking care not to join both thumbs with other fingers (facing east during Pratha Sandhya, facing north during Madyannikam, and facing west during Sayam Sandhya) repeat the following manthra and pour it, thrice during pratha sandhya, twice during Madhyannikam and twice during Sayam sandhya:
Om Bhorbuvassuva. Tatsa vithur varenyam bhargo devasya deemahi. Dhiyo yona prachodayath
Rik vedis in all the three times offer three argyas always standing.

10. Prayaschitha Argyam
Do Pranayama (refer S. No. 3 above)
Then offer one more Argyam in a similar fashion as above. This is a Prayaschitha (atonement) for doing the argya pradhanam late. Take small quantity of water in the right hand and rotate it above ones own head saying (this is called Athma parishechanam)
Om Bhorbuvassuva

Rik and Sama Vedis use a different manthra for this prayachithargyam:
Morning (Pratha Sandhya)
Om yadathya gacha vruthrahan. Udayaa abhisoorya sarvaan dathindra they vache.

Noon (Madyannikam)
Om uthkedthbhi sruthamagam vrushabham naryabasim
Astharameshi soorya

Evening (Sayam Sandhya)
Om na thasya maya yachana
Ripureeseetha marthya yo agnaye dathacha havyadathaye (Rik vedis end it as havyadathibhi)

11. Ikyaanusandhanam
With both hands touch the middle of the chest. close the eyes, meditate and chant
Asaavadhityo brahma. Brahamaivahamasmi
Then do Achamanam.

12. Deva Tharpanam
Sit facing east during pratha sandhya, facing north during madhyannikam, and facing east during sayam sandhya, take water in the hand and pour it out through its tips after each manthra.Take care to take water separately each time.
Aadithyam tharpayami
Somam tharpayami
Angarakam tharpayami
Budham tharpayami
Brahaspathim tharpayami
Shukram tharpayami
Sanaiswaram tharpayami
Rahum tharpayami
Kethum tharpayami
Kesavam tharpayami
Narayanam tharpayami
Madhavam tharpayami
Govindam tharpayami
Vishnum tharpayami
Madhusoodhanam tharpayami
Trivikramam tharpayami
Vamanam tharpayami
Sreedharam tharpayami
Hrishikesam tharpayami
Padmanabham tharpayami
Damodharam tharpayami

Then do aachamanam

Thus ends the first part of Sandhya Vandana

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