Sandhyavandhanam – Part-II – Japam Meaning:
1. Japa Sankalpam:
Dressed in white thou art,
Oh, all pervading one,
And glowing with the colour of moon.
With four arms, thou art, Vishnu.
I meditate on thine ever-smiling face,
And pray, “Remove all obstacles on my way”.
Pranayamam:
This manthra is a guide to a breathing exercise as also a prayer. While chanting Om bhoo,Om Bhuva, Ogum Suva, Om Maha, om jana, om thapa, ogum satyam we are supposed to keep the left nostril closed and inhale through the right nostril. While chanting, “Om tat sa vithur varenyam bargo devasya dhee mahi, dhi yo yona prachothayad”, we are supposed to close both nostrils and hold the breath. After this the left nostril is opened and air exhaled till the end of the manthra.
Hindus believed that that there were six holy worlds above the earth. These along with earth are remembered in the first part. These worlds are bhooloka, bhuvarloka, suvarloka, maharloka, janaloka, thapaloka and satya loka. The second part is the famous Gayathri manthram. It means “I meditate on that savitha (the sun or the enlightenment within ourselves) which helps us in our though process, that god which is within me and that all engulfing power.”
Or
“I meditate on the most holy shining aspect of that God, who helps in brightening our thought process.” Then the third part means “Om is water, it is the light, it is the earth which gives the food, it is the air which supports life, and it is the ether which is spread all around. It is also the holy seven worlds.” By touching the nose the hands are supposed to get polluted and this is removed by touching the ears thrice.
Sankalpam:
This is a preliminary rite in every Vedic action. We tell why we are doing what we do.
We chant To become dear to the Lord Parameshwara (in case of Vaishnavas it is Lord Vishnu) and to destroy all the effects of sins committed by me, I do meditation on Gayathri in the morning (noon, evening)
2. Pranava Japam (Pranayamam as preliminary to meditation):
For “Om”, the sage is Lord Brahma himself, the meter is Gayathri, and the ultimate Brhman is its God.For the seven worlds, the rishis are Athri, Brugu, Kutsa, Vasishta, Gowthama, Kasyapa, Angeerasa and the corresponding meters are Gayathri, Ushnik, Anushtup, Bruhathi, Pankthi, Trushtup and Jagathi are the respective meters and Fire God, Wind God,, Sun God, God of words, God of Rain, God of Devas and God of the universe are Gods respectively.
This is followed by Pranayamam whose meaning is given under sankalpam.
3. Gayathri Avahanam (Requesting Goddess Gayhtri to come within us):
For this Manthra starting with the word “Ayanthu”, the sage is Vama Deva, meter is Anushtup and Goddess is Gayathri. The goddess Gayathri who can give all desired boons, who is ever permanent, who is known by Vedas and who is the mother of all meters should come in me.
Let this prayer be granted. Hey mother Gayathri, you are the power of soul supporting air, you are the power of all organs, You have power to win over all enemies, You are the resplendent light, You are the brightness of all Gods, You are the universe, You are time – the soul of the universe, You are soul of everything, You are victorious overall and So I pray you who are the meaning of the word “Om”. I request Gayathri to come within me, I request Savithri to come inside me, and I request Saraswathi to come inside me.
4. Gayathri Nyasam (Preliminary to Gayathri Japa):
For The Savithri Manthra, the sage is Viswamithra, meter is Nichruth-Gayathri and the God is Savitha
5. Gayathri Japa (Chanting of Gayathri):
We meditate on that resplendent form of God, who is the meaning of the word “OM”, who sharpens our intellect, and who is the creator.
6. Gayathri Upasthanam (Requesting Gayathri to go back):
I am requesting the Goddess of Morning ( evening) to go back to her place
In the noon, I am requesting the Sun God to go to his place.
After blessing us who pray you, please be kind enough to bless us and go and occupy your place, which is in the holy peak, and be ever happy.
7. Soorya Upasthanam (asking the Sun God to go back):
Morning:
I meditate on the greatness and fame of the Sun God who protects people, who is to be sung upon, who is forever and greatest among those who steal the mind. He knows everything and guides people. He carries the earth and the heaven. He sees the world without blinking his eye at any time and forever. To get results, which are forever, I offer him this offering made of ghee.
Oh Sun God who is Mithra. Let whosoever wants to worship you become fully capable of holy deeds. He who is protected by you never becomes sick and sins will not trouble hi, from far and near.
Noon:
The sun God who is resplendent in his light of the soul and who travels with his visible light which makes the people of earth and heaven do their allotted duties, travels in his golden chariot inspecting all the worlds, We who see the sun God, who rises daily after swallowing darkness and who with his light protects the devas attain the glittering shine of the soul.His horses, which are his rays, carry the Sun God who is well known in the Vedas and who knows everything and travel round the sky so that we the people of earth can all see him.The sun God who is like an eye to Mithra, Varuna and Agni and who is personification of all devas travels very high in the sky.
The Sun god who is the soul of those who are mobile and also to those who are immobile spreads through out the heaven, earth and the atmosphere. Rising in the east and doing good to all the gods the sun is like an eye. We will see him for hundred springs, WE would live for hundred springs, We would enjoy life with all those who are dear for hundred springs, We would live with fame for hundred springs, We would hear sweet words for hundred springs, We would live without being won by bad deeds for hundred springs, Like this we wish to see our dear Sun God for a long long time.
Let the Sun God who gives us all boons, who has reddish eyes, who knows everything, who shines in all directions and who rises from the middle of the vast ocean in the dawn make me holy with all his mind.
Evening:
Oh god Varuna, please hear now this prayer. Make me happy just now for I pray you beseeching for protection. I pray you using manthras of Vedas for that purpose and fall at your feet. One who does fire sacrifice with offerings to the fire is also requesting for the same thing. Of Famous God Varuna, without neglect be pleased to hear my prayer. Please never reduce my life span.
Oh God Varuna, we might have neglected to worship you daily due to carelessness. Without knowing we men might have deceived the devas in worship, we might have spoiled your good deeds. Oh God Varuna, please do not punish us for these sins.
We might have been defamed without basis by bad people like gamblers. We might have done sins fully knowing it. WE might have done sins without knowing it. Please destroy in to small pieces; all these without pain, Please keep me as one who is very dear to you.
8. Samashti Abhivadanam (Prayer to all):
Salutations to the goddess of dawn and dusk.
Salutations to Goddess Savithri
Salutations to goddess gayathri
Salutations to Goddess Saraswathi
Salutations and salutations to all Gods
The crimes of passion and anger done by me were not done with full realization. I beseech you again and again to pardon all those sins, which were done unknowingly by me.
Oh great one, I am follower of the pravara rishis called ——————– belonging to ——————– Gothra (clan), following the ——————– Suthra and a student of ——————– Veda and my name is ——————– Sarma and I am following at thine feet.
9. Dig Devatha Vandanam (Salutations to the Gods of Directions):
Salutation to the east
Salutation to the South
Salutations to the west
Salutations to the north
Salutations to those Gods above
Salutations to the Gods below
Salutations to the Atmosphere
Salutations to the earth
Salutations to the Brahma
Salutations to Vishnu
Salutations to God of death
10. Yama Vandanam (Salutations to God of Death):
Salutations to Yama, the God of death
My salutations and salutations
To Him who can keep in control his senses,
To Him who is the king of justice.
To him who destroys,
To him who can put to an end,
To Him who is the son of Sun God,
To him who represents march of time,
To him who causes death to all beings,
To him who is supremely strong,
To him who is called the universal giver,
To him who has a bluish body,
To him who is being worshipped by all,
To him who has a huge belly,
To him who is really peculiar,
And to him who guards his secret.
Guards his secret continued.
11. Hari Hara Vandanam:
I salute Him
Who is the beauty in all things I see,
Who is the truth in what I tell,
Who is the ultimate Brahmam,
Who is the soul of every being,
Who is the amalgam of black (Vishnu) and Red (Shiva),
Who sees up from energy,
Who is the three eyed God,
And who is personification of the universe.
Salutation to personification of the universe continued
12. Soorya Narayana Vandanam:
My salutations to Lord Surya Narayana who is like an eye to the universe, Who is the cause of birth, upkeep and destruction of the worlds, Who is personification of Vedas and Who by his three qualities takes the form of the holy trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, Lord Narayana is forever most suitable to be venerated for he is in the middle of the solar system, For he sits in the lotus pose, For he wears the crown on the head, chain on his neck, wears anklets in his Arms and wears global studs in his ears, For he holds the Conch and the wheel in his hands and has the glittering colour of gold. Oh Lord who holds the conch and wheel in his hand, who forever lives in Dwaraka, Who never allows his devotees to fall, Who takes care f all beings of the earth and Who has lotus like eyes, please protect me who has come and fallen at your feet. Like all the water that falls from the sky reaches the sea, all salutations done to all gods reach Lord Narayana.
Oh great one, I am follower of the pravara rishis called ——————– belonging to ——————– Gothra (clan), following the ——————– Suthra and a student of ——————– Veda and my name is ——————– Sarma and I am following at thine feet.
13. Samarpanam (Giving away):
I give away To the Lord Narayana, all the actions done by me either by my body, or by my words, or by my mind, or by my organs, or my mind or by my intellect or by my soul or by my superior thought process or by my natural movements. Then do the purificatory ceremony of Achamanam (see section 1)
14. Raksha (Protective shield):
Hey Lord Savitha (Sun), please rant good luck to me and my family. Please remove the ill effects of bad dreams. Please remove the punishment for all the sins committed by me. And please grant me what is great and good.