Some clarifications on sandya vandanam and other points

[sarveswara]

Sri Rama


Namaskaram:

Can the elite members help me with the following.
1. Morning gayatri japa should be done standing. But if I make sankalpam of doing 1000 or more (Sahasra or yada sakthi) then legs pain. Same thing with evening sandya (when you sit for long time in a squatted position). Is there any solution or workaround given in sastras for this?  It is in a way shameful to ask this question because we have to follow sastra but owing to practical difficultly I am asking. Also, I should say I am physically fit. Right now for sahasra gayatri that  I do every day (by Sri Rama's grace, I am able to do both morning and evening), I stand or sit for the duration. 

2. For morning sandya, before taking bath I take coffee and evening too I sometimes take. I take bath after this. But is it ok to drink coffee if I am doing more than sahasra or reading vishnu sahasranamam or lalitha sahasranama after sandya vandanam (In other words, I do additional prayers that may last between 30 and 45 min )

3. In the US, sun set happens early during evenings and in winters. So by 4:30 to 5:00 it is dark. How to do evening sandya at this time. Eventhough I leave work at 4 PM I cannot come home by 5 PM and then take bath and get ready. I would probably still do it that way but wanted to ask elite members if they can suggest anything.

4. Also, in several lectures, we hear about importance of pronunciation and if something is not spelt correctly then reciting a chant would have negative effects. My thoughts on this are as follows
(a) If we dont do this intentionally then there is no problem. We are children of God and why will God get angry if their child says something out of ignorance. In material world, when our child is learning to speak or speaks incorrectly, then we dont get angry at them. On the other hand, we feel happy on how they are talking and tell that to our neighbours and friends. So, why will God get angry if I say something out of ignorance or lack of knowledge. To do it on purpose is a different thing. I have heard several lectures where people get scared after hearing the pravachana karta and my concern is instead of doing something , people will stop doing everything in the hope that they would atleast keep quiet instead of doing wrong.. So what I have thought and doing it myself for long time now is write sri rama koti . I cannot go wrong in writing 'sri rama' in native language . No pronounciation mistake , less achara compared to others like namakam ,chamakam, lalitha parayana. All you need is pure mind and pure clothes and blessings of Sri Rama. What is the opinion of elite members on this topic? 

Sorry if my questions are stupid but I think this list is most suitable and this list has the most suitable members to answer this..

Sarvam Sri Rama Arpanamastu..


Sarveswara

[sudarshaniyer]

Sarveswara, sorry for the delay in reply. Saw your question now. You could do one thing - not combine the sahasra gayathri and sandhya. Perform around 32 counts of Gayathri as part of your morning/evening sandhya and again sit separately for a sahasra gayathri session. This is the usual way followed by many sishtas.

Ideally, Periyava recommended against drinking coffee, but unless you wean it off slowly, it is okay to have coffee/milk before sandhya.

Even if it is quite dark by the time you arrive home in the evening from office, please perform sandhya and offer the prayaschitta arghyam. Better to perform late than not perform at all.

It is fine to perform nama japam/lekhanam, than chant with incorrect pronunciation.

[sarveswara]

namaskaram sir;
What is the procedure to do sahasra gayatri after we are done with the normal sandyopasana.
Do you start from anganyasa and karanyasa and do sanakalpam and continue?
Can you do this at any time or only prescribed timings.

sarveswara

[vishiyer]

Namaskarams,

My thoughts. As per Ramakrishna Mission publication Sandhya Vandhnam by 'Anna' Sandhya Vandhanam should never be performed standing. Drinking coffee is not a big issue as if at all it only stimulates your mind. In the US timing can be erratic depending on the season and as one performs Sandhya three times a day without fail, this is what I do. As the Argyam offered after sunset goes to Asuras forces, it is imperative to do Sandhya before sunset. Wherever I am I take a few minutes off and perform Sandhya, be it at 3.30 pm or 8.30 pm. Regarding the pronunciation, if you give weightage to the entire recitation of mantras in Sandhya, it is the Gayatri Mantram that is crucial. As long as we pronounce that right , it is fine..

I would request everyone to listen to Sengalipuram Anantharama Dikshitar's discourse on Sandhya.

Thank you for letting me sharie my thoughts and my practice.

Aum Namasivaya.

Vish Iyer

[Prabhakara Rao]

Dear Sarveswara,

1. Sahastra Gayatri can be done either along with Sandhya or it can be done separately i.e. after completing daily Sandhya.
2. For doing Sahastra Gayatri you should have relaxed mind and body.
3. The Gayatri maha mantra is an UPADESHAM from our guru (usually father) so it should be done in systematic way i.e doing Anganyasa, Karanyasa, Sanakalpam, MUST do Dhayana mantram and then do Japam and after completion of Japa you must again recite Dhayana mantram.
4. For maximum power you should do Japa internally with closed eyes. There should not be any body movement in between Japa and from any part of the body an air should not be released.
5. Preferably this should be done before lunch or during prodosha kalam.
6. Please do not use any mala/fingers for counting. I would suggest not to count because certain portion of your mind allocated towards counting so u will not be able to concentrate 100%.
7. If you do Japa with 100% dedication for less number of times(<1000), it will give the same power as if you chanted for >1000 times. (not able to express this properly, hope u understand my point)

Dharmam changes from place to place and from time to time but truth remains the same at all times.

Hope it is clear in this regard.