The Essence of Hindu Tradition & Culture

E-book from Kanchi Periva Forum

Volume 2
Published: June 2012

Important Daily Rituals

Author: Subi Anna

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Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3 About the Author ..................................................................................................................... 5 1.0 Why daily rituals? .............................................................................................................. 6 2.0 Prerequisites ..................................................................................................................... 7 3.0 Some examples................................................................................................................. 7 4.0 Perivas comments ............................................................................................................ 9 5.0 Lighting an oil lamp ......................................................................................................... 11 6.0 Sandhyavandanam ......................................................................................................... 12 6.1 What is a mantra? ........................................................................................................ 14 6.2 About Gaayatri Mantra ................................................................................................. 14 6.3 Other Aspects of Sandhyavandana ............................................................................. 17 6.4 Perivas advice ............................................................................................................. 19 7.0 A Simple Puja .................................................................................................................. 20 7.1 Shodasa Upachara - Sixteen Services ........................................................................ 23 8.0 Cooking and eating food ................................................................................................. 24 9.0 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 25 10.0 Suggested further reading ............................................................................................. 26

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Shri Kanchi Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Charanam

Introduction
Hari Om! We are pleased to bring you the second edition of the e-book series from the Kanchi Periva Forum. This e-book series is the result of efforts from the members of the Kanchi Periva Forum www.periva.proboards.com. Like minded members of the Forum have come together realizing the need to insist upon the present generation to observe and keep alive the rich traditions of the Hindu Religion, as prescribed in the Vedas and Sastras. In the first edition (May 2012) of this e-book series, we dealt with the question of Why rituals are important? Certain general principles pervade all religious rituals and our sanatana dharma is no exception to this rule. In this sequel edition, we present the basics of important daily rituals. At the start of this edition, we invite your attention to a few points relating to this e-book. You will find many Sanskrit words in this e-book. Please note that no uniform style is adopted in the use of these Sanskrit words; some of them are italicized and provided with simple English meanings when used for the first time. However, it is very difficult to provide exact translations. A basic knowledge of Sanskrit would be very useful in reading, pronouncing and understanding the words used in this book. Also, we wish to clarify that the word 'Periva' refers to Kanchi Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal, also known as Mahaperiva or as Paramacharya. In this edition, we have quoted Periva extensively. These quotes are drawn from Perivas discourses that have been published in various books such as Deivathin Kural (Tamil), English publications of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, and Sri Acharya Swamigal Upanyasangal published by Kalaimagal. We express our immense gratitude to the authors and publishers of these books for providing a treasure of information from Perivas discourses. We have also extracted relevant materials from the extensive archives and experiences of the author.

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We would like to express our profound thanks to Shri Sundaresan Subramanian from Chicago, USA for authoring this book. We would also like to thank Smt Sumathi Agambaranathan from Chennai, India and Shri K. Raman from Santa Clara USA, the moderators of the Kanchi Periva Forum for their assistance in the making of this e-book. We welcome your views and feedback for enlarging the scope of future editions of the e-book and improve the quality of presentations. Feedback about the e-book may be shared with us at kanchiperiva@gmail.com or with the author directly at the email addresses given in the profile that follows. For those who are not familiar about our website and forum, we welcome you to visit www.periva.org for a collection of rare videos and complete online library of upanyasams of Sri Maha Periva. Please also register on the forum www.periva.proboards.com to stay updated on devotees experiences and to receive our regular newsletters. We humbly submit this second e-book at the lotus feet of Shri Maha Periva. Administrator - Kanchi Periva Forum kanchiperiva@gmail.com

Jaya Jaya Shankara, Hara Hara Shankara!

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About the Author

Shri Sundaresan Subramanian Shri. Sundaresan Subramanian, affectionately called as Subi Anna, is an international consultant with an array of global experiences in the field of energy and environment. In his long professional career, he has worked for many years in senior management positions with multinational corporations in India and later with U.S. government agencies. His demonstrated success includes building US-Asia energy and environmental partnerships in cooperation with American and Asian government agencies, non-government organizations and the corporate sector. His professional accomplishments are recognized through several awards from both India and the U.S. Deriving great inspiration from Maha Periva, the Sage of Kanchi, Subi Anna developed a deep personal interest in religion and the ancient scriptures. Based on his continuing study and research, Subi Anna is engaged in propagating Maha Perivas teachings and unfolding the secrets and wisdom of Sanatana Dharma. His published e-books include: Mantras and Management and Managing Anger Lessons from the Ancient. On the academic side, Subi Anna is Graduate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Poona; qualified in Production Engineering, London; in Business Management at St. Xaviers Institute, Bombay; and as a LEED Green Associate of the U.S. Green Business Council. He was trained in Japan in corporate management and was conferred with a honorary doctorate degree by the University of Berkley, USA. His honorary activities benefited several communities. He served as a member of the selection panel for Fulbright environmental fellowships, a senior member of the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), and the Association of Energy Engineers, USA. He has authored many articles and studies related to energy and environment and served for 3 years as an editor of The Urja Watch a publication of the Indian Association of Energy Management Professionals (IAEMP). He serves as a honorary member of the committee of Sri Veda Vyas Gurukul a Veda PAtashala functioning on the lines of Gurukula system at the Kanchi Mutt in Pune, Maharashtra. Subi Anna is based out of Chicago, USA and can be reached at s.subi@yahoo.com

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IMPORTANT DAILY RITUALS

Om Gurubyo Namah Salutations to the Guru

Vedo Nityam Adheeyataam Taduditam Karma Svanushtheeyataam Study the Vedas daily; Practice well the rituals prescribed therein. - Aadi Sankaracharya in Upadesa Panchakam
Shri Maha Periva

1.0 Why daily rituals?

Although the word ritual is commonly associated with religious ceremonies, we can use the same word to describe any established actions that we do as part of our daily activities like brushing your teeth. Our daily rituals directly impact our behaviour, performance at work and productivity. You can view a daily ritual in a positive or negative way. In a positive way, you can see a ritual as bringing some order into your life or developing a systematic behaviour like setting the alarm and sticking to a time schedule for activities. In a negative way, you can consider a ritual as an unnecessary hindrance to your freedom the right to do whatever and whenever. The choice of how to view a ritual, including religious rituals is entirely yours. It is essential that the underlying principles behind the rituals are properly grasped to have a better appreciation of the importance of daily rituals. If these principles are not understood, the ceremonies degenerate into blind rituals and people lose interest in performing them.

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2.0 Prerequisites
All religions are based on belief. Before you perform any daily ritual, there are two important prerequisites. The first and most essential one is that you must have faith that the ritual is for your good. The second is a personal discipline to effectively perform the ritual. Think of some activities that you perform everyday like taking a bath, dressing up for work, driving a car or chatting over the phone. You do such activities almost daily as a matter of routine with no extraordinary effort. But then, do you perform physical exercises every day? We all know that exercise is good for health. Some people perform exercise regularly and build an agile body. At the same time, there are many who are sluggish and prefer to spend their time in easy-going activities such as watching the TV, reading a newspaper, or playing games on the computer. Performing daily rituals is like doing physical exercises every day. The more you realize the value of physical exercises, the more you will like it. So, it is with daily rituals. Once you start doing it regularly, youll love it; the more you try to understand it, the more deeply you will enjoy it. A personal discipline is essential to our overall personal growth and spiritual maturity. One of the benefits of involvement in daily rituals is development of personal discipline and selfcontrol.

3.0 Some examples

To illustrate the concept of faith and discipline and how it supports rituals, author Subi recalls some observations on how people display faith and discipline. His observations are without any prejudice and intended purely to provide some examples to reinforce the concept of faith and discipline for daily rituals: The first observation is an old one from my international trips. It relates to an incident that happened sometime in mid-eighties when I was traveling in a taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. It was a very hot and humid day but the taxi was comfortably air-conditioned. There were no trees anywhere in sight and all I could see was just desert sand on either side of the long road. Suddenly, the driver pulled over to the roadside and stopped the car. He got out of the car and went around to open the trunk. For a moment, I thought the car had a flat tyre and the driver was probably taking out the tools to replace it with the spare tyre in the trunk.

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But I was wrong. The driver took out a rolled mat, unrolled it on the sand, and kneeled down on it to perform his namaz (prayers) despite the most uncomfortable environment! An example of Perivas open mind and how he viewed the namaz may be relevant here. There was a mosque close to Kanchi Matam. A large number of people used to visit the historic mosque and there were huge gatherings of devotees at the matam too. It was becoming increasingly difficult to manage the traffic. So, the mosque and local district authorities decided to relocate the mosque to some other place. When this news reached Periva, he vehemently opposed the idea. He said, In fact, at 4:30 am, when the call for namaz comes from the mosque, it acts as a wake-up call for my divine duties. What many people might consider as nuisance in the morning was a welcome call for Periva! The regular daily call for namaz reflects faith and a discipline of the mind. Yet another example This was in 2001 when I had visited Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Peeping through the window of my room in the 17 th floor of the Sheraton hotel where I stayed, I was surprised to see the gopuram of a temple. I was curious to know is it really a Hindu temple in Vietnam? I decided to explore later. In the evening, I took a stroll and went in search of the temple. Not far from the hotel, I located it. Outside the temple gate, there were some vendors selling flowers and udubathi (scented sticks). The local people bought those and so did I. Entering the temple, I found a sanctum sanctorum just like in India; and the main deity was Lord Muruga. There was a praakaram around the sanctum. On the walls, I saw pictures of various Hindu Gods and Goddesses on the walls. There were many devotees inside the temple. It seemed to me that almost all of the people offering prayers there were local Vietnamese. People of all age groups stood or knelt with fragrant udubathis held between their folded palms. What I saw at this temple was not just the devotees from Vietnam but the immense faith of the local people on Hindu deities displayed in the fullest measure through the rituals of offering flowers, lighting the udubathi and praying with folded holds. I learnt from a devotee that local Vietnamese believe that worshiping at this temple will bring them peace and good luck. These experiences from various countries left deep impressions in me. They demonstrated that in this busy world, there are yet lots of people who have implicit faith in the Almighty and who display discipline to unfailingly perform the rituals without complaining. You can observe similar faith exhibited in many other places. In India, you can feel the peoples faith in the Almighty in places where they congregate in millions to have a dip in a holy river or in temples to have a darshan of the Lord.

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Sometimes, you can see crowds of people jostling with each other to get a spoonful of the prasada theertham (blessed water) or just vibhuti (holy ash) that have no monetary value. Faith is exhibited by people in different ways. Outside my apartment complex in Chennai, I have often seen a rikshawala praying in the mornings and contributing a coin or two to the small Ganesha idol installed on the compound wall. Despite such deep faith and the associated rituals that we observe around the world, there is still a large section of people in the Hindu community who discount rituals as useless and not consistent with modern ways of living. Many educated people do not seem to be clear on the need for performing daily rituals. They ask questions like: Is it not enough if I just stick to doing my work with good conduct, earn money the right way and enjoy life? Why I should I waste my time in meaningless rituals?

4.0 Perivas comments

In the context of such questions, it is relevant to learn from Perivas educative discourses. We provide some excerpts from Perivas talks that illustrate the need for daily rituals: "I have stated again and again that the people must perform the rites (rituals) handed down to them from forefathers, that they must adhere to the practices pertaining to the tradition to which they belong and they must wear the symbols appropriates to the same, like the holy ashes or Tiruman, the rudraksha, etc. Some people hold the view that all that is needed is conduct and character, that conduct is a matter of the mind, that religious customs are but part of the external life. In truth, however, your outward actions and the symbols worn by you outwardly have an impact on the inner life. There is a relationship between bodily work and inner feelings. Let me illustrate this truth. One day, unexpectedly, a man comes to know he was won prize in a lottery, say, one lakh rupees. His joy knows no bounds, but it makes its own impact on his body. He becomes so excited that his breathing itself stops for a moment and he faints. A particular feeling creates a specific change in the process of breathing. From this practical observation, yoga (pranayama is one) develops lessons in breathing to create healthy and noble feeling and urges. Often the outward appearance reflects the inner feelings.

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When you are angry your eyes become red, your lips quiver. When you are sorrowful your eyes become moist and you shed tears. If you are happy you are agape, showing all your teeth. Thus there is a definite connection between the body and the mind, between the body and the inner feelings. Based on this fact, the wise have devised yogic postures that are calculated to nurture particular Atmic qualities. Will soldiers be less valorous if they do not wear their uniforms? All over the world members of the defense services wear uniforms and it is claimed that they keep them fighting fit and inspire courage in them. The symbols worn outside, the rituals (samskaras) performed outwardly, are inwardly beneficial. If you think that it is all a disguise so it will be. You must resolve to wear the symbols in all sincerity and perform the rites too. Then they will truly cause purity within. Outward action helps you inwardly. It is perhaps natural that I should give importance to samskaras, to the custom of wearing symbols like the sacred ashes, rudraksha, etc. After all, I am the head of Mata and you will come to me only if I wear all these. You will give me money for the conduct of the Mata. So all these symbols that I wear serve a purpose in my case. But your case is different. You have your own means of livelihood and you may be able to perform samskaras even more sincerely than I do and make yourself pure by wearing the symbols of our religion. Let us wear the signs that remind us of the Supreme Truth. Let us perform the rites that keep us away from evil. Let us be of good conduct and character and cleans our consciousness. And let us meditate on the Ultimate Reality, experience It inwardly, realize bliss." (Source: Hindu Dharma - Universal Way of Life) Periva prescribed individual inner transformation as a precondition for a better world. He suggested observance of rituals to bring about this change within individuals. In our sanatana dharma, all rites and ceremonies are intended not only to achieve better control of senses but also to aid the embodied soul called Jeevatma in making its journey towards its final goal of Mukti (liberation) easier. The soul is said to be encased in five sheaths, Kosas as they are called, and the ceremonies help in bringing the sheaths to obedience. They also help in purifying them and in making them strong so as to enable them to resist all evil and also to shape external conditions to mans benefit, protection and support.

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There are many rituals that are prescribed in our ancient scriptures. Covering all the daily rituals in their entirety is beyond the scope of this edition. But it is necessary to highlight the ones that are important, easy to perform and do not require elaborate preparations or training. Many books and even DVDs are available to help people learn the associated mantras and perform the important daily rituals. We have provided some references elsewhere in this edition. In this edition of e-book, we shall cover the following most important daily rituals. 1. Lighting an oil lamp 2. Sandhyavandanam 3. A simple Puja 4. Cooking and eating food

5.0 Lighting an oil lamp

First thing in the morning - Lighting a simple oil lamp in front of the home altar is an important daily ritual. It is a routine in many Hindu homes. Darkness represents ignorance; light symbolizes knowledge. Just as light removes darkness, knowledge removes ignorance. That's why the term 'enlighten' means to give 'knowledge.' We light the lamp in reverence to knowledge. But some might ask, why light an oil lamp? Why not just use the electric lamp conveniently? The electric lamp too does the same job of removing darkness. Lets explain further. Agni (Fire) is the most important constituent in our rituals. It is not just in India alone that it is so. The Parsi's worship fire and in fact, their temples are called fire temples. The Greek and the Romans had fire as the hearth of their rites. Agni is considered as the divine witness in our ceremonies such as upanyana and weddings, a protector against unseen hostile spirits and evil influences. Agni is viewed as the messenger between humans and the celestials. In ancient days, fire was kept continuously burning in homes. The flame of an oil lamp is nothing but Agni and lighting an oil lamp is akin to keeping the auspicious Agni alive at home.

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The traditional oil lamp has more significance. Just as the oil in the lamp and the wick get burnt gradually, our human weaknesses and ego too get destroyed when lit by spiritual knowledge. There is also the age-old belief that a lamp is a manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi, symbolizing knowledge, brilliance, health and wealth. In many public functions these days, we see that lighting an oil lamp symbolizes inauguration of a new activity. Almost all rites and rituals have been presided over by Agni, the fire god, in the form of a lighted lamp. One more perspective It makes a lot of sense to light an oil lamp in these days of erratic electric power supply!

6.0 Sandhyavandanam
Another important daily rituals is the Sandhyavandanam. What is Sandhyavandanam? It is essentially a Vedic prayer. It is gratifying to note that it is the same prayer that was performed by our ancestors thousands of years ago. What does it mean? Sandhya means the time when day and night meet. Vandanam means offering thanks. In short, it means a prayer of thanks to God in the morning and in the evening twilight. Who all should perform Sandhyavandanam? Let us hear what Periva says: Only Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas have the upanayana ceremony. There is nothing discriminatory about this nor is there a need for any quarrel over the same. People belonging to the fourth varna do physical work to serve the world and in the process acquire inner purity. Dvi-ja (Twice-born in English, "iru-pirappalan" in Tamil) is the name given to a Brahmin, Kshatriya or Vaisya. They merit the second birth only when they become qualified to learn the Vedas. Such a birth is meant, as mentioned earlier, to spread the divine power all over the world, and it is through the upanayana ceremony that they become qualified for it. Performing this ceremony at the right time is the responsibility of the parents.

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At present, in matters like this, no regard is paid to the canons. In contrast, in the old days, people had faith in the scriptures and acted according to their dictates. In present days, many people ask questions like: "Who has the time for performing Sandhyavandanam everyday?" Whats the purpose of throwing a few spoonfuls of water around? "Is this something worth doing?"

These questions may sound legitimate but what is not understood is that our 'smritis' and 'puranas' (ancient scriptures) emphasize the necessity of performing this daily service. It is binding on all except the people who do hard labor. Taittreya Upanishad (Aran II, Pra, 2 anu) mentions that the person who meditates on the rising and setting sun as the Supreme being enjoys all happiness. In the Ramayana and Mahabharata, one can find references on how divine personalities like Rama, Yudhishtira who were Kshatriyas performed Sandyavandhnam even when facing distress. As regards time, we never shall have any more time. We have, and we have always had only 24 hours a day! One way of finding time is to rise a little early in the morning. In the morning, facing east, Sandhyavandanam should be performed before sunrise. It means that you should rise early in the morning - a difficult task for many! Once a habit is formed, it becomes easy to wake up early. After bath, you should wear the sacred marks of your faith (vibhuti or gopi chandana). Sandhyavandanam begins with performing Achamana or sipping water from the right palm with accompanying mantras. It is done three times, supposedly to clean the internal organs of the body. It is followed by a short prayer to Lord Ganesha. The next step is pranayama that has three components to it. The first called Puraka, drawing in the breath through one of the nostrils; Kumbhaka, holding the breath and Rechaka, expelling air through one of the nostrils. During the process, a mantra beginning with Om Bhoo is recited. Pranayama is considered as a yogic practice that helps in concentrating our mind on the Supreme Being and launching ourselves on a path of devotion. After the pranayama comes Sankalpa or determination. In order to achieve any activity, we must make a resolution - like taking a vow. So, the sankalpa helps to make a resolution to perform the Sandhyavandanam.
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There are many more steps in Sandyavandhanam but we are not describing the full ritual in this edition as there are many books and videos providing details on how to perform Sandhyavandanam. Kanchi Periva Forum has presented a lot of useful information on Sandhyavandanam. You may refer to the following link for more details including demo videos on Sandyavandanam:
http://www.periva.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=115&page=1#1142

The most important and the center piece of Sandhyavandanam is the Gaayatri Mantra which is believed to contain the sum and substance of Vedic teaching. That leads us to a question.

6.1 What is a mantra?

Mantra is a Sanskrit word. It is a sacred phrase of Hinduism, repeated in prayer or meditation as an invocation to the gods. Wikipedia defines mantra as a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of "creating transformation." The word mantra is derived from two Sanskrit words. The first is "manas" or "mind," which provides the "man" syllable. The second syllable is drawn from the Sanskrit word "tra" meaning to "protect." A mantra is one that offers protection by repetition in the mind. Mantras are ancient. In mainstream Vedic practices of Hinduism, mantras are viewed as instruments for spiritual advancement and high attainment. It is believed that a person who chants the mantras in a prescribed method reaps desired benefits. Mantras help steady the mind and focus ones thoughts; free mind from baser instincts, anger or resentment; and develop inner strength, patience and love towards other living beings.

6.2 About Gaayatri Mantra

One of the most important mantras in our sanatana dharma is the Gaayatri Mantra that forms part of Sandhyavandanam. Gaayatri is known as Vedamaatha, the mother of the Vedas. The Gaayatri Mantra is a part of the Rigveda Samhita, third mandala, sukta 62 and verse 10. In his own unique style, Periva talks about Gaayatri Mantra:

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(Quote) "Whoever sings is protected," that is "Gaayatri". "Gaayantam traayate yasmaat Gaayatri' tyabhidhiyate." "Sings" is not used here in the sense of singing a song. It means intoning or chanting (the mantra) with affection and devotion. People who chant the Gaayatri in this manner are protected. While speaking about this mantra the Vedas use these words: "Gaayatrim Chandasam mata". "Chandas" means the Vedas. So, Gaayatri is the mother of all Vedic mantras (that is the Vedas proclaim them so). It has twenty-four aksharaas (letters or syllables) and three feet, each foot of eight syllables. That is why the mantra is called "Tripaada Gaayatri". Each foot is the essence of a Veda. Thus Gaayatri is the essence of Rigveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda. (End of quote) Reciting Gaayatri Mantra is known to provide extraordinary benefits to its devotees. It has the potential to transform the mental framework of a person to a systematic, healthy, righteous and balanced personality. Just as darkness has no independent existence but caused by the absence of light, unhappiness is nothing but absence of true knowledge. Worshipping Gaayatri regularly is to seek true knowledge and wisdom. Gaaytri is said to influence the mind, intellect and the inner self. A stable and well developed mind produces healthy thoughts that eventually lead to contentment and happiness. The Gaayatri mantra should be recited with true humility and sincere reverence and not in a spirit of indifference. The worship should be made with an implicit faith in the spiritual efficacy of the mantra. It is only then that the heart is truly tuned to receive the divine grace. Gaayatri mantra is very simple to read and easy to recite every day. The mantra reads as follows: Om bhur bhuvah suwah Tat savitur varenyam Bhargo devasya dheemahi Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

It is believed that Gaayatri mantra serves as a faithful protector of all those who recite the mantra with sincerity. There are many translations to the Gaayatri Mantra. We do not wish to discuss the details of these meanings as there are many interpretations by different scholars that might confuse
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the reader. In simple words, this mantra conveys a prayer, "Oh Lord! I think of Thy glory. Enlighten me with Thy divine grace and guide my intellect in the right direction." Even for those who do not understand Sanskrit, the prayer clearly means seeking knowledge from the Almighty. In a nut shell, the mantra means: We meditate on the adorable light (Sun) of the Supreme Creator of the Universe. May He guide our intellects. The Gaayatri mantra is silently recited in mind many times generally 108 times. During the recitation, the mind should be kept straying on other thoughts. The concentration gradually induces a steady mind - like in meditation or yoga. The mantra has a great scientific significance too. In the universe, there is a Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga that contains hundreds of thousands of stars. Each star has its own planetary system like the sun. We know that the moon moves around the earth and the earth moves around the sun along with the moon. All planets revolve around the sun. Each of the above bodies revolve around at its own axis as well. All galaxies including ours are moving at terrific high speeds. Considering such a vast universe, Gaayatri Mantra reflects: Om Bhur Bhuvah Suwah: It is believed that the word OM refers to the celestial sound caused by the three worlds in motion. Bhur - the earth, bhuvah- the other world of planets, suwah- the third world Galaxy. Tat Savitur Varenyam: Tat - that (God), savitur- (manifesting as) the sun, varenyam worthy of bowing or respect. Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi: Bhargo- the light, devasya- of the deity, dheemahi- we meditate. Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat: Dhiyo the intellect, yo -who, nah -we all, prachodayat- guide to right Direction. Deploy our intellect on the right path. You will observe that the Gaayatri mantra emphasizes lays importance on knowledge and deploying it on the right path. Knowledge alone is believed to confer supreme bliss.

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6.3 Other Aspects of Sandhyavandanam

Periva talks in details about certain other aspects of Sandhyavandanam. We provide excerpts from his discourses: (Quote) "Astra" and "Sastra" are terms used in Dhanurveda (military science) to denote two types of weapons. Knife, arrow, spear, club and so on-real weapons-come under the term "sastra". "Astra" is what is energised by a mantra into a weapon. If you discharge just a darbha or a blade of grass chanting or muttering the appropriate mantra it will be turned into a weapon. Sastras are also discharged similarly with mantras. If you hurl something at a object or person muttering the mantra proper to it, the object or person will be destroyed when hit. The twice-born (Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas) have the duty of discharging "Astras" every day to destroy asuras or the evil forces besieging mankind. Does not "Astra" mean that which is discharged, thrown or hurled? What is the "Astra" which is to be thrown or discharged [by the twice - born]? We throw water so as to drive away or destroy the demons or evil forces that have taken hold of the minds of people. This water, the astra, is the same as the libation offered during sandhyavandana. We must keep this purpose in mind when we offer arghya : "May sinfulness and falsehood be annihilated. May the sun of knowledge shine brightly. May those obstacles that keep the sun of knowledge dim in us to be demolished. "Whatever you do or do not do, you must perform this arghya thrice a day. Do it somehow " holding your breath" When a person does a job earnestly and whole-heartedly, we say that he does it "holding his breath". As a matter of fact sandhyavandana is to be performed holding one's breath. If we do this all the evil forces will be destroyed. Nowadays all we do is to hold our nose with our fingers. The sastras do not say, "Nasikamayamya", but say, "Pranamayamya. " It means, instead of merely holding the nose, control the vital breath, the praana itself or the life force. All work must be done with one-pointedness. There must be such concentration of the mind to turn water into a weapon(astra). The breath is controlled for this purpose. You will ask: "How is it that if you control your breath the mind will be still?" We see that when the mind is still the breath also stops. When our wonder is aroused, when we are grief-stricken or when we are overjoyed, the mind becomes one-pointed. We exclaim "Ha" and the breath stops for a moment. But soon we breathe fast. We do not stop breathing with any effort on our part-the stopping is involuntary. The mind stops when it is enwrapped or absorbed in something. Then we heave a sigh-take a long breath-making up for the momentary stoppage of breathing. We learn from this that, when breathing momentarily stops, the mind becomes one-pointed. This is the reason why the breath is controlled when arghya, libation, is offered.
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If we practice pranayama we will train ourselves to have mental concentration. This is important to yoga. Practicing pranayama for long is difficult and it must be done under the guidance of a guru. In sandhyavandana we do it only ten times. For some rites it is performed three times as a preliminary step. If we had practiced pranayama regularly from the time of our upanayana we should have become yogisvaras by now. What we do we must do properly. When we practice pranayama as a part of sandhyavandana we must stop our breath for 30 seconds or so, not more. When the vital breath stops, the mind will become still. If the arghya is offered in this state the evil forces will be truly be driven away. The water that we pour or throw when our mind is still will turn into a weapon to destroy all evil. After employing the arghya weapon against the evil forces, we must perform Gaayathri-japa. We must do pranayama according to our ability, holding the breath for a while, then realizing it: this process may be repeated without controlling the breath for too long a time. All the steps in sandhyavandana - sankalpa, maarjana, arghya-pradaana, japa, stotra, abhivandanahave for their purpose the blessings of Isvara: this is stated in the sankalpa that we make at first. From beginning to end, sandhyavandana is dedicated to Paramesvara and pranayama is an important part of it. According to the sastras even the sick must do pranayama three times a day. This means that breath-control is not such as to cause trouble or discomfort. Indeed it could mean a cure for the illness and a prescription for long life. Rsayo dirgha-sandhyatvad dirghamayuravapnuyuh Prajnam yasasca kirtim ca brahmavarcasameva ca - Manusmrti, 4. 94 In abhivaadana, we mention the name of the sage from whom we are descended. It is our duty to observe Vedic rituals at least for the fact that we belong to the gothra of that sage. After him there have been so many rishis in the line. We use the terms "trayarseyam", "pancarseyam", "ekarseyam", meaning that, in the gotras concerned, there were three sages, fives sages, one sage. . . They must have lived long and secured knowledge, fame, Brahmic lustre and spiritual eminence by performing sandhyavandana. This is what the Manusmriti stanza means. By our neglect we should not sever the thread, the tradition, handed down to us uninterruptedly. We must perform sandhyavandana as an offering to Paramesvara and must do so understanding its meaning and with faith and devotion. There must be onepointedness in it and no mantra must be left out. We sin with our mind, speech and body. I told you that these sins must be washed away by performing rites with the same mind, speech and body.
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In sandhyavandana we mutter the mantras with our mouth and, even as we repeat the Gaayatri, we meditate on it with our mind and in such rites as marjana (sprinkling of water) we acquire bodily purity. Sandhyavandana is karmayoga, bhaktiyoga and jnanayoga combined [it unites the three paths of karma, devotion and knowledge]. (End quote)

6.4 Perivas advice

To conclude the description of Gaayatri and Sandhyavandanam rituals, we reproduce the words of advice from Periva: Gaayatri contains in itself the spirit and energy of all Vedic mantras. Indeed it imparts power to other mantras. Without Gaayatri-japa, the chanting of all other mantras would be futile. Gaayatri must be worshiped as a mother. Mother loves us more than anybody else. We know no fear before her and talk to her freely. Of all the forms in which Bhagavan manifests himself that form in which he is revealed as mother is most liked by us. The Vedas proclaim Gaayatri to be such a mother. Gaayatri-japa and "arghya" (offering libation) are the most important rites of sandhyavandana. The other parts of this rites are "angas" (limbs). Arghya must be offered before sunrise at noon and at sunset. Only by the intense repetition of Gaayatri shall we be able to master all the Vedic mantras. This japa of Gaayatri and arghya must be performed everyday without fail. When you run a high temperature you have to take medicine; similarly Gaayatri is essential to the self and its japa must not be given up at any time. It is more essential to your inner being than medicine is to your body. Sandhyavandanam must be performed without fail every day. Gaayatri-japa can be practiced by all of us without much effort and without spending any money. All that you require is water. Sandhyavandanam is indeed an easy means to ensure your well being. So long as there is life in you, you must perform it. This mantra is to be repeated only by men. Women benefit from the men performing the japa. Similarly when the three varnas practice Gaayatri-japa all other jaatis enjoy the benefit flowing from it. We may cease to perform a rite if the fruits yielded by them are enjoyed exclusively by us. But we cannot do so if others also share in them.

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Those entitled to Gaayatri mantra are to regard themselves as trustees who have to mutter it on behalf of others like women and the fourth varna who are not entitled to it. If they fail in their duty of trustees, it means they are committing an irremediable offence. The mantras are numerous. Before we start chanting any of them, we say why we are doing so, mention the "fruit" that will yield. The benefit we derive from the Gaayatri mantra is the cleansing of the mind (chittasuddhi). Even other mantras have this ultimate purpose, but chittasuuddhi is the direct result of Gaayatri-japa. Even in these days it is not difficult to perform sandhyavandanam both at dawn and dusk. Office goers and other workers may not be at home during midday. They may perform the madhyahnika (the midday vandana) 2 hours 24 minutes after sunrise that is called "sangava kala". We must never miss the daily sandhyavandanam unless we find it absolutely impossible to perform. When we fall ill, in our helplessness we ask others for water or kanji in the same way, we must ask our relative or friend to perform sandhyavandanam on our behalf. Let us all pray to God that he will have mercy upon us so that the fire of mantras is never extinguished in us and that it will keep burning brighter and brighter. In the present scenario when many other daily rituals have almost vanished, Sandhyavandanam is one that still remains as a link to unite us to the glorious past. It is an imperative duty by Vedic injunction, repeatedly stressed by Periva. And what simple and noble words the mantra provides to cultivate the qualities of reverence, humility and faith! Is it too much to ask our brethren to follow this injunction? Is it not possible for you to allot a few minutes of your time for performing this important daily ritual?

7.0 A Simple Puja

Puja is an important part of daily rituals. In Sanskrit, Puja means reverence, adoration, or worship. While we all see Puja being performed every day by a priest in temples, most people perform Puja at home only on certain special occasions and that too under a priests guidance. Many people are not aware of how to perform Nithya Puja the daily worship at home. Some say we have no time to perform a puja at home even though we believe in it. Periva offers an excellent solution to this problem. He describes a simple puja that everyone can do easily.

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The following are excerpts based on Perivas talks: Every family must perform puja to Isvara. Those who find it convenient to do so may conduct elaborate types of puja after receiving proper initiation into them. Others need perform only a brief puja, not lasting more than ten minutes or so. Office goers must offer at least this brief worship. The sacred bell must ring in every home. Images must be installed to worship Siva, Amba, Vishnu, Vinayaka, and Surya. This is called "panchayatana puja." According to one custom, no graven images [images with limbs] are used but instead naturally found objects are used to represent the five deities (see picture below). 1. The "baana-linga" representing Siva is obtained from the Omkara-kunda of the Narmada River. (top left) 2. The svarnamukhi stone with a golden streak on it representing Ambika is taken from the bed of the Svarnamukhi river in Andhra Pradesh. (center) 3. The symbol of Vishnu, salagrama, is obtained from the Gandaki River in Nepal. (top right) 4. Vallam, near Thanjavur. (bottom left) The crystal stone representing surya is got from

5. The sonabhadra stone for Vinayaka is obtained from the Sone River, a tributary of the Ganga. (bottom right) These five stones are symbolic of the unity of India (as they are drawn from all over India) and represent the five main deities we generally worship viz. Shiva, Vishnu, Ambika, Surya and Vinayaka. One does not have to go all the places mentioned to get these stones. Nowadays, you can buy them from leading stores that sell religious items. What is the specialty of these stones? Periva continues: None of these five stones has eyes, nose, ears, or any limbs. Since they have no corners that become untidy, they are easy to bathe and dry. Being small they do not occupy much space. No big puja hall or room is necessary. A small casket is enough to carry them.
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Panchayatana puja was revived by Sankara Bhagavatpada. As the creator of the Shanmata system (the worship of six deities). He added Subrahmanya to the five. So with the five stones we may add a small spear to represent Velayadah (Subrahmanya) who bears the spear. Not much effort is needed for the puja. If you have the will, it could be performed wherever you happen to be. At home when you do the puja you have to present to the deities cooked rice called " mahanaivedya". The Lord has created the entire cosmos for our sake. Our sense organs take delight in the various objects in creation. All that gives us joy, all that is beneficial in creation, must be offered to the Lord [symbolically] before being partaken of by us. When we offer any food as naivedya to Him, do we really give it away to Him? We just place it before Him and then partake of it ourselves. Some ask, scornfully, whether the Lord himself eats what is offered to Him. "Nivedana"does not mean making the Lord really "eat" what is offered. He does not have to eat. Puja is meant to make us inwardly pure and the Lord does not have anything to gain from it. "Nivedayami" means "I am making it known to you (informing you)" and does not mean "I am feeding you". You must speak thus to Isvara:"O Lord, in your compassion you have given us this food." Then you must eat the food thus offered, thinking of Him. Without His grace how does the rice grow? Experts may conduct research and write big tomes on rice. But are they capable of making one grain of rice? What is called synthetic rice is made out of materials already created by Isvara. So all that seems to be made of man must be finally traced to God's creation. To enjoy what he has given us without first presenting it to Him would be tantamount to stealing. He who is present everywhere must be present where we want Him to be present so that He may be grasped by us. Whatever the material out of which His image of symbol is madestone, earth, copper- he will come to us in that material and in that image or symbol. He will do so out of His compassion and He has the power to do so. We would have no need for him otherwise. The Lord must be worshipped in every home. He must be invoked and it must be made known to Him that we are using nothing but what he has made over as a gift to us. If we keep doing so, we will in due course have the wisdom not to use in puja things not fit to be offered to Him. We ourselves will come to possess good qualities. Perform at least those you can without prejudice to your office or professional work. If you fail to do so you must be regretful and make amends for the same.
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In performing the Puja at home, we consider the deities to be our revered guests and offer them various services. The services in the Puja follow the ancient tradition set in sanatana dharma. They follow a set order and sequence called "Shodasa Upachar." Upachar means service; there are generally 16 upachars to be performed for worship. It is a complete ritual by itself. There are many books that provide the mantras for each of this service. However, we like to provide a summary of the sixteen services for the readers benefit.

7.1 Shodasa Upachara - Sixteen Services

1. Dhyanam, Aavaahana: We meditate, extend a formal and respectful welcome and install the deity as our guest. 2. Aasana: We offer a seat to our divine guest. This is called as Aasana Samarpana 3. Paadya: Offering water to wash the feet. 4. Arghya: Offering water to wash the hands 5. Aachamana: Offering three sips of water. 6. Madhubarkam: We then offer a drink. Any drink sweetened with honey is called Madhubarka. 7. Snaanam: We bathe the idol with water. 8. Vastram, Upaveetam: We offer clothes and upaveetham. 9. Gandham: We apply sandal paste (gandha). 10. Pushpam: We offer different flowers while chanting the different names of God. 11. Dhoopam: Offering incense for a pleasant fragrance. 12. Deepam: Deepam means showing a lamp usually lit with oil or ghee. 13. Naivedyam: Announcing/offering food. 14.Taamboolam: Offering betel leaf. 15. Aarati: Lighting camphor light. 16. Mantrapushpam, Pradakshina: Offering flowers with Vedic chanting and going around the deities. These are simple rites the performance of which will free you from inner impurities. From generation to generation our forefathers performed them and earned happiness and contentment. We must follow in their footsteps. We do not have to go in search of any new way of life, any new doctrine or belief. Worship is a means of attaining concentration of mind, which is essential for Self-knowledge to dawn. Your thoughts cause your feelings; Thoughts that bring about good feelings mean that you are on the right track.

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8.0 Cooking and eating food

In our sanatana dharma, cooking and eating are considered daily rituals. Food that we eat is a sacrifice to the Supreme, unified by the recognition that process (cooking), object (food), and individual are all inextricably connected. Hindu scriptures point to three forces that influence food's nutrition: paathra shuddhi, the cleanliness of the cooking vessels, paaka shuddhi, the chef's cleanliness and mental attitude, and paachaka shuddhi, the quality of ingredients used in cooking. It almost sounds like techniques used in the modern Total Quality Management (TQM) adopted in industries. Hinduism believes in "you are what you eat," and these three shuddhis, or qualities of purity, directly transfer to the eater. Taittreya Upanishad, one of the revered Sanskrit scriptures says-- "Annam Brahmeti Vyajanat." It summarizes several scriptures on the topic. A mystic, meditating on his food, notices a subtle life force permeating the entire cosmos. The Sanskrit word 'Annam' refers to food. Taittriya Upanishad, one of the ancient Hindu scriptures, says a lot about food. It describes: All beings that exist on earth are born of food. Thereafter, they live by food. Eventually, they become food. So, verily food is the oldest of all creatures. Food is called the medicine for all (aushadam uchayate sarvam). Those who meditate upon Brahman (the Almighty) as food will obtain all food. Food is an important component in religious rituals. Food is announced and offered to gods during Pujas. Food is offered to the birds and animals as part of the rituals. Food is offered to guests, the poor and the needy. All may not be able to do puja in their homes. The least they can and should do is offer what they cook as Naivedyam to the God they worship. Annadanam or the offering of food is considered as essential and sacred ritual. It is also considered an important duty to respect food, and not to waste it.

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9.0 Conclusion
If you really want to perform the important daily rituals, have faith in them, you need to make some changes in your daily habits. Reprogram your schedules in such a way that you allot some time for the essential rituals. You can easily learn to perform the rituals in a simple way. The internet, books and some friends can help you. All you may have to do is to rise a little earlier and extend your day a little longer! We end this edition with a nice quotation that reflects the sum and substance of sanatana dharma. It is Divinity that shapes, not only your ends, but also your acts, your words and thoughts. Your duty is to treat everybody, including yourself, as a manifestation of the Lord. -Swami Sivananda (1887-1963), founder of Divine Life Society, Rishikesh

Sarve Janah Sukhino Bhavanthu!

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10.0 Suggested further reading

1. Deivathin Kural (in Tamil) Ra. Ganapathy, Vanathi Publications 2. Hindu Dharma - Universal Way of Life, published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai 3. The Vedas, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai 4. Hindu Samskaras by Dr.Rajbali Pandey - Motilal Banarsidas Publishers 5. Varnashrama Dharma Prakaranam (The Dharma of different Varnas) Translated by P.R.Ramachander 6. How to Live on 24 Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett 7. Laghu Panchayathana Puja published by Giri Trading Co. (This book is available in Tamil, Telugu and Sanskrit versions)

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