Dear member, The "pramANam" from the Mahabharatham (MB) quoting Sri BhishmAchAriar on "sandhyA" posted by Sri M.G.Vasudevan is indeed a very wonderful one. Sri Pattangi's observations (about "Sandhya" being a "nityakarma" to be performed without any thought of "returns" or personal profit like "long life" etc.) are also equally valid. How to reconcile the two? Are we to reject the "pramaNam" of the MB? Or are we to go by the inviolability of the Vedic tenet which says "sandhyA" ritual as "nitya-karma" is to be performed without expecting any "phalan" whatsoever? After reading the wonderful MB account of Sri BhishmAchAriar's expatiating on the "sandhyA" this is what I am able to gather: The powers of the 'sandhya-karma' and the 'gaayatri mantra' are well documented in the Vedas and "smriti-texts". Sincere and devoted practice of these two daily sacraments amounts to "upAsana". Every Vedic "upAsana", when devotedly practiced, day in and day out, is bound to have a certain predictable outcome or result, whether the "upAsaka" consciously wishes for it or not. Any Vedic "karma" will yield its results ("phalan") no matter what. So when Bhishma says that "sandhyA" and "gayatri" rites when performed unfailingly bestow upon the practitioner "long life" ("deergAyush"), the venerable "pitAmahar's" words must be taken as absolute truth. The SriVaishnava faith too in all its wisdom fully recognizes that SandhyA 'nityakarma' does inevitably yield "phalan". But in SriVaishnavite religious practice such "phalan" is also turned over to "bhagath-preethi" i.e. such "phalan" is also offered up as sacrificed at the altar of God's purpose. The "upAsaka" thus specifically performs "phala-tyAga" at the end of the "sandhyA" rite by invoking a special "mantra" called "sAttvika-tyAgam". Through such sacrificial offering of the fruits of the "sandhyA" rite unto the Almighty, the "upAsaka" in effect says: "I am regularly performing the "sandhya" ritual mandated upon me by my Vedic faith. I know it will fetch me all auspicious "phalan" like good health, intelligence, long life, well-being etc. in life. While thanking "gaayatri-devata" for her compassion to me in granting me all such good things in life, I seek her blessings again in enabling me to offer all of such "fruits" as sacrifice once again to the Almighty! May He accept my offerings and use them for His own Purpose, Will and Pleasure". All Vedic mantras pray every man should live out a "long life" --- 100 years to be precise. In the "sandhya" rite itself this is evident through those significant phrases "jeevEma sharadha satam, nandAma sharada satam, mOdhAma sharada satam, bhavAma sharadha satam....etc". There are other "mantras" too like "shatamAnam bhavathi satAyUsh purushas....". We must ask why the Vedas wish for man to live out his full biological life-span of 100 years. It is not for mere "eating, drinking and making merry". Human life has great, great potential for doing good upon earth. It is within the power of Man to ensure that the writ of the Kingdom of God runs in this mortal world too. Man can ensure that "dharma" prevails on earth and every being on this planet is able to enjoy happiness, well-being, peace and love. More than any other species on earth it is Man alone ("manushya-jAthi") who is well-equipped to carry out God's purpose on earth. Imagine for a moment how much goodness and happiness can be created in the world if all men lived for 100 years doing God's work? Sankara lived for a mere 32 years. How much good was accomplished by him indeed. Jesus lived for a mere 33 years. How much good he did accomplish in that short span, indeed. Swami Vivekananda lived for no more than 30 odd years. Yet we know how much good he brought into the world. Sri Parashara Bhattar lived for 32 years. Yet how much goodness he spread around him in SriRangam! We should pause for a moment to imagine how much more good all these great souls might have accomplished in this world if only they had lived a full 100 years? Similarly, we should also always be mindful of how much goodness great souls like Sri RamanujAchArya and Swami Venkantanathan, who lived to be centenarians in their own time, left behind them. We should be grateful that such tall men walked this earth and lived for 100 years to accomplish all that they did. Gandhi lived for more than 80 years. Imagine how a great "mahAtma" like him might have changed the course of history for the better if only he had lived another 20 years! So, the long and short of it all, is this: Yes, the "sanhdhyA" does have its own special kind of "profit" i.e. "phalan", and "deerghAyUsh" (long life) is certainly one of them. One is enjoined to perform "sandhyA" without selfish motive for personal "profit" and one may not hence ask for a "100 years" of a lifetime of gross self-gratification. But one may most certainly ask, without being amiss, for a 100 long years on earth of self-sacrifice ("sAtvika-tyAga"), a 100 years to serve and accomplish the Almighty's purpose. No one can call that selfishness or "kaamyArtham". Both SrimAn Vasudevan and Pattangi are therefore right. Both need to be thanked for bringing up this interesting subject for discussion. They have shown us what a treasure-house of truth and wisdom our ancient "itihAsAs" and "purANas" are. Regards, dAsan, Sudarshan --- Pattangi <danp@xxxxxxx> wrote: > Sri: > Dear Sri Vasudevan: Please accept adiyen's humble > pranam. > Very Nice article, well written: > Adiyen would like to bring out a few factual points > for discussion: > > 1: Almost all dwija Sri Vaishanvas who perform the > SandhyaVandhanam> perform it as a Service to him (Kainkariyam) or for> his pleasure > (Preethyartham), > none of these devotees perform the Sandhya expecting > any punyam/ benefit. > > 2: With respect to any Service to the LORD and his > devotees (as > Preethyartham or Kainkariyam), > if anyone starts performing ABC expecting back XYZ > benefits, we are getting into a > very slippery slope of business transactions, which > is exactly opposite to what SriVaishanvam preaches/ stands for. > > 3: For the dwija SriVaishnavas, performing regular > sandhya qualifies us to do> other Agni Karyams, Veda Adhyayanam and other rituals. > > 4: Sandhya, other rituals, Love of GOD and devotees > etc, No matter how much convincing any "Person" can do> and will do, its only HIS will that will change hearts and people. > > Given all these, there is no benefit that we seek > from Sandya Vandanam and if one does that is it not against SriVaishava principles. > > => At another location in the mail there is a QUOTE > "One should wake up from sleep at the hour known as > the Brahma Muhurtham and then think of both religion and profit." > ---- End Quote > > Thinking of profits seems contrary to what we might > want to do during Brahma Muhurtham. > > Please do not mistake these points > > Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar ThiruvadigalE sharanam > > adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan > Mukundan Vangkipuram Pattangi __________________________________________________________ Yahoo! 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