[sri ramanuja] on Sandhyavandhanam

[Guest guest]

Dear Sriman Madhavakkannan,

 

There are ritualistic and non-ritualistic people in both schools of

thought and their opinions vary.

 

Why does Manavala Mamunigal say, "japahOmAdi gaLAlE arthakAmarkku,

arhtatthAlE prapannarkku"? Does the Acharya's thiruvuLLam apply only

to ashtAksharI japam? Is it not an anomaly in our sampradAyam if we

perform sandhyAvandanam but dont do ashtAksharI japam?

 

>From the commentary you quoted of Appillai, it nowhere appeared

that the Acharya prescribes thrikAla sandhyAvandanam.

 

adiyen ramanuja dasan

Vishnu

 

ramanuja, "srivaishnavan" <srivaishnavan

wrote:

>

> SrI:

> Dearest all

>

> Sri Mani Varadarajan few years ago touched upon the same subject

> quite nicely:

>

> Here it is: [an extract]

> The meaning of Poigai AzhwAr Mudhal ThiruvanthAthi

>

> NagaramaruL purinthu nAnmugarkkup poomEl

> pagara maRai payandha paNbhan peyarinayE

> pundhiyAl sindhiyAthu Odhi uruveNNum

> andhiyAlAm payanangen?"

>

> is interpreted in a very different and more straightforward manner

> by Periyavaaccaan Pillai and others.Their interpretation is that

> performing sandhyAvandandam and other karmas without thinking of

> PerumaaL is pointless.

>

> PVP: allaadhavaRRai OdhiccenRu avvuruvai eNNum

> sandhyAvandhanaadhigaLaal enna prayojanam uNdu?

> kEvala sandhyai vyartham.

> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>

> The underlined phrase means "ordinary sandhyAvandana is

> pointless."

>

> Swami Appillai has also written a brief 'urai' or explanation

> of this thiruvandhaadhi. His comments here are very clear:

>

> The Alvar says that all religious acts including

> sandhyAvandanam are pointless if they are not done with

> PerumaaL in mind.

>

> emberumaanai uLLeedaaka koLLaadhE paNNum sandhyaavandhanaadhi

> karmaanushtaanam nishprayOjanam engiRaar.

>

> [ Please pardon me if I have not translated this exactly. As

> most of you know, my Tamil is very rough. ]

>

> Explaining further, Sri Appillai writes:

>

> Without internally reflecting on his holy names, which

> speak of the His having qualities such as gracious

> condescension, etc., what is the point of merely

> verbally reciting (mantras) when engaged in sandhyAvandana

> and other religious duties?

>

> sowseelyaadhi guNangaLai udaiyavan aanavan udaiya andha

> guNangaLai vaacakamaana thirunaamangaLai manassaal

anusandhiyaadhE

> vaangmaathraththaalE japiththu, idakkai paRRikkondu

> anushtikkiRa sandhyaavandhanaadhi karmaanushtaanangaLaal

> avvidaththiluNdaana prayojanam Edhu?

>

> [ I ask those knowledgable to translate better. I don't know

> what 'idakkai paRRikkondu' means here. ]

>

> Anyway, you get the message. It seems clear that Alvar is not

> telling people to chose between kainkaryam and sandhyAvandanam,

but

> only to perform sandhyAvandanam, etc., thinking only of PerumaaL,

> for otherwise these rituals are pointless.

>

> Regards

> dAsan

> Mani

> *******

> That's quite nice- isn't it?

> So... how do we achieve that?

> 1. Perform trikala sandhyavandhanam

> 2. While doing Gayatri... think of the evel blissful Sriman

> Narayanan - the akilaheya prathyaneekan, Anantha kalyANa

> guNArNavan... The Most beautiful Lord... at the centre of Surya

> maNdalam... and do the japam... at least ten times....

> 3. Lord Krishna advises Arjuna as to how control the mind if it

> wavers... He says... abhyAsam and vairAgyam... [Practice and

> detachment alone will help]. When Sage Viswamthra could not

control

> and it slipped, [especially when he was just living on air... and

> fruits etc... where are we?] so... leave it to Him and try... But

> never ever abstain...

>

> It is like doing Overtime only and take leave for Straight time..

No

> Boss would agree.. AgnyA is AgnyA...

>

> BhagavAn Sriman Narayanan himself has stated that

>

> "Sruthi: smruthi: mamaiva AagnyA ya: thAm ullangya varthathE |

> AagnyAchhEthi mama drohI madbhakthO(a)pi na vaishNava: ||".

>

> If we reject that- where is the Sutra aphorism

> saasthrayonithvaath applying to..

>

> adiyen just sent this as a well wisher..Pl forgive me for my

> indulgence.

> Regards

> Namo narayana

> dasanu dAsan

>