[sri ramanuja] Sandhya vandhanam

[Guest guest]

*Srimathe ramanujaya Namaha*

 

* *

 

*Recently there are a lot of discussions in this group about

sandhyavandhanam. Adiyen just happened to read about a beautiful song

rendered by a parama vaishnava poet/devotee Sri Annamacharya. So adiyen is

sharing with you all, annamacharya's definition of sandhya vandhanam.*

 

* *

 

ü *Sahaja Vaishnava Aachaara vartanula sahavaasame maa sandhya*

 

ü *Athisayamagu sri Hari sankeerthanamE satatamu maa sandhya*

 

ü *Raamanuja mathame maaku chathuratha merasina maa sandhya*

 

ü *Parama bhagavatha padha seve maaku sandhya*

 

ü *Sirivari mahimalu vinute maaku sandhya*

 

ü *Gurudu venkatagiri raayudu santharpaname maaku sandhya*

 

* *

 

*Meaning: Having as our companions' people who are faithfully following

Vaishnava philosophy is our sandhya*

 

*Rendering for ever Hari Nama sankeerthana is our sandhya*

 

*Following Ramanuja's philosophy is our knowledgeable sandhya*

 

*Rendering service to devotees of lord is our Sandhya*

 

*Listening to the glories of the lord is our sandhya*

 

*To do those acts which please the lord of venkatadri is our sandhya*

 

* *

 

*Doesn't this conclude all the discussions? So this is a common sandhya

vandhanam to all Srivaishnavas whether he is a Brahmin or not. The last is

do acts that please lord-surely doing our varnashrama dharmas/duties to the

level required will please him at the same time if something of more

priority (1-5) has to be done then varnashrama dharma surely takes the back

seat. So it is not the matter of following or leaving the prescribed

dharmas, instead it is prioritizing. sAmAnya dharma can be followed as long

as it doesn't clash with the visesha dharma. Pitru bhakthi is ofcourse

important but if the father is like hiranya we cannot follow what he

says. Matru

bhakthi is important but will we appreciate bharatha if he had become the

king following the words of kaikeyi? Similarly sandhya vandhanam should be

done but it is not wrong if it has to be done a little late due to

parthasarathi purappadu or skipped due to some kainkaryam. Rituals are

prescribed for developing our mano, vak, kAya shuddi thereby enabling us to

reach the lord. When the same rituals take us away from him by developing

ahankara in us then it is of no use. Aacharam is surely required (it is

more of hygiene) but the same aacharyam should not lead us into

bhagavat/bhagavata apacharam. So all these differences are very subtle and

better clarity is obtained only when we prostrate an acharya and learn from

him the way our poorvacharyas have lived "mElaiyAr seivanagal". *

 

* *

 

*The life of our poorvacharyas are the prefect lessons to clarify all our

doubts.*

 

* *

 

*Azhvar emperumanar Jeeyer thiruvadigale sharanam*

 

*Adiyen ramanuja dAsee*

 

*Sumithra Varadarajan*