Swamy Desika SahasranAmams : ( Thiruvaheendhrapuram MahA MaNtapa Kaimkaryam in fornt of Lord HayagrIvan's sannidhi): 587-597 / Part II

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Swamy Desika BhakthAs :

 

Today is the sacred Gayathri Japam day .

 

adiyEn has produced and released with the help of

AchAryAs and Vedic experts the Rg, Yajur and Saama

SandhyAs in the DVD Format last year . Please follow

the instrcutions captured in the DVD format there

to perform SandhyA Vandhanam as per traditional manner .

 

Let us focus now on the the Swami Desika Sahasra

NaamAs relating to the Gaayathri japam and SandhyA

Vandhanams . These Eleven Sahasra NaamAs are:

 

587. Gaayathri sTAna saaravidhE nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to the AchAryan , who was knowledgable about

the details on the places, where Gayathri Japam has to be performed

and their significance .

 

Smruthi RathnAkaram and other Ahnika granthams talk about the merits and

demerits of the different places , where this manthra japam can be performed .

 

Performing the Japam at one's house has one unit of Phalan;performing it on

the banks of rivers has twice that Phalan ; ten units of phalan arise from

performing mantra japam in cow sheds ; performance in Agni Saalais

( where VaidhikAgni is maintained for Yagams) yields 100 times the phalan of

doing it at home setting ; performing Gayathri japam at siddhi kshEthrams ,

banks of PuNya theerthams and at the sannidhis of devathais associated with

the Lord (VishvaksEnar , Garudan et al) yields 100,000 crores of units of Phalan

compared to japam done at one's home . To cap it all , Gaayathri japam done at

VishNu Sannidhi (Sanctums) yields phalans that are immeasurable . So says Smruthi;

the same Smruthi points out that performing Gayathri japam in special aasanams

(Yogic postures such as standing on one foot with total concentration) enhances

the phalans of Gaayathri japam .

 

588. Gaayathri japa sankhyAna saadhanOthkarsha saaravidhE nama:

 

(Meaning): There are many ways to keep count on the Gaayathri manthram

recited . Salutations to Swamy Desikan , who knew about the most preferred

way of counting .

 

It is better to perform Gaayathri Japam 1008 times rather than multioples of

it without count. The most sacred is the recitation by 1008 times followed by

108 , 28 and the least 10 times during the three sandhyA kalaams .Uttthamam

is the recitation with 1008 counts . In the morning sandhyA upAsanam ,

recitation of a minimum of 108 is to be done.In times of danger and asoucham

(theettu) , fewer than that count (Minimum of ten) is permitted .

 

Japam can be done with Aksha Maalai or with one's fingers (Digital count).

Aksha Maalai is the chain of beads made of sphatikam ; Lotus seed bead

aksha maalai is one of the superior ones for use in Japam . These have to be

consecrated prior to uselike the bell used in AarAdhanam . One can also perform

Japam with the count on the fingers , which have Padhma and Sanka rEkhais .

One starts with the foot of the little finger and goes clockwise until the bottom of

the ring finger for a count of ten .

 

589. SandhyA kaaleena niyama vEthrE nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to the AchAryan , who was knowledgable about

the ways of conducting oneself during Gaayathri and other Japams linked to it

like the AshtAkshara Japam following the Gaayathri Japam .

 

One should not speak during the Japam . one can not move forward

and backward; one can not laugh; one can not look sidewards and get

distracted ;one can not rub their feet or hands together . If one's AchAryan

or a VaishNavan appears before them during japa kaalam , one should perform

salutations (MaryAdhais) to them and then continue with the Japam . Bodhaayaneeyam

points out that the BhaagavathAs are Masters for us all and therefore any kriyA

done with them in the front is fruitful.

 

590. upasthAna kaalavidhE nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to the AchAryan , who was knowledgable about

the times to perform UpasTAnam during the three SandhyA kaalams .

 

After the Gaayathri Japam , SandhyA UpasTAnam has to be done.

For Praatha: sandhyA , the UpasTAnam time is the time of Sunrise.

One must do Japam until Sunrise. After that PrANAyAmam and

UpasTAna sankalpam ( UtthamE SikharE DEvi---) for bidding farewell

to Gaayathri DEvi . Afterwards , upasTAnam for our Lord in the orb of

Soorya MaNDalam with one's soothra Manthrams (like : "Mithrasya--")

has to be done.

 

591. dhigAdhi-namanAsaktha paaramaikAnthya bhangagnE nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to the AchAryAn , who banished the fear that

one's PaaramaikAnthyam will be destroyed through the performance of

Vandhanams to the 8 directions ( dhik vandhanams) by SandhyA worshippers .

 

After upasTAnam , one does SandhyAdhi namaskAram , ParamAthma

PraNAmam , AbhivAdhanam and then dhik vandhanam ( Praachyai diSO nama:

et al ). Such a namaskAram following the traditon of our elders will not

affect one's paramaikAnthyam ( belief in Lord and Lord alone as one's

refuge ) . One has to view the directions (dhik) as BhagavAn's body(Sareeram) .

They have the Lord as their indweller. Worshipping the dhik in this manner

will not affect one's paramaikAnthyam .

 

592. SandhyAkAla avasyakArya moolamanthra japOkthimathE nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to the AchAryan , who instructed us that Moola

Manthra Japam has to be performed for aathma suddhi along with

Gaaythri manthra japam during the sandhyAs .

 

There are two traditions . Sri Matam sishyAs perform Moola Manthra Japam

before UpasTAnam . If one performs PrAtha: sandhyA after sunrise , then

Moola mantra japam is done after upasTAnam in an alternate sampradhAyam .

During the sandhyA Kaalam , no japam other than Gaayathri and Moola

Mantram should be performed .

 

593. vyAkrutha aadhArasakthyAdhi DEva Rishi Pithru tarpaNaaya nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to the AchAryan , who commented upon the significance

of AaadhAra Sakthi , Deva-Rishi-Pithru tarpaNams.

 

In the morning sandhyA , Aadhaara Sakthi tarpaNam ( from AadhAra

sakthi to PaarishadhAs )is to be done at the end of sandhyA vandhanam .

DEva-Rishi tarpaNam follows . For Yajur vEdhis , KaaNDa Rishi tarpaNam

is additional.

 

594. nithya tarpaNa karmAntha vaasa peeDanasaadhakAya nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to Swamy Desikan , who pointed out the kramam of

Vasthra NishpeDanam at the end of nithya tarpaNam ( DEva-Rishi-Pithru

tarpaNams done daily) .

 

Vasthra NishpeeDanam means the wringing of the wet clothe used

during the snAnam . Ahnika granthams elaborate further on who needs to do

Vasthra NishpeeDanam . The kramam is : SandhyA Vandhanam , AadhAra

sakthi TarpaNam , Deva-Rishi-Pithru nithya TarpaNam .

 

595. BrahmEjyAkaala vidhE nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to Swamy Desikan , who instructed us

on the Vedam-sanctioned Brahma Yaj~nam after Sunrise .

This Yaj~nam should not be done before Sunrise or after

meals . It can be done after MaadhyAhnikam and before

BhOjanam following Bhagavdh AarAdhanam.

 

596. khyAtha theerttha manthrOpasamhrudhayE nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to Swamy Desikan , who instructed us on

the upasamhAram (links ) between the manthrams and the sacred

waters .

 

River, pond waters are invoked with the entry of puNya theertthams like

GangA through recitation of specific manthrams to consecrate them .

One has to link such consecrated therthams with one's aathmA through

Moola Manthram .This rite has to be done before Brahma Yaj~nam .

 

597. theertha-snAnAntha sadhma-pravEsAsyakathva vidhE nama:

 

(Manthram) : Salutations to the AchAryan , who reminded us about

the importance of visiting the temple after Brahma Yaj~nam and before

the abhigamanam ( morning aarAdhanam) .

 

Earlier , Swamy Desikan referred to bathing in the river or PushkaraNis

adjascent to the temple. At that time , the performer of SandhyA should

reflect on the temple and the Lord therein . After Brahma Yaj~nam , he should

return home and before the start of abhigamanam , he should visit the nearby

VishNu aalayam and return to home for performing abhigamanam and

other rites of the day ( pancha Kaala PrakriyA ) . While at the temple ,

the worshipper should avoid 32 kinds of apachArams (trespasses) .

Those 32 apachArams to be avoided are covered in the next Sahasra Naamam .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

( P.S) : Please do not forget your support for the ongoing Kaimkaryam

to complete the construction of the MahA Mantapam on Oushadha

Giri for the SeVArthees of Lord HayagrIvan . A samarpaNam of $75

would permit coverage of 10 Square feet of the Mantapam and

the Pathway around the Mantapam . Please refer to the following

web site for details :

 

http://www.srikainkarya.org

 

Sriman Soundararajan Desikan Swami is doing yeoman kaimkaryam

to construct this MahA Mantapam on behalf of all BhakthAs of

Sri HayagrIvan on OushadhAdhri of Thriuvaheendhrapuram , where

Swamy Desikan had Garuda and HayagrIva SaakshAthkArams .

 

While browsing the Srikainkarya.org , Please do not fail to have

the darsana soubhAgyam of Sri Lakshmi HayagrIvar ( Moolavar)

at His OushadhAdhri Sannidhi , Lord DevanAthan adorning RathnAngi

and the Lakshmi Hayagrivar worshipped at ParakAla Matam . This Moorthy

was presented to to AchArya RaamAnuja by Saraswathy Devi .

 

That URL is :

 

http://www.srikainkarya.org/html/photogallery.html

 

NamO Sri Lakshmi HayagrIvAya !