WHY SANDHYAVANDAN ?

A HOLISTIC MEDITATION APPROACH

<Title of the Presentation> 1

 Dedicated to
Sri Sudheendra Teertha Swamiji
Ceaselessly propounded Sandhyavandan anushtanana
 Clarification
Sandhyavandan not just for men
Even women
No Veda mantra
No Gayatri
Can do Dhayana and Japa procedure for Krishna shadakshara
 Goal of this session
Everybody tells to do Sandhyavandan
No answers are convincing to younger generation
In this Session, we will
Bust some pseudo science cited as reasons for Sandhyavandan
Provide some hypothesis based on correlation with Medical science
Cite short term benefits
Explore Dhyana, Japa, Gayatri, Pranayama
Compare with other meditation techniques
Show that Sandhyavandan is the most holistic approach
 Why Sandhyavandan Standard Responses


..
Etc.. Etc..
Citing Smruti after Smruti
Wrong Approach !!! Doesnt Work
 Problems with the approach
Barking up the wrong tree
You are citing pramana to a person that
Isnt inherently convinced about the authenticity of Pramana
Believes Rituals are meaningless or made for dim intellects
Believes in treading his/her own path
Believes or has experienced the efficacy of other meditational techniques
Listener may nod and keep quiet
Silenced but not convinced
d
Title
 Bigger problems
Sandhyavandan taught today is superficial
Age factor exists
But still mechanically taught
Sandhyavandan done by majority adults is
Superficial
Or Incorrect
No stress on quality of Gayatri meditation
Mind fully into the count
Biggest Bummer : No idea who Gayatri is
 Reasons for knowing WHY
Saying Mantra without knowing what and why
Yields no results or close to no results
Is as meaningless as toads croaking in monsoon
Says Veda
Knowing and doing helps to get maximum results


Says Upanishad
 (Funny) reasons for doing Sandhyavandan
Ayurveda tells to drink little water each time. So we do Achamana
Great. But drinking 2 liter water daily @ 2ml per consumption?
Good luck with that
Pranayama is good for health
How many pranayam in Sandhyavandan?
We give arghya by standing up. Morning sun rays good for health
Wrong for 2 reasons
Morning arghya should happen even before sun rise
Person walking dog can catch more sun rays than giving arghya
Walking dog is better than giving arghya?
 More (funny) reasons
Applying Sri Mudra is Accupressure
Do we hit ourselves with mudra and put pressure ?
Applying naama keeps chakra cool and triggers Kundalini
Great. So why not apply naama generously?
Thick paste?
Whole body Mud pack to keep Cool Cool Cool
 Problems with the funny reasons
No scientific or scriptural backing
Said by people having
No idea of pramana AND
Zero understanding of science
Spread through social networks
Backfires when educated and intelligent GSB listens
Please STOP
No need to fit EVERY ritual in scientific framework at any cost
 Impact of Meditation
Increases
Grey matter in brain
Cortical thickness in areas related to concentration and attention
Improves
Memory
Ability to multitask
Ability to introspect
Relieves Depression
Decreases Stress and Anxiety
 Main constituents of Sandhyavandan
In decreasing order of priority
1. Gayatri mantra - Dhyana and Japa
2. Any other mantra - Dhyana and Japa (Narayana Astaxara, Krishna Shadaxara etc.)
3. Arghya
4. Upasthaana
All other earlier steps for cleansing
Minor surgery requires local cleansing
Bypass surgery requires whole body sterilization
We need to revisit how much time we spend on all
?
 Some scriptural rules around anustana
Upanayana done at Garbhastama (Around 7.5 yrs of age)
Getting up a Brahmi Muhurta (Roughly 3:30 -4:15)
Early morning Adhyayana, Anustaana
Avoiding certain foods
Why?
A hypothesis in addition to the
and
clauses
 Disclaimer (for next 5 slides)
Individual observations are backed by clinical studies
Correlation is pure inference. Not pramana
Still correlation between two is unlikely accidental
Meditation and scriptural injunctions correlate well to
Memory,
Critical analysis
Neurotransmission, Brain activity
Other goodies
Matches the daily cycle, lifecycle and impact of Serotonin and Melatonin
Endocrine sy
 Serotonin, Melatonin
Two more hormones from brain
Serotonin
90% in gastro-intestinal tract
Brain produces and consumes only local
Production induced by light
Improves neurotransmission and hence brain activity
Increases concentration
Prevents Depression
Possible Role in preventing Alzheimers
Indicators exist it influences other endocrine glands
Converted to melatonin in Pineal gland
Affected by Food and exercise
Induced by light. But a worker in sun is not the most brainy. Why?
 Melatonin
Brain serotonin converted to Melatonin
Increases memory and Critical thinking
Influences other hormones e.g. corticotropin
Popular as sleep inducer
Circadian rhythm controller
Body clock regulator
 Melatonin
Inhibits Gonadotropin i.e. sex hormones
Regular Pineal calcification starts at age 8
Coincides with decrease in production of Melatonin
Starts progress towards sexual maturity
Coincides with upanayana at garbhastama
Adhyayana & Meditation keeps desires at bay by slowing Pineal decalcification??
And thus sustaining melatonin production
Calcification is irreversible process. Hence advised to start anustana early
in life
This is apart from other factors for starting early
 Melatonin
Melatonin variation in Circadian rhythm
Max melatonin in daily cycle at 3:30 am
Coincides with Brahmi muhurta
Also coincides with sweet sleep
Utilize the melatonin for getting maximum concentration
Studies and Meditation
Meditation perhaps causes positive feedback (??)
 Meditation and Brain waves
Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta waves
Electrical activity
Beta waves predominantly emitted in wakeful state
Alpha waves emitted in milder meditation state i.e. wakeful rest
Delta waves
This state has greatest receptivity to learning
Also in deep dreamless sleep
Theta waves Deep relaxation in highly experienced meditation
practitioners
 Meditation Techniques
Controlling Chittavrutti or Emptying mind ??
Focusing on slowed rhythmic breath
Focusing on internal chakra and naadi
Kundalini
Practice focus by Hatayoga Trataka
Focusing on any symbol
Symbols doesnt matter. God is a symbol
So say modern meditative techniques propagators
Then what??
 Sandhyavandan The NEXT step
Short term benefits (Secondary)
Mental peace
Increased brain activity
Longevity (Manu smruti)
Healthy Life
Secondary benefits always there
Cow giving milk is main benefit. Cowdung is secondary benefit.
Growing paddy gives rice. Paddy grass is secondary benefit
Aim for the main benefits. Rest follows
BUT
People not doing Sandhyavandan also are intelligent
Sandhyavandan improves whatever we are
 Shruti Smruti compliant Dhyana
God Centric
God is not symbol
God is not insentient ANY object
Harder to do than other meditation mechanism
Needs more patience and practice
Takes beyond mental peace
Guna anusandhana
Example with Gayatri comes in a few slides
 How to do
The form
Vishnu from toe to head
Doing dharana as ramp up
Bhagavata Kapila Gita example
Attributes
Pick an attribute (or related attributes) from Veda/ Upanishat/ Purana/
Vishnu Sahasra Nama etc.
Go deep
Silently recollect Itihasa Purana incidents reflecting the attribute
 Hybrid way of attribute recollection
Associate Vishnus body parts to attibutes using abundant incidents
of Purana
Go from toe to top
Watch every part intensely
Recollect attributes.
The focus should get so intense that one should be oblivious even if
one stands near and shouts
Possible in bursts
This meditation needs backing of shastra adhyayana
 More on Guna anusandhana
Chaturguna Upasana
Sat Chit Ananda Atma
Guna Upasamhara
Converging any attributes into one of the 4
 Do we do Meditation in Sandhyavandan
We throw around a whole lot of water
We chant mantra repetitvely and call it Japa
Japa is not meditation !!!
I find more peace in XYZ meditation technique
 What is Japa
Is not express mechanical chanting
Japa is Mantra artha chintana

As we go through each word of the Mantra, think of its meaning
Meaning is attribute of God itself
was not said without any reason by Krishna
Illustration with Gayatri follows
 Difference between Dhyana and Japa
Dhyana is
free flow of thoughts towards one entity i.e. mantra devata
Mentally browsing form and attributes
Together if possible
Form is generally specified in dhyana shloka
Generally superimposed on regular Form
Japa stresses less on Form and concentrates more on the meaning of mantra
exposing the attributes of the Lord
Japa is like train on tracks. Dhyana is all terrain vehicle
Dhyana can have Guna Upasamhara
Japa can be more anupasamhara
 Constituents of Japa
Viniyoga
Pranayama
Nyasa
Dhyana Shloka & Dhyana
Sankalpa
Japa
Dhyana Shloka & Dhyana
Nyasa
Pranayama
Krishnarpana
 Things to note
Japa is 10-12 steps unit
It is not just Gayatari Japa
It is Gayatri Dhyana AND Japa

(Agni Purana)
 Why Viniyoga
Usage os a single mantra for many purpose
Specifying which purpose
Rishi Devata Chandas
In the context of Gayatri
Vishwamitra Rishi
Gayatri Chandas
Not a random multi headed Goddess
Devasya Not stree linga
Narasimha Purana Dhyana Shloka
Shloka cited by Shakta and others not from any accepted agama
 Why Pranayama (1)
Not a breathing exercise
Not for health
3-4 pranayama in entire sandhyavandan not going to do health miracle
Should be manasa
Current way of doing pranayama is wrong
No need for counting with fingers
Totally against TantrasaraSangraha and as said elsewhere
Also needs Moola and Jalandara Bandha
32:64:16 Puraka:Kumbhaka:Rechaka
 Why Pranayama (2)
Ayama is controlling
Cant control Vayu or Vishnu named Prana
Winning them over with devotion
And getting Jeevatma into Sushumna with their help
Sandhyavandana Pranayam for controlling mind
Body is Chariot. Sense Organs are horses
Mind is charioteer. Pranayama is the whip



 Nyasa
Body is residence of evil also
We need to place forms of God
Sannidhana helps control
Wandering mind
Inflow of thoughts
Unrelated desires
Kaliyuga technically started when Duryodhana died
Didnt kick in until Krishna left the worldly abode
Desires and thoughts will stay at bay with God placed through nyasa
 Gayatri Dhyana and Japa
Mantra artha from RgBhashya
Dhyana form explanation
Techniques to synch Gayatri dhyana shloka body parts with
attributes
Gayatri Mantra is 5 stop train. Not Rajdhani Express
Single meaning throughout or many meanings
Choice is yours
 Gayatri Mantra Meaning (for Japa)






-
Correlating form and attributes in Gayatri Dhyana
 Krishnarpana
Ending each Japa package of 10-12 steps
To program the mind about
.....
 Difference in Gayatri and other Mantra Japa
Gayatri form always envisioned in the surya pratima
For all others
Form is envisioned in the heart
Form seen by mind in front as usual
But awareness maintained in the heart
As that is the emanation point for that and any other mantra devata
Narayana Astaxara Thrice of Gayatri
Krishna Shadaxara
When does real dhyana happen?
 Real Dhyana
Real Dhyana happens after
Getting Antahakarana Shuddhi
Understanding and internalizing very many tattva
Good understanding of God
Then gets a Niyata Guru
Tattva Nischaya
Dhyana along with Japa stressed for us common people
 Difference between Dhyana and Hari Smarana
Hari Smarana in Kaliyuga Popular Statement
Hari smarana is mantrartha chintana
Can do anywhere
Prasthaane pravaase vaa Cant remember the shloka
Is not blind emotion
Comes from shastra adhyayana
Not an escape parachute to skip shaastra adhyayana
 Importance of Arghya
Arghya to Narayana inside Surya
Token of Respect
Giving of Arghya to guest (God) in Devapuja
Thanks giving

Offering of our karmas
 Importance of Upasthaana
Upasthaana means Dhyana
Relates well to Uddhava Gita on Vishnu prateeka
Gayatri uses Sun as the medium
Other mantra uses the bimba in heart as the medium
Upastaana is praying Vishnu using Devatas of directions as medium
Upastaana is the God present everywhere as the medium
Namostvanantaaya sahasranaamne purushaya ..
3 Purushas
Also praying to Vishnu with Brahmana as medium
Wishing Good for all
 Conclusion
Do Sandhyavandan the right way
Not as a daily rigmarole
Do Dhyana and Japa
Get all the short and long term benefits
Excel in whatever we do
Experience the positive change in life

 Acknowledgements
Brahmasutra Bhashya (Madhvacharya)
TantraSara Sangraha (Madhvacharya)
Tattvaprakashika (Jayateertha)
Sandhya Sameeksha (Ramanath Acharya)
Gayatri Darshana (Sagri Raghavendra Upadhyaya)
Maitro Brahmana Uchyate (Sagri Raghavendra Upadhyaya)
Dr. Prandev Upadhyaya BAMS MD
Endocrinology (Wilson, 1992)