About Hyderabad Traffic Police: How to report Bribe Incidents of a Traffic Persona...

About Hyderabad Traffic Police: How to report Bribe Incidents of a Traffic Persona...: We have and keep suspending Traffic personals on the basis of complaints received against them. A inquiry is conducted against them and if...

English version for Bhakthas: why we say thrice: Govinda ! Govinda !! Govinda !!!

[This article explains why we say Govinda thrice each time (“Govinda, Govinda, Govinda”) when we climb the Tirumalai hills although that Lord is Srinivasa or Venkatesa and it seems that the name Govinda appears to have no connection with the names of the Lord of the Tirumalai Hills. This articles starts with details of the five forms of our Lord’s manifestation, then refers to why archai is suitable for us, then goes on to refer to 3 Govindans, and how they relate to Tirumalai and concludes with quotes from NammazhvAr and AndAL. Words in Italics are what occurred to this translator- AdiyEn on reading this article and may be ignored; errors are adiyEn’s responsibility and kshamikkaprArthikkirEn ].

Our Sastras say that our Lord Sriman Narayanan manifests Himself in five forms: param, vyUham, vibhavam, antharyAmi and archai. Let us see in some detail about each of these forms:

1. Param: In this, our Lord sits in the form of Paramapada nAdhan or Sri Para VAsudevan in paramapadam or SriVaikuntam. Only those who are Nithyamukthars can worship (prostrate before) this form and so, SamsAris like us cannot offer our worship (i.e. see and understand Him in this form).

2. vyUham:  This form is above the SathyalOka world of Brahma and below the VirajA nadhi river. Our Lord manifests Himself in the form of VyUha VAsudEvan and is with the six qualities of jnAnam, balam, aiswaryam, vEryam, shakthi and tejas. This vyUha VAsudevan created out of Himself the three forms: SankarshaNan, Pradhyumnan and Anirudhan corresponding to Brhama, Siva and Vishnu. Then He bestowed a pair of guNAs on each of the three:

He gave Aisvaryam and VEryam to Brahma in the rUpam of Pradhyumna;

He retained with Himself Shakthi and Tejas, as Vishnu in the form of Anirudha;  

He bestowed on Siva in the form of SankarshaNan jnAnam and balam to enable him to destroy all reations; He carries on like this till the end of everything in the universe, at a time called Pralaya kAlam. When we do Achamanam (during prAtha: Sandhyavandanam etc.) we utter the 12 nAmAs of Kesavan, NarAyaNan,  MAdhavan,  Govindan, Vishnu, MadhusUdhanan, Thrivikraman, vAmanan, SrIdharan, HrishIkesan, Padmanabhan, Damodaran. All these come from the vyUha rUpam of Sriman NarAyaNan. These very same 12 become the dwAdasa (i.e. 12) AdhithyAs and the dwAdasa Urdhvapundram [(12 ThirumaN we wear after SamasrayanNam). How fortunate should we be to have been born as Srivaishnava, wear the sacred thread and perform samAsrayaNam at the lotus feet of our Acharyans as these confer on us the benefit, blessings and protection of the VyUha rUpam of Sriman NarayaNan Himself].

However, only MaharishIs and those who have conquered their minds can realize this vyUha form of our Lord and so not possible to realize for us, Bhakthas.

3. Vibhavam:  This form is like what our Lord described in the slokAs like: yathA yathAhi dhramasya…”, “parthrANAya sAdhUnAm..” etc. Swami Desikan says in his Sillarai RahasyangaL that these are 39. Of these 39, we are aware that the DasavathArams (Mathsya to Kali) are more prominent. These vibhavAthArangaL were visible to only those who lived contemporaneously in those period when the respective avathArAs happened. So, for us samsArIs, this is not available to realize.

4. AntharyAmi:  BhagavAn resides in our sarEram in the form of antharyAmi. We are all conscious through our mind about the presence of JeevAthma in our body but we are not able to feel the presence of antharyAmi through our senses (indhriyangaL) or mind and so we are not able to realize/ see this form of the Lord.

5. archai: Our emberumAn is established in the form of vigrahAs or archA mUrthis in temples which we visit and where we offer worship daily. We are all delighted to feel and see with our eyes, these archA mUrthEs and offer our worship to our Lord. Although we are not able to perceive/ realize/ see our Lord in the other four forms of His manifestation described above, yet because of His immense grace, He has enabled us with our eyes to see Him in his archAmUrthy swarUpam. Hence for us samsArIs, this is the only form of His manifestation, the seeing/ perceiving/ realizing of which will grace us all.

This archArUpam is what our AzhvArs and AchAryAs have worshipped and sung in their praise (mangaLAsAsanam). We call the 108 temples where there are such archAmUrthIs and which our AzhvArs have done mangaLAsAsanam.

Of these 108, our forefathers thought 4 as very important. That is why these 4 divya desams have their special names (or epithets) i.e. wecall Srirangam as Kovil, Tirupathi as Thirumalai, Kancheepuram as PerumAL kovil and MelkOttai as hirunArAyaNapuram.  

That is the reason why we recite at the conclusion of every (thirkAla) sandhyavandanam, the sloka”Sriranga mangaLa nidhim karuNA nivasam….yathusailadEpam”.

Among the ten AzhvArs, NammAzhvar comes first (in our sAmradAyak hierarchy). Only NammAzhvAr is worshipped in our Acharya Guruparamparai (the lineage of our AchAryas). This AzhvAr ds saranAgathi in Tirupathi divya desam.  Perhaps because of this or so, our Sri BAshyakArarum states in the beginning of his very great (mahOnnathamAna) grantha Sri BAshyam which expounds with detailed explanations of the Brahma sUthram. Whenever we refer to Arangan (Lord Ranganatha), Amuthan (ArAvamudhan), Varadan (Kancheepuram Lord) or other divya desa lords, we prefix the names with Sri or Thiru to that Lord’s name or His divyadesam’s name. But when we say Thirumalai or Thirupathi or Srinivasan, we simply say so without an addition of Sri or Thriu before these names or without separating the Thiru or Sri from these names.

From this, do we not see or know crystal clearly about the greatness of these divya desams?   

[Now we come to the main idea of this essay or article]: People of all castes, creeds without any distinction of varNa or Asrama etc., male or female call out the name of GovindA thrice whenever they worship at Tirumalai. We do know that the lord of the seven hills  who blesses us from Tirumalai is Srinivasan. But we do not call out aloud his above name or His other names such as Malaiappan, VEnkatavan, VEnkatAchalapathi etc.  We do not see any link or connection between the names ThiruvEnkatavan and GOvindan but yet we do call out GOvinda’s name, that too not once but always in three times when we stand in the queue to worship and when we actually stand in front of Him. What is the reason for this?

Another thing: In our daily performance of sankalpam we always recite “asya sree GOvinda, GOvinda, GOvinda, mahApurushasya etc.. Here also not once but thrice do we utter GOvinda’s name. Why?

Likewise, AndAL also in her 27, 28 and 29^th verse of ThiruppAvai, she mentions the name of GOvindA nAmA. Why?

[we basically see three questions above] The answer to all our above questions is in the pAsuram 3-3-8 of ThiruvAimozhi of SwAmi NammAzhvAr (kundram yEndhi….vinalOyumE)

Krishna as GOvinda held the Goverdhana giri and protected from chill rain.

Was it not Kannan who saved cows and cowherds by holding the Hill as a protective umbrella. “GAvaha vindhandhyEnam ithi GOvindaha” is how Indra praises the GoverdhanadhAri Gopalan in Hari Vamsam and this echoes the above sentence in thiruvoimizhi. This is the first GOvindan.

Next, once upon a time GoOvindan as Thrivikraman measured the whole universe. He came as a dwarf to King Mahabali, sought for 3 feet of the land and then by growing up to be Thrivikraman, He measured the twice seven or fourteen worlds. gAm means the eorld; vindheyam means to measure. Hence gAm vindhyEyam means GOvindan. Thus the lord who measured the worlds is the second GOvindan.

We call Tirumalai as VarAha kshetram because VarAha is the Lord of Thirumalai. It was He who allowed ThiruvEnkatavan to stay in his Hill. Who is this varAhan? He was the very Lord who saved the earth from the demon HiranyAksham. We saw gAm means the place or the earth. Vindhathi means uthharippathu. So this means GOvindan means the Lord who recovered the earth from the water and saved it from the demon. In the Vishnu sahasranAmA, there is a phrase: mahA varAhO gOvindaha meaning VarAhan is Govindan. Hence it is clear that tirumali of VarAhan is the Govinda Himself and this is the third GOvindan.

We now see that Krishna as GOvinda, Thrivikraman as Govindan both went to TiruvenkatamAmalai and joined with the VarAhan there as GOvindan and became one. All these 3 Govindans joined ogether to become one Lord Srinivasan. This is precisely the reason why whenever we climb the hill or worship the lord, we call His name out as Govinda, not once but thrice, each time.

In this Kali yuga, the lord supreme is Tirumalaippan and that is why whenever we do sankalpam by reciting the thithi, vAram, nakshatram etc, we say asya sri Govinda, govinda, govinda…..

What did AndAl do? She referred to the 3 Govindans in her TiruppAvai verse 27, 28 and 29 separately and remembered to recall the same 3 Govindans in the first verse of her nAchiyA thirumozhi (Thai oru thingaLum…) where she concludes that verse as vEnkatavarkennai vithikkitrAyE and worships all the 3 Govindans and prays to the very manmathan who is our BhagavAn.

100 Quotes from "The Secret"

100 Quotes from "The Secret"

1. We all work with one infinite power

2. The Secret is the Law of Attraction (LOA)

3. Whatever is going on in your mind is what you are attracting

4. We are like magnets - like attract like. You become AND attract what you think

5. Every thought has a frequency. Thoughts send out a magnetic energy

6. People think about what they don't want and attract more of the same

7. Thought = creation. If these thoughts are attached to powerful emotions (good or bad) that speeds the creation

8. You attract your dominant thoughts

9. Those who speak most of illness have illness, those who speak most of prosperity have it..etc..

10. It's not "wishful" thinking.

11. You can't have a universe without the mind entering into it

12. Choose your thoughts carefully .. you are a masterpiece of your life

13. It's OK that thoughts don't manifest into reality immediately (if we saw a picture of an elephant and it instantly appeared, that would be too soon)

14. EVERYTHING in your life you have attracted .. accept that fact .. it's true.

15. Your thoughts cause your feelings

16. We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings..

17. Thoughts that bring about good feelings mean you are on the right track. Thoughts that bring about bad feelings means you are not on the right track.

18. Whatever it is you are feeling is a perfect reflection of what is in the process of becoming

19. You get exactly what you are FEELING

20. Happy feelings will attract more happy circumstances

21. You can begin feeling whatever you want (even if it's not there).. the universe will correspond to the nature of your song

22. What you focus on with your thought and feeling is what you attract into your experience

23. What you think and what you feel and what actually manifests is ALWAYS a match - no exception

24. Shift your awareness

25. "You create your own universe as you go along" Winston Churchill

26. It's important to feel good ( ( ( (((good))) ) ) )

27. You can change your emotion immediately .. by thinking of something joyful, or singing a song, or remembering a happy experience

28. When you get the hang of this, before you know it you will KNOW you are the creator

29. Life can and should be phenomenal .. and it will be when you consciously apply the Law of Attraction

30. Universe will re-arrange itself accordingly

31. Start by using this sentence for all of your wants: "I'm so happy and grateful now that....

"

32. You don't need to know HOW the universe is going to rearrange itself

33. LOA is simply figuring out for yourself what will generate the positive feelings of having it NOW

34. You might get an inspired thought or idea to help you move towards what you want faster

35. The universe likes SPEED. Don't delay, don't second-guess, don't doubt..

36. When the opportunity or impulse is there .. ACT

37. You will attract everything you require - money, people, connections.. PAY ATTENTION to what's being set in front of you

38. You can start with nothing .. and out of nothing or no way - a WAY will be provided.

39. HOW LONG??? No rules on time .. the more aligned you are with positive feelings the quicker things happen

40. Size is nothing to the universe (unlimited abundance if that's what you wish) We make the rules on size and time

41. No rules according to the universe .. you provide the feelings of having it now and the universe will respond

42. Most people offer the majority of their thought in response to what they are observing

(bills in the mail, being late, having bad luck...etc..)

43. You have to find a different approach to what is through a different vantage point

44. "All that we are is a result of what we have thought" - Buddha

45. What can you do right now to turn your life around?? Gratitude

46. Gratitude will bring more into our lives immediately

47. What we think about and THANK about is what we bring about

48. What are the things you are grateful for?? Feel the gratitude.. focus on what you have right now that you are grateful for

49. Play the picture in your mind - focus on the end result

50. VISUALIZE!!! Rehearse your future

51. VISUALIZE!!! See it, feel it! This is where action begins

52. Feel the joy .. feel the happiness)

53. An affirmative thought is 100 times more powerful than a negative one

54. "What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists." Alexander Graham Bell

55. Our job is not to worry about the "How". The "How" will show up out of the commitment and belief in the "what"

56. The Hows are the domain of the universe. It always knows the quickest, fastest, most harmonious way between you and your dream

57. If you turn it over to the universe, you will be surprised and dazzled by what is delivered .. this is where magic and miracles happen

58. Turn it over to the universe daily.. but it should never be a chore.

59. Feel exhilarated by the whole process .. high, happy, in tune

60. The only difference between people who are really living this way is they have habituated ways of being.

61. They remember to do it all the time

62. Create a Vision Board .. pictures of what you want to attract .. every day look at it and get into the feeling state of already having acquired these wants

63. "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein

64. Decide what you want .. believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it's possible for you

65. Close your eyes and visualize having what you already want - and the feeling of having it already.

66. Focus on being grateful for what you have already .. enjoy it!! Then release into the universe. The universe will manifest it.

67. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve" W. Clement Stone

68. Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would blow your mind..

69. When you have an inspired thought, you must trust it and act on it..

70. How can you become more prosperous?? INTEND IT!!

71. 'Checks are coming in the mail regularly'... or change your bank statement to whatever balance you want in there... and get behind the feeling of having it.

72. Life is meant to be abundant in ALL areas...

73. Go for the sense of inner joy and peace then all outside things appear

74. We are the creators of our universe

75. Relationships: Treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others .. love yourself and you will be loved

76. Healthy respect for yourself

77. For those you work with or interact with regularly .. get a notebook and write down positive aspects of each of those people.

78. Write down the things you like most about them (don't expect change from them). Law of attraction will not put you in the same space together if you frequencies don't match

79. When you realize your potential to feel good, you will ask no one to be different in order for you to feel good.

80. You will free yourself from the cumbersome impossibilities of needing to control the world, your friends, your mate, your children....

81. You are the only one that creates your reality

82. No one else can think or feel for you .. its YOU .. ONLY YOU.

83. Health: thank the universe for your own healing. Laugh, stress free happiness will keep you healthy.

84. Immune system will heal itself

85. Parts of our bodies are replace every day, every week..etc... Within a few years we have a brand new body

86. See yourself living in a new body. Hopeful = recovery. Happy = happier biochemistry. Stress degrades the bod.

87. Remove stress from the body and the body regenerates itself. You can heal yourself

88. Learn to become still .. and take your attention away from what you don't want, and place your attention on what you wish to experience

89. When the voice and vision on the inside become more profound and clear than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life

90. You are not here to try to get the world to be just as you want it.. You are here to create the world around you that you choose.

91. And allow the world as others choose to see it, exist as well

92. People think that if everyone knows the power of the LOA there won't be enough to go around .. This is a lie that's been ingrained in us and makes so many greedy.

93. The truth is there is more than enough love, creative ideas, power, joy, happiness to go around.

94. All of this abundance begins to shine through a mind that is aware of it's own infinite nature. There's enough for everyone. See it. Believe it. it will show up for you.

95. So let the variety of your reality thrill you as you choose all the things you want.. get behind the good feelings of all your wants.

96. Write your script. When you see things you don't want, don't think about them, write about them, talk about them, push against them, or join groups that focus on the don't wants... remove your attention from don't wants.. and place them on do wants

97. We are mass energy. Everything is energy. EVERYTHING.

98. Don't define yourself by your body .. it's the infinite being that's connected to everything in the universe.

99. One energy field. Our bodies have distracted us from our energy. We are the infinite field of unfolding possibilities. The creative force.

100. Are your thoughts worthy of you? If not - NOW is the time to change them. You can begin right were you are right now. Nothing matters but this moment and what you are focusing your attention on.

Gayatri and Sandhyavandana

If the Gayatri has not been chanted for three generations in the family of a Brahmin, they cease to be Brahmins. The quarter where such Brahmins live cannot be called an "agrahara". It is perhaps not yet three generations since Brahmins gave up the Gayatri. So they still may be called Brahmins.

In the same way if the Brahmin family has not performed sacrifices for three generations its members will be called "Durbrahmanas", degenerate Brahmins. Even though degenerate the label "Brahmin" sticks to them. There are prayascittas (expiatory rites) by means of which the corrupted Brahmins will be remade true Brahmins. But there is no such hope for a Brahmin in whose family Gayatri has not been chanted for three generations. A member of such a family ceases altogether to be a Brahmin and cannot be made one again. He is just a "Brahmana- bandhu", a kin or a friend of Brahmins. The same rule applies to Ksatriyas and Vaisyas with regard to the Gayatri mantra; they become "ksatriya-bandhus" and "Vaisya-bandhus" respectively.

The spark I mentioned earlier must be built into a fire. The spark by itself does not serve any purpose. But it has in it the potential to grow into a bright flame or a radiant fire. At least on Sundays, all those who wear the sacred thread must do Gayatri japa a thousand times. They must not eat unclean food, goto unclean places and must atone for lapses in ritual observances and in maintaining ritual purity. Henceforth they must take every care to see that their body is kept chaste and fit for it to absorb mantric power.

Even in times of misfortune the Gayatri must be muttered at least ten times at dawn, midday and dusk. These are hours of tranquility. At dawn all creatures including human beings rise and the mind is serene now. At dusk all must be restful after a day's hard work: that is also a time of calm. At noon the sun is at its height and people are at home and relaxed and their mind is calm. During these hours we must meditate on Gayatri, Savitri and Sarasvati. 

In the morning the dominant presence is that of Visnu, at noon that of Brahma and at sundown of Siva. So we must meditate on Gayatri in the morning as Visnu personified, at noon as Brahma personified and at dusk as Siva personified.

Gayatri contains in itself the spirit and energy of all Vedic mantras. Indeed it imparts power to other mantras. Without Gayatri-japa, the chanting of all other mantras would be futile. 

We find hypnotism useful in many ways and we talk of "hypnotic power". Gayatri is the hypnotic means of liberating ourselves from worldly existence as well as of controlling desire and realising the goal of birth. We must keep blowing on the spark that is the Gayatri and must take up the Gayatri-japa as vrata. The spark will not be extinguished if we do not take to unsastric ways of life and if we do not make our body unchaste.

Gayatri-japa and "arghya" (offering libation) are the most important rites of sandhyavandana. The other parts of this rites are "angas" (limbs). The least a sick or weak person must do us to offer arghya and mutter the Gayatri ten times. "Oh only these two are important aren't they? So that's all we do, offer arghya and mutter the Gayatri ten times a day. " If this be our attitude in due course we are likely to give up even these that are vital to sandhyavandyana. 

A learned man remarked in jest about the people who perform arghya and mutter Gayatri only ten times thus applying to themselves the rule meant for the weak and the unfortunate: "They will always remain weak and be victims of some calamity or other". Sandhyavandana must be performed properly during right hours. During the Mahabharata war, when water was not readily available, the warriors give arghya at the right time with dust as substitute. 

Arghya must be offered before sunrise at noon and at sunset. Once there was a man called Idaikattu Siddhar who grazed cattle. 

He said: "Kanamal konamal kandu kodu aadukan pogudu par " 

"Kanamal/r" means before you see the sun rise and "konamal/r" means when the sun is overhead and "kandu" is when you see the sun before sunset. These are the three times when you ought to offer arghya. "adu" means "niradu", bathe in the Ganga. "kan" here means "visit Setu" or have " have darsana of Setu". "Pohutu par"- by bathing in the Ganga and by visiting Setu your sins will be washed away. Here is mentioned the custom of going to Kasi, collecting Ganga water there and going to (Setu) Ramesvaram to perform the abhiseka of Ramanathasvamin there.

Only by the intense repetition of Gayatri shall we be able to master all the Vedic mantras. This japa of Gayatri and arghya must be performed everyday without fail. At least once in our lifetime we must bathe in Ganga and go on pilgrimage to Setu.

If a man has a high fever, people looking after him must pour into his mouth the water with which sandhyavandana has been performed. Today it seems all of us are suffering all the time from high fever! When you run a high temperature you have to take medicine; similarly Gayatri is essential to the self and its japa must not be given up at any time. It is more essential to your inner being than medicine is to your body. Sandyavandana must be performed without fail everyday. Gayatri-japa can be practised by all of us without much effort and without spending any money. All that you require is water. Sandyavandana is indeed an easy means to ensure your well being. So long as there is life in you, you must perform it.

Gayatri must be worshiped as a mother. The Lord appers in many forms to bestow his grace and compassion on his devotees Mother loves us more than anybody else. We know no fear before her and talk to her freely. Of all the forms in which Bhagavan manifests himself that form in which he is revealed as mother is most liked by us. The Vedas proclaim Gayatri to be such a mother.

When the three varnas practise gayatri-japa all other jatis enjoy the benefit flowing from it. We may cease to perform a rite if the fruits yielded by them are enjoyed exclusively by us. 

But we cannot do so if others also share in them. Those entitled to Gayatri mantra are to regard themselves as trustees who have to mutter it on behalf of others like women and the fourth varna who are not entitled to it. If they fail in their duty of trustees, it means they are committing an irremediable offence.

The mantras are numerous. Before we start chanting any of them, we say why we are doing so, mention the "fruit" that will yield. The benefit we derive from the Gayatri mantra is the cleansing of the mind (cittasuddhi). Even other mantras have this ultimate purpose, but cittasuuddhi is the direct result of Gayatri-japa.

Even in these days it is not difficult to perform sandhyavandana both at dawn and dusk. Office goers and other workers may not be at home during midday. They may perform the madhyahnika (the midday vandana) 2 hours 24 minutes after sunrise that is called "sangava kala".

We must never miss the daily sandhyavadana unless we find it absolutely impossible to perform. When we fall ill, in our helplessness we ask others for water or kanji in the same way, we must ask our relative or friend to perform sandhyavandana on our behalf.

Let us all pray to God that he will have mercy upon us so that the fire of mantras is never extinguished in us and that it will keep burning brighter and brighter. 

Other Aspects of Sandhyavandana

"Astra" and "Sastra" are terms used in Dhanurveda (military science) to denote two types of weapons. Knife, arrow, spear, club and so on-real weapons-come under the term "sastra"."Astra" is what is energised by a mantra into a weapon. If you discharge just a darbha or a blade of grass chanting or muttering the appropriate mantra it will be turned into a weapon. Sastras are also discharged similarly with mantras. If you hurl something at a object or person muttering the mantra proper to it, the object or person will be destroyed when hit.

The twice-born (Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas) have the duty of discharging "Astras" every day to destroy asuras or the evil forces besieging mankind. Does not "Astra" mean that which is discharged, thrown or hurled? What is the "Astra" which is to be thrown or discharged [by the twice - born]? We throw water so as to drive away or destroy the demons or evil forces that have taken hold of the minds of people. This water, the astra, is the same as the libation offered during sandhiyavandana. We must keep this purpose in mind when we offer arghya : "May sinfulness and falsehood be annihilated. May the sun of knowledge shine brightly. May those obstacles that keep the sun of knowledge dim in us to be demolished. "Whatever you do or do not do, you must perform this arghya thrice a day. Do it somehow " holding your breath"

When a person does a job earnestly and whole-heartedly, we say that he does it "holding his breath". As a matter of fact sandhyavandana is to be performed holding one's breath. If we do this all the evil forces will be destroyed. Nowadays all we do is to hold our nose with our fingers. The sastras do not say, "Nasikam ayamya", but say, "Pranam ayamya. " It means, instead of merely holding the nose, control the vital breath, the prana itself or the life force. 

All work must be done with one-pointedness. There must be such one-pointedness of the mind to turn water into a weapon(astra). The breath is controlled for this purpose. You will ask: "How is it that if you control your breath the mind will be still? " We see that when the mind is still the breath also stops. When our wonder is aroused, when we are grief-stricken or when we are overjoyed, the mind becomes one-pointed. We exclaim "Ha" and the breath stops for a moment. But soon we breathe fast. We do not stop breathing with any effort on our part-the stopping is involuntary. The mind stops when it is enwrapped or absorbed in something. Then we heave a sigh-take a long breath-making up for the momentary stoppage of breathing. We learn from this that, when breathing momentarily stops, the mind becomes one-pointed. This is the reason why the breath is controlled when arghya, libation, is offered.

If we practice pranayama we will train ourselves to have mental concentration. This is important to yoga. Practicing pranayama for long is difficult and it must be done under the guidance of a guru. In sandhyavandana we do it only ten times. For some rites it is performed three times as a preliminary step. If we had practiced pranayama regularly from the time of our upanayana we should have become yogisvaras by now. 

What we do we must do properly. When we practice pranayama as a part of sandhyavandana we must stop our breath for 30 seconds or so, not more. When the vital breath stops, the mind will become still. If the arghya is offered in this state the evil forces will be truly be driven away. The water that we pour or throw when our mind is still will turn a weapon to destroy all evil.

After employing the arghya weapon against the evil forces, we must perform Gayathri-japa. Pranayama we must do according to our ability, holding the breath for a while, then realising it: this process may be repeated without controlling the breath for too long a time. 

All the steps in sandhyavandana- samkalpa, marjana, arghya-pradana, japa, stotra, abhivandana-have for their purpose the blessings of Isvara: this is stated in the samkalpa that we make at first. From beginning to end sandhyavandana is dedicated to Paramesvara and pranayama is an important part of it.

According to the sastras even the sick must do pranayama three times a day. This means that breath-control is not such as to cause trouble or discomfort. Indeed it could mean a cure for the illness and a prescription for long life.

Rsayo dirgha-sandhyatvad dirghamayuravapnuyuh Prajnam yasasca kirtim ca brahmavarcasameva ca - Manusmrti, 4. 94

In abhivadana we mention the name of the sage from whom we are descended. It is our duty to observe Vedic rituals at least for the fact that we belong to the gotra of that sage. After him there have been so many rsis in the line. We use the terms "trayarseyam", "pancarseyam", "ekarseyam", meaning that, in the gotras concerned, there were three sages, fives sages, one sage. . . They must have lived long and secured knowledge, fame, Brahmic lustre and spiritual eminence by performing sandhyavandana. This is what the Manusmrti stanza means.

By our neglect we should not sever the thread, the tradition, handed down to us uninterruptedly. We must perform sandhyavandana as an offering to Paramesvara and must do so understanding its meaning and with faith and devotion. There must be one-pointedness in it and no mantra must be left out.

We sin with our mind, speech and body. I told you that these sins must be washed away by performing rites with the same mind, speech and body. 

In sandhyavandana we mutter the mantras with our mouth and, even as we repeat the Gayatri, we meditate on it with our mind and in such rites as marjana (sprinkling of water) we acquire bodily purity.

Sandhyavandana is karmayoga, bhaktiyoga and jnanayoga combined [it unites the three paths of karma, devotion and knowledge].