Morning (prAta) Sandhyavandanam

The designers of this intended it to spiritually enhance us, and I find it provides really helpful discipline and structure to mornings. Admittedly, it would be best to practice thrice per day. This post will delineate my personal morning routine, a specifically shortened version (laghu sandhya) that I carry with me everywhere.

Text may be warped or unreadable without noto-sans-cjk or equivalent devanagari fonts installed.

Justifications of Sandhyavandanam (not recited)

उ॒द्यन्त॑मस्तं॒यन्त॑मादि॒त्यम॑भिध्या॒यन्कु॒र्वन्ब्रा”ह्म्॒णो वि॒द्वान्थ्स॒कलं॑ भ॒द्रम॑श्नुते॒ऽसावा॑दि॒त्यो ब्र॒ह्मेति॒ ब्रह्मै॒व सन्ब्रह्मा॒प्येति॒ य ए॒वं वेद॑
A brAhmaNa who contemplates on the rising and setting of the sun and does obeisance with gAyatri attains all bliss because this Aditya is the Supreme Brahman.
सन्ध्याहीनोऽशुचिर्नित्यं अनर्हस्सर्व कर्मसु। यदन्यत् कुरुते कर्म न तस्य फलभाग्भवेत्॥
He who does not perform Sandhyavandanam every day is ever impure and, consequently, unfit to perform any vedic rites. Whatever other rites he may perform, he will not obtain the fruit thereof.
श्रुति: स्मृति: ममैवाज्ञा यस्यां उल्लङ्घ्य वर्तते। आज्ञाच्छेदी मम द्रोही मद्भक्तोपि न वैष्ण्व​:॥
The vedas and the treatises thereunder, that is, smritis, convey My commands. Whoever violates them, commits treason. Even if he be My devotee, he is by no means a vaishnava.

Step 1: Purification of the Mind and Body

अपवित्र​: पवित्रो वा सर्वावस्थां गतोऽपि वा। य​: स्मरेत् पुण्डरीकाक्षं स बाह्याभ्यन्तर​: शुचि:॥
This is chanted to acknowledge the lack of cleanliness the mind and body carry and to ensure that by remembering Vishnu we are clean.

Acamanam (prefix with praNavam)

अच्युताय नम​:
अनन्ताय नम​:
गोविन्दाय नम​:
Use Achmani/Uddharini (spoon) to sip water for these three names.
केशवाय नम​:
नारायणाय नम:
माधवाय नम​:
गोविन्दाय नम​:
विष्णवे नम​:
मधुसूदनाय नम​:
त्रिविक्रमाय नम​:
वामनाय नम​:
श्रीधराय नम​:
हृषीकेशाय नम​:
पद्मनाभाय नम​:
दामोदराय नम​:
Thumb: Right Cheek
Thumb: Left Cheek
Ring: Right Eye
Ring: Left Eye
Index: Right Nostril
Index: Left Nostril
Pinky: Right Ear
Pinky: Left Ear
Middle: Right Shoulder
Middle: Left Shoulder
Palm: Navel
Palm: Head

prANAyAmam

ओं भू:। ओं भुव​:। ओगं सुव​:। ओं मह:। ओं जन​:। ओं तप​:। ओगं स॒त्य्म्। ओं तत् स॑वि॒तुर्वरे”ण्यं॒ भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमही। धियो॒ यो न॑: प्रचो॒दया”त्। ओमापो॒ ज्योती॒ रसो॒ऽमृतं॒ ब्रह्म॒ भूर्भुव॒स्सुव॒रोम्॥
Perform prANAyAmam by bending right middle finger and holding the right nostril down with the thumb and the left nostril down with the ring finger. Maintain an extended index finger while alternating your breathing and chanting mantra in your mind.

Sankalpam

श्री भगवदाज्ञया भगवद्कैङ्कर्य रूपं प्रात​: सन्ध्योपासनं करिष्ये
Mini Sankalpam

mantra snAnam

आपो॒ हिष्ठ म॑यो॒ भुव॑: त न॑ ऊ॒र्जे द॑धातन म॒हे रणा॑य॒ चक्ष्॑से यो व॑: शि॒वत॑मो॒ रस॑: तस्य॑ भाजयते॒ह न॑: उ॒श॒तीरि॑व मा॒तर॑: तस्मा॒ अर॑ङ्गमाम व​: यस्य॒ क्ष्या॑य॒ जिन्व॑थ आपो॑ ज॒नय॑था च न​:
To purify our mind and body before performing any rites, we clean ourselves by flicking water at the head, followed by the knees, then around the head again.

Step 2: Invocations

सूर्यश्च मा मन्युश्च मन्युपतयश्च मन्ग्यु॑ कृते॒भ्य​:। पापेभ्यो॑ रक्ष॒न्ताम्। यद्रात्रिया पाप॑मका॒र्ष्म्। मनसा वाचा॑ हस्ता॒भ्याम्। पद्भ्यामुदरे॑ण शि॒श्न। रात्रि॒स्तद॑वलु॒म्पतु। यत्किञ्च॑ दुरि॒तं मयि॑। इदमहं माममृ॑त यो॒नौ। सूर्ये ज्योतिषि जुहो॑मि स्वा॒हा॥
[Explanation TBA]
द॒धि॒क्राव्‌ण्णो॑ अकारिष्म् जि॒ष्णोरश्व्॑स्य वा॒जिन॑: सु॒र॒भि नो॒ मुखा॑करत् प्रण आयूगं॑षि तारिषत्
[Explanation TBA]
[mantra snAnam]

arghya pradAnam

श्री भगवदाज्ञया भगवद्कैङ्कर्य रूपं प्रात​: सन्ध्या अर्घ्यप्रदानं करिष्ये
Explain that we are about to offer arghyam (water) to keep the sun chariot from falling to the mandEhas, who routinely attack at dawn.
ओं भूर्भुव॒स्सुव॑: तत् स॒वि॒तुर्वरे”ण्यं भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमहि धियो॒ यो न॑: प्रचो॒दया”त्
This is the first instance of the gAyatri mantra. Repeat three times while collecting water between palms and letting it fall onto the pAtram.
ओं भूर्भुव॒स्सुव॑: असावादित्यो ब्रह्म​
Do pradakshiNa while chanting this and holding anjali mudra. This will vary depending on your philosophical stance on the relationship between parabrahma and jIva.
[Acamanam]

tarpaNam

केशवं तर्पयामि
नारायणं तर्पयामि
माधवं तर्पयामि
गोविन्दं तर्पयामि
विष्णुं तर्पयामि
मधुसूधनं तर्पयामि
त्रिविक्रमं तर्पयामि
वामनं तर्पयामि
श्रीधरं तर्पयामि
हृषीकेशं तर्पयामि
पद्मनाभं तर्पयामि
पद्मनाभं तर्पयामि
Offer your obeisance without ego or sense of self. For each name, pour a little water into your palm and let it fall.
पृथ्वि त्वया धृता लोका देवि त्वं विष्णुना धृता। त्वं च धारय मां देवि पवित्रं कुरु चासनम्॥
[Explanation TBA]
[prANAyAmam]

gAyatri mantra

मुक्ताविद्रुम हेमनील धवलच्चायै-र्मुखै-स्त्रीक्षणैः । युक्तामिन्दुनि बद्ध-रत्न-मकुटां तत्वार्थ वर्णात्मिकाम् । गायत्रीं-वँरदाभयाङ्कुश कशाश्शुभ्रङ्कपालङ्गदाम् । शङ्खञ्चक्र मधारविन्द युगलं हस्तैर्वहन्तीं भजे ॥
This is the dhyAna shlOkam for the gAyatri mantra.
आया॑तु॒ वर॑दा दे॒वी॒ अ॒क्षरं॑ ब्रह्म॒सम्मि॒तम् । गा॒य॒त्रीं” छन्द॑सां मा॒तेदं ब्र॑ह्म जु॒षस्व॑ मे । ओजो॑ऽसि॒ सहो॑ऽसि॒ बल॑मसि॒ भ्राजो॑ऽसि दे॒वानां॒ धाम॒नामा॑सि॒ विश्व॑मसि वि॒श्वायु॒-स्सर्व॑मसि स॒र्वायु-रभिभूरोम् ।
[Explanation TBA]
गायत्री-मावा॑हया॒मि॒ सावित्री-मावा॑हया॒मि॒ सरस्वती-मावा॑हया॒मि॒यो देव स्सविताऽस्माकं धियो धर्मादिगोचराः । प्रेरयेत्तस्य यद्भर्गस्तद्वरेण्यमुपास्महे ॥
Invocation of dEvIs

japam

ओं भूर्भुव॒स्सुव॑: तत् स॒वि॒तुर्वरे”ण्यं भर्गो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ धीमहि धियो॒ यो न॑: प्रचो॒दया”त्
Recite gAyatri mantra >10 times.

upasthAnam

श्री भगवदाज्ञया भगवद्कैङ्कर्य रूपं प्रात​: सन्ध्या उपस्थानं करिष्ये
Bid farewell and ask that the dEvIs go back to their abodes with grace and that they fulfill our wish (to strengthen our mind and capacity to learn).
उ॒त्तमे॑ शिख॑रे दे॒वी॒ भू॒म्यां प॑र्वत॒मूर्थ॑नि । ब्रा॒ह्मणे”भ्योऽभ्य॑नुज्ञा॒ता॒ ग॒च्चदे॑वि य॒थासु॑खम्
Resplendent Gayatri, kindly extend your grace to those of us who are worshipping the brahmaN and take your seat happily on the highest summit of the mountain mEru.
ॐ मि॒त्रस्य॑ च॒र्​षणी॒ धृत॒ श्रवो॑ दे॒वस्य॑ सान॒ सिम् । स॒त्यं चि॒त्रश्र॑ वस्तमम् । मि॒त्रो जनान्॑ यातयति प्रजा॒नन्-मि॒त्रो दा॑धार पृथि॒वी मु॒तद्याम् । मि॒त्रः कृ॒ष्टी रनि॑मिषा॒ऽभि च॑ष्टे स॒त्याय॑ ह॒व्यं घृ॒तव॑द्विधेम । प्रसमि॑त्त्र॒ मर्त्यो॑ अस्तु॒ प्रय॑स्वा॒ न्यस्त॑ आदित्य॒ शिक्ष॑ति व्र॒तेन॑ । न ह॑न्यते॒ न जी॑यते॒ त्वोतो॒नैन॒ मग्ंहो॑ अश्नो॒ त्यन्ति॑तो॒ न दू॒रात् ॥
More detailed explanation available here.

digDevata namaskAram

प्राच्यै॑ दि॒शे नमः॑ दक्षि॑णायै दि॒शे नमः॑ प्रती”च्यै दि॒शे नमः॑ उदी”च्यै दि॒शे नमः॑ उदी”च्यै दि॒शे नमः॑ नमोऽध॑रायै दि॒शे नमः॑ नमो॑ऽवान्त॒रायै॑ दि॒शे नमः॑
Offer obeisance to the cardinal directions, the outside, and the inside.

Final mantras

ध्येयस्सदा सवितृमण्डल मध्यवर्ती नारायण​: सरसिजासन सन्निविष्ट​: । केयूरवान् मकर कुण्डलवान् किरीटी हारी हिरण्मय वपु: धृतशङ्ख चक्र​: ॥
One should meditate on the form of nArAyaNa situated in center of the solar system. He is seated on a lotus, with golden bracelets, a crown, and makara earrings (kuNDala); he is golden in complexion, and holds the Shankha and cakra in his hands!
शङ्खचक्र गदापाणे द्वारका निलयाच्युत । गोविन्द पुण्डारीकाक्ष रक्ष मां शरणागतम् ॥ नमो ब्रह्मण्यदेवाय गोब्राह्मणहिताय च । जगद्धिताय कृष्णाय गोविन्दाय नमो नम​:
This mantra is what Draupadi recited during the vastra haraNa whereby lord kRSNa ensured her sire didn't run out. Oh Lord who holds the conch, discus, and mace in his hands; who lives in dwAraka; the protector of his devotees; gOvinda!; the one with lotus eyes. Protect me, who has surrendered to you.
श्रीरङ्ग मङ्नळमणिं करुणा निवासम् । श्री वेङ्क्टाद्रि शिखरालय काळमेघम् ॥ श्री हस्तिशैल शिखरोज्वल पारिजातम् । श्रीशं नमामि शिरसा यदुशैलदीपम् ॥
I bow unto the the abode of mercy, the auspicious jewel of SrIrangam, SrI ranganAthA. I bow unto the dark rain-laden cloud of dayA on the top of the venkaTAdri hill revered as venkaTESA. I bow unto the wish granting pArijAta tree shining on the top of the hastiSailam (elephant-like hillock used by brahma to perform the yajnam, which preceded bhagavAn's incarnation as varadarAjA). I bow unto tirunArAyaNan of Melukote, who illumines the world as the lamp on the top of yaduSailam.
कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्याऽऽत्मना वा प्रकृते: स्वभावात् । करोमि यद्यत् सकलं परस्मै नाराय्णायेति समर्पयामि ॥
Whatever I do with my body, speech, mind or with other senses of my body, or with my intellect and soul or with my innate natural tendencies I dedicate everything to nArAyaNa.