Gita-God-Hinduism

<Continued from the previous post where we set up the stage: http://gita-god-hinduism.blogspot.ca/2016/12/sandhyavandana-1.html> We accumulate various karmas over a life time, and some of the pApa karma (duritas) do not allows to perform righteous duties. It is only by taking the names of the Lord that these duritAs are destroyed (kshaya) and through that we can offer more salutations to the Lord to please Him.   मम उपात्त समस्त दुरितक्षयद्वार  श्री परमेश्वर प्रीत्यर्थं प्राथः संध्यां उपास्ये । mama - my, upAtta - accumulated, samasta - entire, durita-kshya-dvAra - through the annhilation of my sins and discomforts, shree paramEshvara preetyartham - to please the supreme Lord, prAtah sandhyAm - morning oblations, upAsye - I observe, perform!  I engage in the morning sandhyavandana karma for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord through the removal of all my accumulated impediments (sin, evil, discomfort). [At this time we look at the water, sprinkle it all ove...

Doing Sandhyavanada everyday is a discipline that I have been cultivating for the past few years. In the next year or so our son will be ready for upanayana, so I wish to be a role model to him as my father was to me. First step towards that I thought was knowing the meanings of what we chant because my son has already started to express keen interest in the meaning. This blog is more for myself than anyone else so that I can help my son if he needs. ------ o ------ Sandhyavandana is a way to salute and thank the Sun for his contribution to our existence. It is not just the external sun that Sandhyavandana salutes. It is the sun within. "Hindu"  or "santana dharma" ideology believes that what is outside is within, so whatever is done externally is also to be internalized. Sandhyavandanam involves multiple phases: Purification and Conviction : the process begins with purification - external (bAhya) through water and Internal (abhyantara) through bhagawad nAma and...