Sandhyavandana - Part 4

In this we will continue on the previous partial discussion around punarmArjanam: Sandhyavandana - Part 3

यासां देवा दिवि कृण्वन्ति भक्षंया अन्तरिक्षे बहुदा भवन्ति । या पृथ्वीं पयसॊऽन्दन्ति शुक्रस्तान अपःशग् स्योना भवन्तु ।

[It is this water - the nArAyaNa udaka] through which the "gods" in the heavens know to nurture, to make the rain waters much giving (munificent) that makes the earth fertile (strong) to spring out and enable the seed [giving ability] of animals, May this water be the bed of auspiciousness.

शिवेनमा चक्षुषा पश्यतापश्यिवया तन्वोऽप स्पृशत् त्वचं मे । सर्वाग्ं अग्नीग्ं रप्सुषदॊ हुवेवो मयि वर्चो बलमोजो निधत्त ॥

[Its beautiful how Sanskrit verses manifest different meanings depending on the arrangement of words and their meanings. One of the many meanings of chakshus  is "eye of mitra and God of Water" that I will use in this context, however it can also mean the very faculty of seeing, or it could mean light or the very act of seeing. So, we could focus on the act of seeing and pray for focus, or pray to our faculty or the deity which presides over the faculty by enabling it for inner insights. pashyat often is translated as "seeing" but beholding seems more relevant in the given context; remember that we are holding the water in our hands and beholding through our eyes - bhAhya and antar perspectives acting together.

sarvaga means water that goes everywhere but it also manifests in many ways such as omnipresent, all-pervading, spirit, soul. However it gets more interesting when we observe that sarvagm is the adjective for agnigm, and that is followed by "apsuShadah", i.e. which dwells in water.]

Oh Mitra, the deity of water, behold me by your blissful grace, your auspicious sight, and may my self and skin be sanctified by your touch. May the all pervading, the water dwelling agni [the vaishvAnara] install (and preserve) brilliance (energy, form), strength and vigor (vitality, luster, splendor, bodily strength, emphatic expression) within me. 

पाप पुरुष विसर्जनं

["paapa purusha" can be observed at two levels: cause and effect. First it is all in the mind, and influences all the sinful actions we engage in, including the negative thoughts. Its effects can be experienced as karma, in the body and mind; in the form of pride, pain, sweat, mucous, negative thoughts etc. Interestingly, we start with the easier option, i.e. the external and then address the internal root cause and pray that we are cleansed at both levels. "paapa purusha" manifests again and again, and this is why one is advised to do Sandhya three times to cleanse him like we cleanse sweat and other impurities]

द्रुपदादिव मुञ्चतु । द्रुपदादिवेन्मुमुचानः । स्विन्न स्नात्वी मलादिव । पूतं पवित्रेणॆवाज्यम् ।आपश्शुन्धन्तु मैनसः ॥

May I be liberated from pain and other tortures, be delivered from arrogance (pride, madness), through this ablution (process of getting wet) just as a bath cleanses the sweat (svinna) and other impurities. May this water cleanse [me] by the sacred prowess [of this process; like the clarified butter] from sins [and sinful inclinations] of the mind.

[Till now we would have touch the eyes, ears and other aspects with the water during aachamana, here we smell the water to cleanse from within; some people seem to indicate that "paapa purusha" resides at the edge of the nose, that I may not completely agree with but take the spirit of the idea]

aachamana .... <keshavAya ....>

To be Continued ....