How was sandhyavandanam performed before the age of Vishwamitra?
Since the two most important parts of sandhyavandanam - arghyam and Gayatri japam - involve the Gayatri (savitri) mantra, I was curious to know what our ancestors did before that.
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1I think before Vishwamitra, there were other rishis who similarly heard the Gayatri mantra during Tapasya. Still, there is the issue of what people did right before Vishwamitra discovered it, like during Vishwamitra's lifetime. – Keshav Srinivasan Apr 06 '16 at 14:31
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@KeshavSrinivasan But there should be a rishi to include in viniyoga process of gyatri gyatri. We say Savitrya Rishi Vishwamitra, but imagine that before Vishwamitra – Yogi Apr 29 '16 at 18:42
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@Yogi Yeah, and I'm saying in earlier ages there must have been other Rishis whose name people would say rather than Vishwamitra. I don't know who they were though. – Keshav Srinivasan Apr 29 '16 at 18:43
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@KeshavSrinivasan So we are talking about the time before Ramayana? at the Start of 24th Mahayuga/Chaturyuga of this manvantara? So I think we should search texts that are created before this time. – Yogi Apr 29 '16 at 18:46
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@KeshavSrinivasan one mantra cant have 2 drastas. on what basis you are saying such things ? – Rakesh Joshi Aug 29 '17 at 09:00
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@RakeshJoshi A mantra can certainly have two rishis. Look at the Rishi information given in the Anukramanis of the Rig Veda; there's many cases where a mantra has multiple rishis. Also, the Mahamrityunjaya mantra has Vasishta as the Rishi in the Anukramanis of the Rig Veda, but in the Shaiva Agamas it's someone else. Similarly the Rudram has Aghora as the Rishi in the Shaiva Agamas, but someone else as the Rishi in the Anukramanis of the Krishna Yajur Veda. – Keshav Srinivasan Aug 29 '17 at 12:00
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@KeshavSrinivasan dont bring it agamas for veda mantras. While talking of agamas you can cite those. – Rakesh Joshi Aug 30 '17 at 12:23
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@RakeshJoshi Like I said, I suggest you look at the Anukramanis of the Rig Veda. – Keshav Srinivasan Aug 30 '17 at 12:28
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@KeshavSrinivasan please provide which is the another rishi for gayatri mantra in rig vedic anukramanika? – Rakesh Joshi Aug 30 '17 at 12:29
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@RakeshJoshi There's only one Rishi listed in the Rig Veda Anukramani for the Gayatri mantra - Vishwamitra. My point was that the Rig Veda Anukramani shows the possibility of multiple Rishis for a single mantra. – Keshav Srinivasan Aug 30 '17 at 12:34
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@KeshavSrinivasan but question is how was sandhya vandana done before the gayatri mantra which was seen by vishwamitra. so talking of previous manvantaras is not relevant. in this yuga cycle what was done before the gayatri mantra? was sandhya vandana done ? if yes then how was it done is the question. – Rakesh Joshi Aug 30 '17 at 13:03
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@RakeshJoshi For that to be ascertained we need to know in what Mahayuga was Vishwamitra born. As a point of reference, Parashurama was born in the 19th Treta Yuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara, and the birth of Vishwamitra happened at about the same time as the birth of Parashurama's father Jamadagni. – Keshav Srinivasan Aug 30 '17 at 15:17
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2Viswamitra divined the savitr gayatri. Previous to this, people worshipped Indra gayatri and prior to that bramha gayatri. – Aug 31 '17 at 02:35
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1@moonstar2001 has given the precise answer. – Rakesh Joshi Aug 31 '17 at 08:03
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@moonstar2001 What scripture says that? – Keshav Srinivasan Aug 31 '17 at 09:22
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@KeshavSrinivasan kavyakantha ganapti muni's research. – Aug 31 '17 at 10:12
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@moonstar2001 Oh ok, what work of Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni? – Keshav Srinivasan Aug 31 '17 at 13:15
3 Answers
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In every age the Gayatri mantra is heard by a sage named Vishwamitra.. In this section of Ramanujacharya's Sri Bhashya, his commentary on the Brahma Sutras, Ramanujacharya explains how sages with the same names hear the same mantras after undergoing Tapasya:
As words such as Indra and Vasishtha, which denote gods and Rishis, denote (not individuals only, but) classes, and as the creation of those beings is preceded by their being suggested to the creative mind through those words; for this reason the eternity of the Veda admits of being reconciled with what scripture says about the mantras and kândas (sections) of the sacred text having 'makers' and about Rishis seeing the hymns; cp. such passages as 'He chooses the makers of mantras'; 'Reverence to the Rishis who are the makers of mantras'; 'That is Agni; this is a hymn of Visvâmitra.' For by means of these very texts Pragâpati presents to his own mind the characteristics and powers of the different Rishis who make the different sections, hymns, and mantras, thereupon creates them endowed with those characteristics and powers, and appoints them to remember the very same sections, hymns, &c. The Rishis being thus gifted by Pragâpati with the requisite powers, undergo suitable preparatory austerities and finally see the mantras, and so on, proclaimed by the Vasishthas and other Rishis of former ages of the world, perfect in all their sounds and accents, without having learned them from the recitation of a teacher. There is thus no conflict between the eternity of the Veda and the fact that the Rishis are the makers of its sections, hymns, and so on.
The idea is the Brahma uses the Vedas as a blueprint for the creation of the world. In particular Brahma, knowing that certain mantras have certain sages' names associated with them, proceeds to create sages with those very names.
By the way, the fact that the Vedas describe things that are common to every age is the reason why the Vedas seem to refer to specific stories despite being eternal; see my answer here.
Keshav Srinivasan
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This means that even the Jeevas like Bramha have a body and their body is repeated with different jeevas in each kalpa or manvantara. So this means that if my karma is good enough , Even I can become Vishwamitra in nextbirth? – Yogi May 01 '16 at 09:58
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1@Yogi Yes, you can become the next Indra, the next Brahma, the next Vishwamitra, etc. In fact Purva Mimamsakas expended great efforts in trying to become the next Indra. But Moksha is infinitely superior to all of those positions. – Keshav Srinivasan May 01 '16 at 15:21
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Since you have mentioned Savitri in question do you know about Hiranyastupa angirasa and other savitri seers? – Yogi May 01 '16 at 15:47
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@Surya I think age is Mahakalpa for Bramha and Manvatara for Devas, Manu, Rishis etc. That is according to lifetime of Different Jeevatamans. – Yogi Sep 15 '16 at 09:33
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2@RakeshJoshi At least from my perspective as a Sri Vaishnava, I would say no. There is no "next" Vishnu. Vishnu is the eternal Brahman. – Keshav Srinivasan Aug 29 '17 at 11:55
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@KeshavSrinivasan do vedas say Brahma is not eternal but vishnu is ? – Rakesh Joshi Aug 30 '17 at 12:24
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I am afraid this is not a relevant answer. The answer must contain what was the method of sandhya vandan before vishwamitra. – Rakesh Joshi Aug 31 '17 at 08:04
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This would work for each cycle of creation/dissolution. However, the cycle itself does not start with viswamitra. So, this does not answer the question. – Aug 31 '17 at 10:53
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I have heard in one of Courtallam Siddheshwarananda Swamiji's discourses that Indra Gayatri was chanted before Vishwamitra's Tripada Gayatri took precedence.
Vamsi Emani
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In Sandhya vandhanam many slokas are taken from Lord Krishna's period .
Prathar narmadayai namo nisi
Namosthu narmadhe thubhyam trahi maam visha sarpatha
Apa sarpa sarpa bhadram the Dooram gacha maha yasa
Janamejayasya yagnanthe aasthika vachanam smaran
Jarath karer Jarath karvam samuthpanno maha yasa
Aasthika Sathya santho maam pannagebhyo abhi rakshathu.
The above shloka is cited during the Sandhyavandanam ritual as a part of Harihara Vandanam.
So, I think Sandhya vandhanam is just after Dvaapara yuga.
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These shlokas are not recited by all the people. Different sects follow different procedures. This shloka "Janamejayasya" is a part of Harihara Vandanam. This is not followed by all. Some shlokas are added after some cultural conditios. But doesn't mean that there is Sandhyavandanam is just after Dwapara yuga. – Sarvabhouma Aug 29 '17 at 07:41
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No. Sandhya vandanam existed from time immemorial. It is mentioned even in the ramayana which predates dwapara yuga. – Aug 31 '17 at 10:26