Dr.R.Nagaswamy lightgrey Sandhy¡ The Brahmins of India offer prayers called Sandhy¡-vandanam, daily three times. According to the ancient code, this Sandhy¡ should be offered daily. Aharahah sandhy¡m up¡sita This Sandhy¡ prayer is addressed to Savit¡ - the Sun. The Brahmin who adores the Sun Ëditya as Brahman, when it rises in the morning and sets in the evening, obtains all auspicious accomplishments, says Taittirya Br¡hma¸am. Udyantam astam y¡ntam ¡dityam abhidhy¡yan kurvan br¡hma¸o vidv¡n sakalam bhadram asnute That indicates the importance of Sandhy¡ in Indian life. The Sandhy¡ worship speaks about the greatness of and adoration of Sun from the beginning to the end. G¡yatr¢ The first and most important hymn used repeatedly during this Sandhy¡ worship is the G¡yatr¢ hymn, which is a prayer to Savit¡, the Sun, for the conferment of knowledge Om Tat savitur var®¸yam bharg° d®vasya dh¢mah¢ Dhiy° y° nah prac°day¡t It prays that the sun should inspire knowledge in men. The rising sun dispels darkness and makes men rise from their slumber and realize the happenings around them; they were ignorant of what was happening during their sleep at night that is dark. Ignorance is compared always to darkness and dawn of knowledge to brightness. The Sandhy¡ hymn is for dispelling darkness, a function attributed to Sun. Na¶ar¡j¡, the dispeller of Darkness The same function is also attributed to Na¶ar¡ja, dancing on the back of the Dwarfish demon. The dwarf represents ignorance that is removed when the Lord manifests. It is interesting that the term used to denote the dwarf is Apa-sm¡ra i.e. to forget. (smarati to remember. Apa sm¡ra the knowledge that escapes) The faculty of knowledge exists in man even in sleep. But the happenings around escape his faculty of knowledge. So his mind is veiled in darkness. This is the tir°dh¡na i.e concealment of man's faculty of perception. The Dancing God also removes the veil as he emerges dancing on the dwarf. This culminates in anugraha, conferring grace. Sun is Brahman, In terms of V®d¡ntic doctrine, this Sun who appears in the ambaram, the visible sky is the Supreme Brahman. The following recitation is included in the Sandhy¡ vandanam Asau ¡dityo brahma. This Sun is Brahman. Brahma ®va aham asmi. I am that Brahman. (The consciousness in me is that Supreme Brahman). The worship of Na¶ar¡ja is invariably claimed as V®dic and the essence of the V®d¡ntic doctrine. The dikÀitas - the worshipping priests of Chidambaram - hold that the worship of Na¶ar¡ja at Chidamabram is according to V®dic tradition. The Dance of Na¶ar¡ja is called Jµ¡n¡nanda t¡n·avam The Inner and Outer Space The G¡yatr¢ prayer is also recited three times a day. This prayer has two spheres, the external sky where Ëditya appears and the inner consciousness, where knowledge appears, which is also called Brahman. This concept is also reflected in the dance of áiva. The temple of Chidambaram has two parts. One is the external Ambaram, the Great hall where the devotees stand and see the Lord and the other inner ambalam, the inner hall, where the dancing god is placed. The former is P®r-ambalam, the Great hall, identical with the external space where Ëditya appears and the other is Chid-ambalam, the hall of inner consciousness. The Ëditya who is Param Jy°ti, the Supreme luminary, is Na¶ar¡ja. This prayer, "This Ëditya is Brahman", and "I am that Brahman" (asau ¡dityo Brahma, Brahma eva aham asmi,) is also repeated three times daily by the V®dic Brahmins. It leads on to the metaphysics of Na¶ar¡ja. The morning prayer A major prayer follows on all the three sandhis (three times of the day). The V®dic hymn beginning with Mitrasya carshi¸i drutah is the one recited in the morning. According to it, S£rya leads men knowing all their actions. (Mitro jan¡n y¡tayati praj¡nan). He is also the supporter of earth and heaven. (Mitro dh¡t¡r¡ prithv¢m uta dhy¡m). This Mitra is Ëditya Sun (payasv¡n yas ta ¡dityah sikÀati vrat®na). This main prayer in the morning is thus addressed to S£rya Ëditya. The Mid-day prayer The prayer in the noon begins ¡ satyena rajas¡. S£rya is called in this hymn Uttamam Jy°tis, the Supreme Luminary that dawns, swallowing the darkness. Those adoring him will attain supreme self-light. This famous divine J¡ta-v®das (J¡tavedas deva) is carried high and high by the rays-horses- for better visibility. He rises above the darkness as a supreme light (udvayam tamasah pari pasyant° jy°tir uttamam). S£rya is like eyes to Mitra, Varu¸a and Agni (cakÀuh Mitrasya Varu¸asya Agneh). This most beautiful God ascends to great heights. He is the soul of inert and moving objects. He remains encompassing earth, heaven and intermediate space (Ëpr¡-dy¡v¡-prthv¢ antarilkÀam). The Sun is the soul of the Universe (S£rya ¡tm¡ jagatah). We shall see this S£rya for one hundred winters. (pa¿y®ma saradas satam). We shall delight one hundred winters. We shall hear about him for one hundred winters. We shall live victorious for one hundred winters. We shall be delighted to see him for one hundred winters. This S£rya who is Lohit¡ksa (whose eyes are red), who is the embodiment of knowledge (Vipascit) who is V¤Àhabha, rises from the great ocean (mahatah ar¸av¡t) from the middle of the waters salilasya madhy¡t, shining (vibhr¡jam¡na) should purify us. This Vedic hymn is of very great significance in the concept of Na¶ar¡ja. áurya is called L°hit¡kÀha whose eye is red. áiva's third eye in his forehead is Agni and hence he is red eyed L°hit¡kÀha. S£rya is called V¤shabha the Supreme Bull (sam¡ v¤Àhabha). áiva is also called Nandi in the V®das and T®v¡ram hymns. S£rya encompasses earth, heaven and the intermediate space. Na¶ar¡ja dances with his leg planted on earth, and his head touching the top of the circular halo, symbolic of heaven and earth while himself encompasses the intermediate space spreading his matted locks of hair flying in all directions and his hands moving in directions. His ja¶as are said to represent all the intermediate directions. ¡pr¡-dy¡v¡-prthv¢-antarikÀham . It is a graphic portrayal of the concept of Na¶ar¡ja in V®dic hymn. Na¶ar¡ja dances on the dwarf, the demon of darkness. S£rya rises above the darkness Tamasah upari udvayam. S£rya is the soul of all living beings. S£rya ¡tm¡ jagatah tastuÀha¿ca. Na¶ar¡ja is the soul of all living beings. He is also called the Lord of all, Pasupati. S£rya rises from the midst of the great oceanic waters. Ya udag¡t mahatah ar¸av¡t vibhr¡jam¡nah salilasya madhy¡t In the figure of Na¶ar¡ja the circular halo issues from the mouth of the makara-crocodile representing this great oceanic waters. The presence of two makaras, shown at the beginning of the halo, is totally identical with the concept that Na¶ar¡ja-S£rya emanating from the Waters. S£rya is called the Supreme luminosity Jy°tih uttamam. Na¶ar¡ja is called the Supreme Jy°ti-alahil jyotiyan. Na¶ar¡ja is shown surrounded by a halo of flames to indicate that he is the Supreme jy°ti among the stars and planets. In some Na¶ar¡ja images 27 flames are represented on the halo to indicate the 27 stars, as he is the Lord of all the luminaries. He is the dancer in the ambara, the space. The evening prayer The evening prayer of the Sandhy¡ hymn is addressed to Varu¸a to be meditated in the S£rya-ma¸·ala, the orbit of the sun. We have seen that Sun is addressed as the eye of Varu¸a. The evening prayer worshipping Varu¸a, according to all authorities, is a prayer to S£rya. The Lord of South, Following the prayer there are other hymns and stotras addressed to Yama facing south: Yam¡ya dharmar¡j¡ya mrityav® ca antak¡ya ca Vaivasvat¡ya k¡l¡ya sarvabh£ta kÀhay¡ya ca Audumbarar¡ya dadhn¡ya n¢l¡ya param®Àh¶in® V¤k¸dar¡ya citr¡ya citragupt¡ya t® namah Among the attributes of Yama mentioned in this verse that deserve special attention are M¤ityu (death), K¡la (Time), Param®Àh¶in (the Supreme to be adored) and Antaka (one who causes the end), and Dharmar¡ja (giver of righteous knowledge). Mrityu as mentioned is also the significant name of áiva as Rudra. He is called K£¼¼uvan in Tamil. Similarly K¡l¡, Antaka, and Param®Àh¶in are also found commonly employed for Rudra and S£rya. Yama is the Lord of the South and the Lord of Dharma (Dharmar¡ja). áiva as Dakshi¸¡m£rti is the Lord of South and is the preacher of Dharma, the áiva-dharma. The dharma taught by áiva is a body of literature known as Ëgamas. The essence of the ¡gamas and dharma is Lord Na¶ar¡ja, who is portrayed above the image of Dakshi¡m£rti. Na¶ar¡ja is also the Lord of south, and faces south. It is interesting to mention that áiva's form of Rudra as K¡la is assigned to the southern direction. The image of Na¶ar¡ja both in sculpture and in bronze is invariably placed in the southern direction facing south. It may also be mentioned that there exists close relationship between K¡la-mukha and Na¶ar¡ja, both oriented south (See my article on Blanket worship- Na¶ar¡ja and K¡lamukhas Krishna Pingala of the North The next verse of Sandhy¡, is a Vedic hymn addressed, facing north. Îitam satyam param brahma puruÀham krish¸a pingalam Írdhva-r®tam vir£p¡kÀham vi¿vsrup¡ya vai namah This Vedic passage is of utmost importance to Hindu Iconography. It speaks of Supreme existence who is called PuruÀha. (Param Brahma PuruÀham) This Supreme Brahman is of dual nature, black (K¤ish¸a) and red (Pi´gala). Evidently it refers to the Sun whose brightness and darkness are spoken as black and red (Krish¸a and Pi´gala). This dual form is known in Vedic period as Agn¡-ViÀh¸u and later as Harihara. Also please note the use of the names Urdhvar®tas, Vir£p¡kÀha, and Vi¿var£pa all addressed to S£rya and áiva Na¶ar¡ja N¤simhat¡pin¢ UpaniÀhad Further light is thrown on this subject by the Nrsimha t¡pin¢ UpaniÀhad, one of the 108 UpaniÀhads. It identifies this Krish¸a form as N¤kesari-vigraha, the Narasimha form of ViÀh¸u. It is Sun who is N¡r¡ya¸a - Narasimha. This KriÀh¸a is also Pi´gala, the form of áiva. The UpaniÀhad makes him identical with áiva in Harihara form by calling him Sankara, Um¡pati and Pa¿upati, Pinaki and Am¤tadyuti. Îitam satyam param brahma puruÀham n¤k®sari-vigraham K¤iÀh¸a-pi¸galam £rdhva-r®tam vir£p¡kÀham áankaram Um¡patim Pa¿upatim Pi¸akinam hi amita-dyutim This hymn identifying K¤ish¸a-Pi¸gala with N¤k®sari and Pa¿upati is a citation from Yajur-v®da, according to the above UpaniÀhad. This passage clearly establishes that Narasimha form of ViÀhnu is derived from Sun and that Sun is K¤iÀh¸a and also Pi´gala, Pa¿upati and that he is identical with Um¡pati, áankara who is also known by other names like Nila-lohita, Pasupati, Pinakin and Am¤tadyuti (Immortal light). 11.The Finale The final prayer addressed during Sandhy¡ vandana facing east (or west in the evening) is a stotra. It is important as it gives the main import of the Sandhy¡ worship. It reads, Namah savitre jagad-®ka-cakÀhuÀhe jagat pras£ti sthiti n¡¿a h®tave Tray¢-may¡ya tri-gun¡tma dh¡rine Virinci-N¡r¡ya¸a-áankara-atman® "i.e. Salutations to Savit¡, the sole eye of the universe, the Cause of world's creation, sustenance and dissolution, the essence of the V®das, of the nature of three gu¸as (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas) and who is of the form of Brahm¡, N¡r¡ya¸a, and áankara." This final salutation is again to Savit¡, the Sun. He is called the only eye of the world. (Jagad ®ka-cakÀhuh). He is the cause of creation, sustenance, and dissolution of the world (jagat pras£ti sthti n¡¿a h®tu) He is of the nature of V®das (Trayi-maya) he is of the nature of three gu¸as (Tri-gu¸¡tma-dh¡rin). He is indeed Brahm¡, ViÀh¸u and áiva (Viriµci-N¡r¡ya¸a-áankara- ¡tman). Finally he resides in the orbit of Savit¡ ( Savitru-ma¸·ala madhya varti). The functions of creation, sustenance and dissolution are the acts of Na¶ar¡ja who dances in the Jy°tir-ma¸·ala. Na¶ar¡ja combines in himself the functions of the Trinities, Brahm¡, ViÀh¸u and áiva. Thus Sun is adored under the same concepts in the Sandhy¡-vandana that constitute the metaphysics of Na¶ar¡ja. 12.Tradition According B°dh¡yana, the ancient s£tra-k¡ra, who has given a code of conduct for daily life, Sandhy¡ represents the Trim£rtis, is pure, beyond m¡y¡ and that which creates this Universe. Ya Sandhy¡ sa jagat s£tih m¡y¡t¢ta sunishkal¡ Aisvari k®val¡ ¿aktih m£rtitraya samudbhav¡ The emanation is from M£rti-traya, the Trim£rtis Brahm¡, ViÀh¸u and áiva S¡vitri UpaniÀhad: Amrit¡ra-kara-tal¡drau sarva-saµj¢van¡·yau agha-hara¸a -sudakÀhau v®da-s¡r®-may£ke Pra¸ava-maya- vik¡rau Bh¡skar¡=k¡ra=d®hau satatam anubhav®ham tau bal¡tibal¡ntau Poº tika«um m®nip purica·ai pu¸¸iyanum Niº¼u ulakam t¡ya ne·um¡lum eº¼um Iruvar angatt¡l tirivar®lum oruvaº Oruvaº angattu en¼um u½aº -- Poikai ¡«v¡r Though the sacred personality of áiva of matted locks, whose body is red in colour, and the Great Lord Trivikrama, who measured the three worlds, move in two different spheres, each in effect is a part of the others body." says one of the early Vsishnavite Saints, Poykai ¡"v¡r. Another famous VaiÀh¸avite saint Thiruma´gai ¡«v¡r, echoes the same concept as : P¡r uruvil n¢r eri k¡l visumpum ¡ki palv®¼u samayam ¡yp parantu niº¼a Er uruvil m£varume eººa niº¼a imayavar tan tiru vuruv® ¼e¸¸um p°tu Or uruvam poº uruvam oº¼u cent¢ oº¼u m¡ ka¶al uruvam ottu niº¼a M£uruvam ka¸¶a p°tu oº¼¡m j°ti mukil uruvam emama¶ka1/2 uruvam t¡n® In mundane level the one who appears as earth, air, fire, water and space and spreads into various religious formulas, appears as divine in three forms among the celestials. When one reflects on these forms, one form is golden in colour (Brahm¡), one is glowing fire in colour (áiva) and the other is like the deep blue ocean (ViÀ¸nu). Finally it is the one same lord in the form of Supreme effulgent Sun! Conclusion I have shown earlier that the nature of the dance of áiva i.e is the dance of S£rya who performs the samasta samh¡ra, by entering the Solar orbit, S£rya-ma¸·ala. This has been pointedly mentioned in the K£rma pur¡¸a. Also the story of Mankanaka told in K£rma pur¡¸a shows that, while áiva is the Primordial entity, his inherent power is Y°ga-m¡y¡, variously called Par¡-¿akti and Vidy¡-d®ha. One attains Supreme Knowledge, Jµ¡na that is identical with bliss, ¡nanda at the end. The conclusion is inevitable that it is the adoration of Sun in all his V®d¡ntic form that flowers into the dance of áiva.