The Vishnu Purana - 2 (Part I)

VishnuPurana -1

` prazr< muinvrm! k«tpaEvaRiŸki³ym!

mEÇey> pirpའài[pTyaiÉva* c, 1-1

om paräçaraà munivaram kåtapaurvähëikakriyam

maitreyaù paripapracca praëipatyäbhivädya ca| -1.1

(Maitreya approached Sage Parasara, who duly completed his early morning daily religious rites / sadhana. With great deference, Maitreya prostrated before His guru, Maitreya  and proceeded to pose certain questions, which were vexing his mind.)

There is a similar line in Valmiki Ramayana, where Sri Rama completes His morning observances and approaches. Religious practices and reflection are best taken up in the morning. According to Pancharatra Aagama, the following "PanchakAla Prakriya" is usually followed by all traditionalists and spiritual preceptors:

1)Abhigamana - beginning with the brahma-muhUrta about 4.30 a.m., devoted to the preparatory sequences in the morning (like Sauca (cleansing), snAna (bathing), sandhyA (Sandhyavandana), japa(repetition of mantra), and dhyAna (meditation)).

2)Upaadaana - from about 9 a.m. to 12 noon - spent in collecting the articles necessary for worship (like flowers, tulasi, fruits, etc.), and making preparations for worship. This time is also used for exchange of knowledge in an informal fashion.

3)Ijyaa ( beginning with noontime) devoted to the formal iconic worship elaborately conducted, and partaking of food as naivedya with other devotees

4)Swaadhyaaya (afternoon and evening), spent in the study of scriptures, contemplating on import, teaching scriptures to others, and such activities

5)Yoga (night), devoted to the repetition of the formal iconic worship but briefly conducted, yoga practice (eight-fold practice, ashThAnga yoga), and deep meditation on godhead (dhyAna) before finally resting for the day.  

Ahnika Kriya

Ahnika Kriya generally refers to the Sandhyavandanam routine, through which Celestial Light and Cosmic intelligence are revered thrice daily.  Ahnika also refers to work done in a day.

According to Hindu beliefs, at birth a man is supposed to be more of an animal and lives according to basic urges and instincts and not by discipline, discretion and discernment. However as one grows up, for discharging one’s duties faithfully towards family and society, discipline and the ability to distinguish between ‘dharma and adharma is deemed necessary. So, in the 8 year of birth (after completion of 7 years), usually Gayatri initiation is performed in some communities and thereafter, the inititiate is considered to be a ‘dwija’ (reborn / twice born) into a higher self.

Among the 5 types of rituals / karmas (Nitya, Naimittika, Kaamya, Nishiddha, and Prayaschitta) Sandhyavandana is prescribed as a ‘nityakarma’(daily ritual) and varies according to a person’s caste (different for Brahmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas) and sub-caste. Nityakarmas are to be done purely for the sake of spiritual upliftment, for ensuring inner sanctity, grace of God and breadth of mind. Still, the person who regularly adheres to the Sandhyavandanam routine also gains material benefits, because the prayers for long life, health, prosperity and jnana are all incorporated in the Sandhyavandanam.

Table 1.2  Prayers to Deities

Deity	Bestows	Trikona	Ruling Kendra	Direction
Sun	Arogyam / Health	1,5,9	1	East
Agni	Aishwaryam / Wealth	2,6,10	10	South
Shiva	Jnana / Knowledge	3,7,11	7	West
Vishnu	Moksha / Emancipation	4,8,12	4	North

It is said a single prayer to Sun alone can grant all these benefits to mankind, because, Sun gives health(Arogyam bhaskarichyet…), Agni is Sun’s Adhidevatha and Shiva is Sun’s pratyadhi devatha, while Narayana is the Central Cosmic Energy that causes Sun and Time cycle to exist, as elaborated in

..dhyeyam sadaa  savitrimandala madhya vartiim

narayana sarasijaasana sannivishtaH

In the modern context also Sandhyavandanam proves to be very beneficial, because  pranayama and meditation, which are part of the procedure ensure that physical fitness and de-stressing is automatic. Homam / Fire sacrifice (especially for bachelors), worshiping the Sun as Mitra in the morning and worshiping as Varuna in the evening are other important rituals of Sandhya vandanam.

Sandhya / Granthis

We have already understood, in great detail, the term ‘sandhya; in our previous discussion. If we transpose that knowledge to the field of ‘yoga’, we can easily understand that these three junctions (Sandhyas) of the day, i.e., the sunrise, noon, and sunset correspond to the three knots (granthis)…the Brahma granthi (mooladhara), Vishnu granthi (anahata) and Rudra granthi (agnya), and these junctions / knots are invested with peculiar strength and power, because these are the unions / junctions between Jeevatma and Paramatma. To unravel and advance further into the bewildering yet oddly challenging spiritual night, requires constant sadhana and an inner storing of light / charging of spiritual battery that can guide one ahead unerringly.

This process (for humans) is very similar to that of transference of energy to the Moon from the Sun. At the time of sunset the solar energy comes to reside in Agni, who in turn transfers it to the Moon, to shine during the night. At sunrise, the process is reversed and the energy from the Moon (kala) is gathered by Agni and given to Sun. Thus the amount of Sunlight that we absorb through Agni (prayers) determines how brightly we shine and there is no methodology more powerful than Sandhya vandanam / Gayatri chanting for achieving this. Scriptures also aver that the knowledgeable Brahmin who salutes the Sun god  thrice daily would attain whatever he wants.

Sandhi is the time when the Sun and the stars are visible together. The practical thing therefore will be to commence Sandhya vandanam in the morning before sunrise, and in the evening before sunset.

Nadis & Sandhya

Since time immemorial, the Wise had acknowledged the existence of the nadis Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. These nadis are not physical entities but are part of our astral body and can be seen only by those endowed with special vision. The literal meaning of nadi (Sanskrit ‘nad’ for a river, stream, channel - as in Ganga nadi) is 'flow'.These are psychic nerves or channels for the flow of Prana (active) inside Pingala, Apana (passive)  inside Ida and Kundalini inside Sushumna. Pranayama, which involves alternate breathing through left and right nostrils, is one very effective way to equally and alternately stimulate the left and right sides of the brain, which Pingala and Ida nadis control.

Nadis are said to be in a continued state of agitation during the daytime, but are observed to follow a uniform path during the Sandhya periods. Hence such periods were chosen for Sandhyavandanam to derive maximum concentration.

Scorpio & Transformation

Ideally speaking, suppose we place Jeeva (Jupiter) on lagna at birth, the ceremony should take place when Jupiter is transiting the 8^th house. The 8^th house in Jyotish is thus considered to be a place of deep transformation / rebirth.

Scorpio is peculiar in the sense that perhaps it is the only Water sign lorded by Agni tattwa grahas. It is a well known fact that Agni shows upward spikes, while jala signs indicate downward direction…and like the the heart beat chart plotted by the ECG machine, there is a continuous upward and downward jabs in the chart indicating the graph of life. Indeed, Agni and Jala form the crux of life and in no other sign do they neutralize each other as in Scorpio. No other fire sign is owned by a Jala graha neither is a jala sign owned by fiery planets. So does this indicate equilibrium of these equal and opposing forces?

The term “upa-nayanam’ itself indicates opening / growing of a subsidiary (upa) eye (nayanam) directly referring to the ‘Third eye’. The nature of the ‘third eye’ is, as known to every one, Agni (ruled by Mars & Ketu) and its direction is vertical (urdhva mukha like Agni) and towards moksha, thus Scorpio is a water / Brahmin sign. The Upanayana samskara is also a purificatory rite (Agni & Jala) for the study of the scriptures, which is going to follow, internal cleanliness is mandatory. 

Gayatri Mantra

The most important part of Sandhyavandanam is Gayatri Japam. As the following table illustrates, Gayatri is the most holy  mantra that can activate twenty four glands of the human body, conferring huge benefits / siddhis on the mankind. 

Table :1.3  Devatas of Gayatri mantra

Sign	Ist Parivritti	Devatha	Gland/ granthi	Power/ siddhi	2nd parivritti	Devatha	Gland/ granthi	Power/ siddhi
Aries	Tat	Agni	Tapini	Success	Sya	Twasta	Simhani	Retention
Taurus	Sa	Vayu	Saphalata	Bravery	Dhi	Vasu	Dhyana	Prana/ Life force
Gemini	Vi	Surya	Vishwa	Maintenance/ Administration	Ma	Marut	Maryada	Self-restraint
Cancer	Tur	Akasa	Tushtu	Well being / satisfaction	Hi	Soma	Sphuta	Penance
Leo	Va	Vama	Varada	Yoga	Dhi	Angirasa	Medha	Far sightedness
Virgo	Re	Varuna	Revathi	Love	Yo	Visvedeva	Yogamaya	Awakening
Libra	Ni	Brihaspati	Sookshma	Wealth,Money	Yo	Ashwini	Yogini	Creation
Scorpio	Yam	Parjanya	Gyana	Brilliance	Nah	Prajapati	Dharini	Sweetness
Sagittarius	Bhar	Indra	Bharga	Protection	Pra	Akshara	Prabhava	Ideal
Capricorn	Go	Gandharva	Gomati	Intellect	Cho	Rudra	Ooshma	Courage
Aquarius	Dhe	Pusha	Devika	Suppression	Dha	Brahma	Drishya	Wisdom
Pisces	Va	Mitra	Varahi	Devotion	Yaat	Vishnu	Niranjana	Service/ Unselfishness

In Vedic astrology, the D-24 chart is called Chaturvimsamsa / siddhamsa. Academic excellence and achievements are to be studied from this chart. These 24 syllables of Gayatri mantra, pacify 24 devatas, who are sources of knowledge (Light). It should be recalled at this juncture that Samkhya talked about 24 tattvas that constitute creation   (Prakrti, mahat, ahamkara, mind, the five jnanendriyas, the five karmendriyas, the five tanmatras, the five mahabhutas) which are very similar to the 24 gurus of Dattatreya. These 24 devatas seem to hold the very key to our understanding of Cosmic Concepts.

The first three signs have Agni  Vayu and Surya , the main deities of the tri-vyahriti / Maha vyahriti of Bhur, Bhuvah, Suvah. Sage Yagnyavalka opined that in Gayatri mantra, the “Bhur’ signifies the Head, ‘Bhuvah’ connotes Vision, while ‘Suvah’ symbolises the voice (communication).  

Aries : Agni / Twasta

The symbol of Aries is a ram, because it is the vehicle of the ruling deity Agni. Agni rides a chariot pulled by goats / parrots, which are also signified by Aries. Aries is the first sign because Agni is the First Born and Rajas is the guna associated with creation.  Brahma (creation) had sprung from the navel of Sri Narayana, which is the region of Manipura chakra, whose tattva is basically Agni. Agni has two faces and the first nakshatra of Aries is Ashwini indicative of two faces.

Twasta (Heavenly builder) as deity of Aries indicates the first sign as the Tanu Bhava, or the house indicative of frame or body. Brahma the Creator is also thus associated with the lagna.

The glands activated are Tapini (Success) and Simhani (Retention) respectively, indicating prowess of intellect.

Taurus : Vaayu / Vasu

Taurus’s symbol is the Bull, because Shiva is the tattva devata of Vayu and Bull is his vehicle. For all the beings on earth, Vayu is perhaps the most important thing to sustain life / body. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad there is an instance where in all deities associated with various organs assert that they are the greatest, but eventually realize that they can function only when empowered by Vayu.

VAta, an additional name for Vayu, is the root of the Sanskrit Vatavaran meaning, "atmosphere" of which all the Vasus are a part. The Vasus are the panchabhutas, Sun, Moon and Nakshatras put together, forming the Ashta prakritis / Ashtamurthi Shiva through which the entire creation takes place.

The Mahabharata contains the illustrious tale of the 8th Vasu (Dyaus – representing Akasha), who had to incarnate as Bhishma, the sons of Shantanu and Ganga due to a curse. Because Bhishma represented Akasha tattva, he was considered blemishless and had the boon of iccha mrityu, of virtual imperishability as long as his will permitted. Bhishma was the grand father (Jupiter!) of Kuru dynasty and sung Vishnu Sahasranamam while on death bed.

Vayu  & Duality

Followers of Dvaita philosophy believe that Mukhya-Vāyu incarnated as Madhvacharya, inexorably pointing out that Vayu tattva and the 2^nd house holds the key to duality / individuality.  Thus mind (Moon) and ahamkaara (Rahu) both get exalted in the 2^nd house.

Nakshatras are ruled by Vayu tattva, and Moon is the Lord of nakshatras, while Rahu, being like Shani, also represents Vayu tattva, supplying yet another reason for simultaneous exaltation of Moon and Rahu in Taurus. The learned also opine that Saturn (Vayu) represents a higher vibration of Moon and thus while Moon takes approximately 28 days to travel around the zodiac, Saturn takes around 28 years.

From the above table we can also see that this house is connected to the “dhyana’ granthi’, which directly gives control over Prana or Life force, establishing beyond debate that ‘dhyana’ or meditation is the key to breath control and longevity. This recalls to mind a famous yoga

Tapaswi yoga

When Ketu, Venus and Saturn are in Trines to each other, then it is called Tapaswi yoga.  When two planets are together and third has a strong sambandha / relation with them,  then also tapaswi yoga can manifest.

From the above table, we can see how Venus, the Lord of the second house and Vaayu, the deity of the 2^nd house are interlinked. And we have already discussed how Shiva is the tattva devata of Vayu tattva and linked it to the ‘Vrishabha’…can there be a greater tapaswi than Shiva in the world? So definitely, this yoga has its roots in this combination.

Ketu as the moksha karaka, co-lord of natural 8^th house, and an agni tattva graha, represents Tapo-Agni or the fire of penance, which is very crucial in the formation of Tapaswi yoga. The 2^nd house directly aspects the 8^th house, which is the natural house of Tapasya and Transformation, hence Tapaswi yoga is built around the 2-8 axis. 

Example : Chart of Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswati 

 

  In the chart of Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswati, the Kanchi Paramacharya, there is perfect formation of Tapaswi yoga across 2-8 axis in the rasi chart. There is a wonderful tapaswi yoga in the Navamsa also, involving Taurus, the natural 2^nd house. It is small wonder that He was worshipped as ‘The Walking God’.