How to Do Sandhyavandanam | Surya Namaskaram in Eleven Steps

In the previous post, I have explained the meaning and importance of performing SandhyAvandanam. Now, I am going to tell you about the method of performing Sandhyavanadanam in a very simple manner. The whole process of doing it may take 10 minutes approximately through these 11 steps which I came to know through an elder member of our family.

The article may be long as I am trying to explain it in a clear manner. But, once you understand the method, it will become very easy for you to perform it quickly.

This SandhyAvandanam is to be performed only by men after they become eligible for it by way of undergoing the sacred thread ceremony (Upanayanam).

This sacred thread will be always on your body after once it is worn to you till your death. When it becomes old and torn, it needs to be replaced from time to time chanting the Gayatri mantra as prescribed by the Vedas. You need to wear the traditional men's dhoti and kanduva after having your bath in the morning and wear tilak on your forehead before performing the early morning session of Sandhyavandanam.


Items Required for Sandhyavandan

• Dhoti and Kanduva (for wearing to perform the ritual)
• YajnOpavita (this is essential for performing the ritual)
• One vessel (rounded pot either of steel, bronze, copper, etc.) or even a tumbler for holding water
• One empty plate for dropping water
• Another deep plate or wide bowl containing water for 'TarpaNam' purpose

11 Steps for Performing Sandhyavanadanam 

While performing this SandhyAvandanam, face towards the east at the morning and mid-day times; and towards the north at the evening time.


Step 1

Take a vessel (of rounded pot shape, generally) filled with water and a spoon in it for doing the Achamana. Also, take another shallow, deep plate for dropping the water into it while performing the SandhyAvandanam particularly if you are doing it inside the room so as to not wet the room.

Step 2
Purify yourself chanting this hymn and sprinkling some drops of water on your head with your right thumb.

"Apavitra pavitrOva sarvAvasthAngatOpiva, yah smarEt PundareekAksham sa bAhyAbhyantara suchihi". 

Otherwise, you may simply say "PundareekAkshAya Namah" 3 times and drop water on your head 3 times.

Step 3

Aachamanam

Sip water 3 times chanting these 3 names of God. You will take a little water each time into your palm with the spoon and sip it from the rear end of the palm.

The three names are "achyutAya Namah, anantAya Namah, and govindAya Namah".

Then, recite another 12 names of God knwon as the dwAdasha nAma of Lord Vishnu as below:

"Om kEsavAya namah, Om nArAyanAya namah, Om mAdhavAya namah, Om gOvindAya namah, Om vishnavE namah, Om madhusUdanAya namah, Om trivikramAya namah, Om vAmanAya namah, Om sreedharAya namah, Om hrisheekEshAya namah, Om padmanAbhAya namah, Om dAmOdarAya namah".

Step 4 

Pranayama (the breathing exercise)

Perform this exercise of prAnAyAmam chanting the below-mentioned mantra of Gayatri while inhaling and exhaling the air at each break of the mantra.

"Om bhooh, Om bhuvah, Om suvah, Om mahah,
Om janah, Om tapah, Om satyam,
Om tat savitru varENyam, bhargO dEvasya dheemahi
dhiyO yOnah prachOdayAt"

Recite this one also: "Om aapO jyOti rasOmrutam Brahma bhoor bhuva suvarOm"

Step 5
Sankalpam (the act of determining to perform something)

This step states the location of your place, year, season, time, and your name etc.
"Hari Om, Sri MahaVishnO raajyayA  pravarta mAnasya adyah BrahmaNah dwiteeya parArdhE,
swEta varAha kalpE, vaivasvata manvantarE kaliyugE, prathama pAdE, jamboo dweepE, bharatavarshE, bharatakhandE, mErOh dakshiNa dik bhAgE, gangaakAvErOr madhya dEshE,
Sreerangasya uttara pradEsE (here you need to tell the location of your town or village), asmin grihE, asya vyavahArika chAndramAsEna, SaShtee savatsarAnAm madhyE, ..........(tell the year's name here), ......... (tell whether it is UttarAyan or dakshiNAyan), ............. (tell the season name), ....... (month's name), ......... (name of the fortnight), ........... (day's name), sree bhagavadAgNAyA bhagavat kainkarya roopam prAtah sandhyA upAshiSyE.

(This "prAtah Sandhya" word is applicable at morning sandhyAvandanam only. At midday, you will tell madhyAhna sandhyA upAshiSyE and at evening time, you need to tell sAyam sandhyA upAshiSyE)

Step 6
SamprOkshaNam and Surya namaskAram

Sprinkle water on your head with your right thumb reciting the following:
"AapOhistA mayO bhuvah, tAna oorjE dadhAtana, mahE raNAya chakshasE yOvashshivatamOrasah,
tasya bhAjayatE hanah, ushateeriva mAtarah, tasyAm arangamAmavO, yasyakshayAya jinvadhA, AapOjanayadhAchanah".

Folding your hands to Sun God,
"sooryascha mAmanyuscha, manyu patayascha, manyu krutEbhyah, pApEbhyO rakshamtAm,
yadrAtryAt pApamakArSam, manasA, vAchA, hastAbhyAm, padbhyAm, udarENa, shishnA,
rAtri stadavalumpatu, yatkincha duritam mayi, idam aham mAm amruta younau,
soorye jyOtiSi juhOmi swAhA"

Take water with your both hands and drop through your fingers towards Sun.

Step 7
Repeat the Aachamana process as mentioned at step 3 and do prAnAyAmam also.

Step 8
Arghya PradAnam

This is the process of welcoming Sun God offering water.

Recite "Sri bhagavadAjnayA, sri bhagavad kaimkaryArtham, sandhyAm uddishya, arghya pradAnam kariSyE".

Take water into your hands and recite this "Om bhoorbhuvassuvah, Om tatsavitruvarENyam, bhargO dEvasya dheemahi, dhiyOyOnah prachOdayAt". Now drop the water through your fingers.

Perform this act of offering water another two times.

Now welcoming the GAyatri:

Recite "Sri bhagavadAjnayA sri bhagavad Kaimkary roopam GAyatri mahAmantra japam kariSyE.

Touch water with your middle finger and fold your hands to Goddess while reciting these lines:

"praNavasya parabrahma rishihi, dEvi GAyatri chandah, paramAtmA srimannArAyaNO dEvatA,
aayaatu varadA dEvi, akSaram brahmasammitam, GAyatrim, chhandasAm, mAtEdam brahma rishah svamE OzOsi, sahOsi, balamasi, bhrAjOsi, dEvAnAmnAma nAmAsi, visvamasi, vishvAyuh, sarvamasi, sarvAyuh abhibhoorOm".

Pointing your hands towards your heart, recite the following:
"Om gAyatreem AvAhayAmi, Om sAvitreem AvAhayAmi, Om saraswateem AvAhayAmi,
daivee gaayatree chhandah prANAyAmE viniyOgah".

Step 9
Japam

Recite this mantra 10 times:
"Om bhoorbhuvassuvah Om tatsavitruvarENyam, bhargOdEvasya dheemahi, dhiyOyOna prachOdayAt".

After 10 times, do the prAnAyAmam again.

Step 10
Tarpanam (offering water with both hands)

"sri bhagavadAjnayA bhagavatkaimkarya roopam dEvatA tarpaNam kariSyE"

Touch the water with your middle finger. Then take water each time with your both hands and offer it to the Gods after each name while chanting the below-mentioned names.
Om kEshavam tarpayAmi
Om nArAyaNam tarpayAmi
Om mAdhavam tarpayAmi
Om gOvindam tarpayAmi
Om vishNum tarpayAmi
Om madhusoodanam tarpayAmi
Om trivikramam tarpayAmi
Om vAmanam tarpayAmi
Om sreedharam tarpayAmi
Om hrisheekesham tarpayAmi
Om padmanAbham tarpayAmi
Om daamOdaram tarpayAmi
Om sarvE dEvAnAm tarpayAmi
Om pitru dEvatAm tarpayAmi

Step 11
SandhyOpasthAnam (Requesting Goddess GAyatri to return to her abode after blessing us)

Recite the following with folded hands:
"uttamE shikharee dEvi, bhoomyAm parvata moordhani
brAhmaNEbhyO anujnAtA gachcha dEvi yAdAsukham
chatussAgara paryamtam gObrAhmaNEbhyah subham bhavatu"

This ending sloka is about the affirmation of performing everything with a pure heart and dedication to God expecting no results
.
"kAyEna vAchA manasEndriyairvA bhudhyAtmanAvA prakritE svabhAvAt
karOmi yadyat sakalam parasmai nArAyaNEti samarpayAmi".

So, this is the procedure of doing the sandhyavandanam in a simple manner which takes only 10 minutes of your time when you become habituated by performing it continuously for 4, 5 days.

Recently, I found a very detailed, in-depth information regarding all the rituals performed by Brahmins including Vaishnavas at page no. 267 to 322 of this link:
https://archive.org/stream/castestribesofso01thur/castestribesofso01thur_djvu.txt