Sandhya Vandanam Gayatri Vidya and Enlightenment

The fundamental doctrine of all the Vedas is that the embodied soul (Jivatma) and the super-soul (Paramatma) are one and the same. However, one cannot realise this unity of Jivatma and Paramatma without the purification of the mind and intellect. The Vedas have laid down various rituals (Karma) and worships (Upasana) for the purification of inner being. Sandhya Vandanam is one such obligatory and purificatory ritual. Sandhya Vandanam Mantras release the human soul bound by triple cord (physical, verbal and mental) of sin through the divine power of Agni, Surya and Varuna. The one who performs Sandhya Vandanam daily with necessary discipline is called Dvija, the twice-born. This ritual gradually wipes out all worldly impressions from the mind and bestows purity. Daily performance of this ritual constantly enhances the divine faculties and facilitates the evolution of the embodied soul. Practice of Sandhya Vandanam confers inner strength to lead a righteous life free from six vices. Due to the efficacy of this ritual, the initiated one overcomes the evil influence of the hostile forces and does not fall prey to worldly temptations.

Though Sandhya ritual effaces worldly impressions from the mind, yet it is an extrovert path which seeks higher kind of happiness in the three lower worlds of matter, life and mind. The mental intelligence in these three lower worlds is diversified and is incapable of arriving at the unity. The main theme of the Vedas is to elevate the soul from these three lower worlds into the three higher worlds of Sat, Chita and Ananda where the mental intelligence is unified and free from falsehood. Mundane life is characterised by life associated with three lower worlds where vision perceives diversity while spiritual life is characterised by life associated with three higher worlds where vision perceives unity.