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Krishna Kalale • August 7, 1995 


The following is my answer to the question :


Question asked by Parthasarathy:

 	Also, can someone clarify if we can say the Gayathri mantram
without its preceding mantrams, For instance can I just say the gayathri
everyday without all the slokas in the sandhyavandhanam. I have heard
people subscribing to both schools of thought. (the Gayathri mantram
can be said only after the proper invocation to Mother Gayathri has
been said before it vs. Gayathri mantram is powerful by itself without
any need for other slokas to precede it, etc...)

				Thanks
						parthasarathy


ANswer:

Every mantra has a Rishi,chandas and devata.  A mantra's power does not
manifest itself appropriately if obeissance is not paid to Rishi, chandas
and devata. this holds for gayatri mantra too.  the preceding mantras 
are the ones which are dedicated for this purpose.  One has to do sandhyavandana
according to those rules.  In fact even gayatri mantra has to be meditated
thinking about the meaning of it - like any japa.  " tajjapaha tadartha
bhavanam" - pathanjali yoga sutra - w hich indicates japa means contemplating
the meaning of the mantra in addition to repeating it many times. 

Note the general rule of bhagawadgita -

this is in the 17th chapter:

arjuna asks " what if one does a karma (like sandhyavandana) without paying
attention to the krama (methodology) but if he is sincere?"  the answer
to this indicates that this method only indicates a rajasic method and 
sattvic method of performing a karma is only as dictated by the shastras i
ie by preceding japa with appropriate mantras.  

my sincere belief is that one has to take gayatri mantras and sandhyavandana
krama seriously.  it is as serious as our work commitments.  we have to
make time for it.  

I feel and know as per our acharyas,  gayatri mantras alone wont cut it. it 
has to be preceded and followed by appropriate avahana and upasthana mantras
as taught by our acharyas.

sri krishnarpanam astu



By the way,  one has to do agnikaryas - bramhacharis should do samita danam
and grihastas should do - aupasana.  I feel ashamed that I dont do aupasana
as I am a grihasta. I wish I could do that also.  I hope some day I get the
capacity to arrange all my work life and personal life to allocate time and
energy to do this also.  I would not say that it is impossible. but definitely
all these depends on one own personal conditions - job situation, or work load
or education load or whatever. Given these restrictions we should make an
honest effort.



krishna