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"sandhyAvandanam" and Mani

From the Bhakti List Archives

sudarshan madabushi • August 3, 1999 


Mani writes in response to my note:

"But I cannot see any reason to disagree with
Alvar and Swami PV Pillai when they declare that sandhyAvandanam must
done with bhakti and with reflection on the kalyANa-guNas of PerumaaL.

It seems your position is that it is ok to do sandhyAvandanam without
thinking of PerumaaL. I respectfully request pramANa-s from acharyas'
writings in the Sri Vaishnava sampradAya. In the meantime, I will take
Swami Periyavaaccaan Pillai's explanation over yours."

*********      ***********        ************

Wrong! You've read me completely wrong, Mani.

My position is stark and simple. I repeat it here for the sake of clarity:

(1) Between performing 'sandhyAvandanam' imperfectly (for whatever 
reasonsÂ…good, bad and indifference) and not performing it at allÂ… the former 
is better than the latter. For less than perfect performance (resulting from 
either inadvertence or incompetence) there is "prayaschitta". There is none, 
however, for non-performance.

(2) Our duty to perform "visEsha-bhagavath-kainkaryam" supersedes the duty 
of "nitya-karma" only in the order of sequence and not in the order of 
importance.

If the above 2 positions of mine are consistent with whatever you opine are 
the venerable PVP's views in the matter then you and I have no disagreement 
at all.

BTW, I have not read the PVP quote in the original and hence I do not know 
what is the exact context in which he may have written it. Nothing that I 
have written here or before is in any way disrespectful of the "mahAn". Nor 
was my note intended to nettle you. And I can't see why I must quote 
"pramANam" for these positions I take since they are so fundamental to Vedic 
precept.

Am I clear now?

Sudarshan


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