24. M for Mathematics: Everyday in the Madhanhika/noon time Sandhyavandhanam we pray to the sun god to give us 100 years of life. Pashyema sharadash-shatam,Jeevema sharadash-shatam,nandaama sharadash-shatam, modaama sharadash-shatam, bhavaama sharadash-shatam, shrunavama sharadash-shatam, prabravaama sharadash-shatam, ajeetaasyaama sharadash-shatam, jok cha sooryam drushe is a beautiful mantra.(Meaning: We must be able to see, live, speak, hear, enjoy, praise the glory of god for one hundred years). Even Kannadasan has used it in one of the Tamil film songs as Nuuraanduk kaalam vaazka, Noy nodi illaamal vaazka நூறாண்டு காலம் வாழ்க, நோய் நொடி இல்லாமல் வாழ்க. I used to wonder how we use decimal system even in our dally prayers. In addition to it, we pray to Lord Ganesh as Surya Koti Samaprabha meaning He is as brilliant as 10 million suns. Now the astronomers say that millions of stars in the sky are suns! Even when someone curses they say “ that must break in to Hundred pieces “ (decimal again). For using mathematics in daily prayers ,we must get a place in the book of Records. Tell me which culture uses the decimal system in the daily prayers?
25. N for Numbers : Brahmins read Vishnu or Lalitha or Shiva Sahasranamam (decimal system again). But they have found the mystic number 9. So instead of just 100 or just 1000 they added 8 to make it 108, 1008. Even when Gayatri is recited in the daily Sandhya we do 108 or 1008.
26. N for Nature Worship : Worship of nature is part of Hinduism. Sun light, particularly Sandhya/twilight, gives us a lot of peace. It elevates our thoughts. Newer and newer meanings are found for the mantras and our practices at that time .A Brahmin does it every day if he sticks to the saying Kaanaamal konaamal kandu kodu காணாமல் கோணாமல் கண்டு கொடு. (Kaanaamal- without seeing the sun-just before sunrise, konaamal-without getting your shadow-exactly at 12 noon, kandu-seeing the sun-just before sunset, kodu-give the water argyam-do Sandhyavandhanam).
27. O for OM: Hundreds of pages of articles are available to understand the greatness of this primordial sound. From The Vedas to The Gita, we read it, we recite it. A Brahmin recites this in the Sandhyavandhanam a number of times. Who else does it every day?
Don’t we deserve a place in the Book of Records for all the above categories?
28. P for Pranayamam: Pranayamam is part of our daily Sandhya. By this breathing exercise we increase our life span. Now the Yoga, Meditation and TM of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi are taught throughout the western world. Even if I want to learn it in London, most of the teachers available are British Whites! If you have learnt it from your father or family priest, your mental health will be far better than many people. Probably in100 year time foreigners will be teaching Pranayama to us in India.
25. N for Numbers : Brahmins read Vishnu or Lalitha or Shiva Sahasranamam (decimal system again). But they have found the mystic number 9. So instead of just 100 or just 1000 they added 8 to make it 108, 1008. Even when Gayatri is recited in the daily Sandhya we do 108 or 1008.
26. N for Nature Worship : Worship of nature is part of Hinduism. Sun light, particularly Sandhya/twilight, gives us a lot of peace. It elevates our thoughts. Newer and newer meanings are found for the mantras and our practices at that time .A Brahmin does it every day if he sticks to the saying Kaanaamal konaamal kandu kodu காணாமல் கோணாமல் கண்டு கொடு. (Kaanaamal- without seeing the sun-just before sunrise, konaamal-without getting your shadow-exactly at 12 noon, kandu-seeing the sun-just before sunset, kodu-give the water argyam-do Sandhyavandhanam).
27. O for OM: Hundreds of pages of articles are available to understand the greatness of this primordial sound. From The Vedas to The Gita, we read it, we recite it. A Brahmin recites this in the Sandhyavandhanam a number of times. Who else does it every day?
Don’t we deserve a place in the Book of Records for all the above categories?
28. P for Pranayamam: Pranayamam is part of our daily Sandhya. By this breathing exercise we increase our life span. Now the Yoga, Meditation and TM of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi are taught throughout the western world. Even if I want to learn it in London, most of the teachers available are British Whites! If you have learnt it from your father or family priest, your mental health will be far better than many people. Probably in100 year time foreigners will be teaching Pranayama to us in India.
