Sandhya is mainly a prayer to God for uplifting spirits, steeling ones nerves and developing a well- rounded personality without angularities. To let a non-Sanskrit person understand the meaning of Sandhya in correct perspective we may call it the Vedic prayer wherein Ved Mantras are recited and meditated upon. The aim of praying to God is to have a communion with him. It is through Sandhya that we acquire an extra-ordinary proximity to the Almighty who is Omnipresent without making an appearance in any form or figure. An individual attains a real closeness to Him through the Vedic prayer and thus achieves a tremendous sense of happiness. It is spiritual happiness. One may say that it is happiness of both the soul and the body. This kind of celestial joy is to be experienced in order to understand what it really is. It cannot be described in mere words.

The Vedic Sandhya also includes Pranayam. Pranayam means control of the life giving breath which in Sanskrit is called `Pran Vayu. With Pranayam being an integral part of Vedic prayer, it helps the praying person to achieve perfect coordination of body and mind. It also motivates a man or a woman to think of the cosmos, the social fabric and the living beings all around. Generation of the spirit for social work is a natural corollary of spiritual attainment. A spiritually enlightened person will never be a loner or a social outcast like a rogue elephant ousted by the herd. An individual who recites the Vedic prayer twice a day, understanding import of the Ved mantras in totality will also not suffer from depression. The praying person will always be upbeat and his morale will be sky high because of his mental proximity to the Almighty.

Sociologists call human beings social animals. Of course, human beings do have animal instincts but they are a lot different from animals. Human beings not only have superior intellect but they also put that intellect to use and in this mission they are guided by the Ved Mantras. Reciting the Ved Mantras aloud during the prayers motivates a man or a woman to imbibe divine qualities of love and compassion. Thus they rise above selfishness and can never be self-centered in their thought and action. The Vedic prayer takes human beings forward towards the attainment of the four-fold aim of human life, namely Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. One who says one’s prayers of Ved Mantras in the prescribed form twice a day will, ipso facto, follow the path of righteousness. Acquisition of wealth t indeed is a rightful activity encouraged by the Vedas, and must be done through the sweat of the brow and not by tricks or underhand means. One may say that the Vedic prayer is a powerful instrument for cleansing minds of men and women so that they attain the four-fold aim of human life as described heretofore. It would be a good idea to take a look at the sequence of the Vedic prayer prescribed by the Maharshi.

One has to be at perfect peace with one’s self before sitting for the Sandhya. It entails cleansing of the body and disabusing the mind of evil thoughts, should there be any. The cleanest place in the house or the garden should be selected for performing Sandhya and one should sit in Padmasan or Sahajasan on a rectangular piece of wool or dried grass called Kush. Kushasan is recommended as people of all walks of life can afford to possess it. The first Ved mantra to be recited is the Gayatri mantra or the Guru mantra as some wish to call it.

Om bhur bhuvah swah. Tatsavitur varenyam bhargo

devasya dhi mahi. Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat.

 (Rigveda.3.62.10)

Om is the best Vedic form of addressing God and while one pronounces it one imbibes the cosmic life force in one’s self. The praying person thinks of God as a giver of life, remover of pains and sorrows and bestower of happiness. He is the creator of universe, the most luminous one and the purest one as well as adorable. O Almighty! We meditate on Thee. May Thou inspire and guide our intellect to remain on the right course of thought and action.

The praying person proceeds to recite the Achamana mantra and thereafter takes a sip of water from the right palm thrice. The importance of sipping water is two-fold: firstly it clears the throat and helps in the process of clear recitation of the mantra and secondly helps in doing away with the lethargy, if it creeps in. Water contains oxygen and it is life- giving when one is concentrating on the prayer. The mantra is:

Om sanno devirabhistaya apo bhavantu pitaye

Sanyorabhi sravantu nah.

                        (Yajurveda. 36.12)

May the Omnipresent God who is our protector and preserver fulfill our wishes for attainment of bliss. May God shower his blessings from all directions on us for our peace and well-being.

The praying person goes through the Indriya Sparsha mantra and prays for strength and homogenous development. He touches the specific parts of the body with the ring and middle fingers of the right hand after dipping them in to water held in his cupped left palm.

Om vak vak                             (both sides of the mouth)

Om pranah pranah                   (both nostrils)

Om chakshur chakshuh           (both eyes)

Om srotram srotram                (both ears)

Om nabhih                             (navel)

Om hrdayam                          (heart)

Om Kanthah                           (throat)

Om Sirah                               (head)

Om Bahubhyam yasobalam    (both shoulders)

Om karatala karaprsthe          (the palms, front and back)

Now is a prayer for purification. Water is sprinkled with the right hand on various organs of the body as mentioned in the mantra given below :

Om bhuh punatu sirasi: May God make my intellect pure.

Om bhuvah punatu netrayoh: May God provide purity of sight.

Om swah punatu kanthe: May my voice be enriched by the lord.

Om mahah punatu hrdaye: May I be pure in my heart, O great Lord.  

Om janah punatu nabhyam: May the great creator purify my navel, center of life.

Om tapah punatu padayoh: May the lord provide strength to my feet.

Om satyam punatu punah sirasi:Oh truthful! Make me see the truth

Om Kham brahma punatu sarvatra: May the Lord make all organs pure.

Now the pranayam becomes an integral part of the sandhya or the prayer. The praying person controls inhaling, holding and exhaling of his breath as per procedure prescribed in the scriptures. A minimum of three and a maximum of 21 cycles of pranayam are recommended at this stage. While holding the breath in the lungs the praying person silently recalls this mantra:

Om Bhuh:         O Giver of life

Om bhuvah:      O Remover of pain

Om Swah:         O bestower of happiness

Om Mahah:       O great lord

Om Janah:         O creator of the Universe

Om Tapah:        O generator of all action

Om Satyam:      O embodiment of truth

There are three mantras that go together in the next sequence called Aghamarsana mantra or Prayer for destruction of sin. These are:

Om rtan ca satyam cabhi ddhat tapaso ‘dhyajayata

Tato ratryajayata tatah samudro arnavah

Om samudradarnavadadhi samvatsaro ajayata

Ahoratrani vidadhad viswasya misato vasi.

Om surya candramasau dhata yatha purvamakalpayat

Divan ca prthivn cantariksamatho swah

The present creation, like the previous one and the one to come following a Pralaya (complete undoing of the present creation) was brought into existence by the luminous Almighty in accordance with the laws of life. The Prakriti (matter) was dormant in darkness and the evolution began with momentum. Space and time were the next one. The Creator of the universe is also the Sustainer. Like the division of time into day and night, he also brought in sun and moon and other luminous bodies as the earth into existence.

At this stage to soothe the parched throat another round of Achamana is called for. First the mantra is recited and then the water sipped.

Om Shanno devirabhistaya apo bhavantu pitaye

Shanyorabhi sravantu nah

(The meaning has already been given heretofore)

The praying person now recites six mantras one after the other and makes a mental parikrama (perambulation) of north, south, west, east, the space below and the space above. There is a mantra each for each of the six directions. They are given here under.

Om praci digagniradhipatirasito raksitaditya isavah. Tebhyo namo-‘dhipatibhyo namo rakshitrbhyo nama isubhyo nama ebhyo astu. Yo’sman dwesti yam vayam dwismastam vo jambhe dadhmah.

In the East exists the Omnipresent Agni (God who personifies light and knowledge) and he is absolutely unfettered and is our protector. We recall Him again and again. We submit ourselves and those who entertain the feeling the envy to His judgment. May we not be envious of each other in any way.

As the praying person faces the east, now the next mantra is for the `Disha’ (direction) on his right or the cardinal point called South. The mantra is given below:

Om daksina digindro’dhipatis tirasici raji raksita pitara isa vah. Tebhyo namo’dhipatibhyo namo rakshitrbhyo nama ishubhyo nama ebhyo astu. Yo’sman dwesti yam vayam dwismastam vo jambhe dadhmah.

May we be efficient in our devotional path while meditating on the Almighty in the Southern direction. The name given to the Lord of the southern direction here is Indra, giver of prosperity. Indra vanquishes the evil forces and protects the noble ones. We draw inspiration for devotion from the sages and seniors who preceded us. (meaning of the remaining part of the mantra about submitting the envious persons to the judgment of God remains unaltered).

Om pratici dig varuno dhipatih prdaku raksitannamisavah. Tebhyo namo dhipatibhyo namo rakshitrabhyo nama isubhyo nama ebhyo astu. Yo asman dwesti yam vayam dwismastam vo jambhe dadhmah.

Varuna, the Almighty, guides us on the devotional path in the western direction. He protects us from poisonous beings and reptiles and punishes evil doers.

Now the praying person in the mental perambulation moves to the northern direction and recites the mantra.

Om Udici dik somodhipatih swajo raksita sanirisavah. Tebhyo namo-dhipathibhyo namo raksitrbhyo nama isubhyo nama ebhyo astu. Yo’sman dwesti yam vayam dwismastam vo jambhe dadhmah.

Soma, the divine bestower of peace may protect us from the evil and destructive forces as He has the capability to do so with his sharp and penetrating arrows.

Om dhruva digvisnuradhipatih kalamasagrivoraksita virudha isavah. Tebhyo namo’dhipatibhyo namo raksi trbhyo nama isubhyo nama ebhyo astu. Yo’sman dwesti yam vayam dwismastam vo jambhe dadhmah.

By the Grace of God ,we realize the firmness in the path of devotion. God, referred to as Vishnu, guides us in acquiring the knowledge of sciences to remove our inner ignorance. We are grateful to God for saving us from delusion.

Om urdhwa dig brahaspatiradhipatih svitro raksitavarsamisavah. Tebhyonamo’dhipatibhyo namo raksitrbhyo nama isubhyo nama ebhyo astu. Yo’sman dwesti yam vayam dwismastam vo jambhe dadhmah.

We now realize the presence of the Supreme Being in the higher reaches of space. He protects us from diseases, pains and tribulations and helps us in shaking off ignorance.

As before the praying person salutes the Almighty and places himself in His hands for justice.