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[sv-rituals] Re: AsthAkshari/Dwaya Japam

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • October 24, 2002 


--- In sv-rituals@y..., Malolan R Cadambi  wrote:
> Sri
> SrimathE ramanujAya namaha
> 
> Dear Members,
> 
> Should AsthAkshari & Dwaya Japam be done after Arghya PradhAnam or
> preceeding ArghyA pradhAnam. I used to do this japam usually afer
> sandhyavandanam, but i was told to do it before ArghyA pradhAnam
> 
> I wish to know what is the properly accepted kramam.

Hi Malolan,

There are differences of opinion on this issue, but in
all cases the ashtakshara japa is done at least after 
the requisite gayatri japa is completed and never before. 
Sri Vedanta Desika suggests in Rahasya Traya Saram that 
japa of ashtakshra, dvaya, and carama-sloka should be done 
such that they never interfere in any manner with nitya-karmas 
such as sandhyavandana.

Let's take the case of morning sandhyavandana.
Gayatri japa should be commenced ideally before sunrise.
The sandhya upasthana mantra should be recited only after
sunrise.  According to the rule outlined by Sri Vedanta
Desika and explained by the 18th century scholar 
Sri Gopala Desika, if you complete your gayatri japa
before sunrise you should immediately move to ashtakshra
japa, and only do the upasthana after the sun has risen.

If you finish the gayatri japa after sunrise, or, as is
common for many of us, you commence it after sunrise, 
the upasthana should first be recited and then ashtakshara
japa should be done. In this way there is no conflict 
between the ashtakshara japa and the correct performance
of the regular sandhya worship, according to Sri Gopala
Desika.

In the Ahobila Matha tradition the practice is different.
Invariably the recommendation is to do the ashtakshara japa
immediately after gayatri japa and before the upasthana.

In all traditions, the dvaya and charama sloka japas can be 
performed after the sandhya is complete.

It should be noted that unlike most other mantras, the potency
of the ashtakshara mantra is not affected by its recitation
or non-recitation.  With most other mantras, after receiving
upadesa one is required to recite it regularly according to
certain strict rules. The consequence of not doing so is that
the 'shakti' of the mantra departs from the individual, 
rendering it fruitless.

This is not the case with the ashtakshara maha-mantra. Our
acharyas cite the rule 'na nityam japam apekshate' -- this
does not require daily japa. So while one *should* do regular
japa of this mantra as recommended by the shastras, it is not
a *must*, in the sense outlined above.

adiyen ramanuja dasan,
Mani



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