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Cleanliness is important but doing Sandhya is even more (utmost) important.
Om, as u may be aware Sandhya is a nitya karma even exempt from the usual 'thitu' situations in households (eg. new birth, death, etc.)....we have to be practical and not miss the wood for the trees....
Strictly, from the most orthodox /traditional point, for us Dwijas, literally travel has to be highly restricted, especially frequent travel with common public because it would cause impurity to stick to us. But from a practical point, we have to travel, commute, get involved / mingle with society at large and today everywhere there is the common issue of water shortage in cities, villages also. Most of us are caught in this quagmire .....A practical dilemma is thus created.
This writer has faced a situation where he is travelling in a long distance train and due to some technical fault the train had to be halted for more than 6 hrs in a remote location between two stations. The are was dry, not a soul around and just vast arid emptiness. The water he was carrying from home was exhausted and everyone wanted to preserve whatever water they had in this scenario....it was quite embarrassing to ask for some water for Sandhya, leave aside taking a bath. The exterior body/face, hair was full of soot and dust from the heat and the wind blasting against the running train. But the sun was setting and Sandhya had to be done and he was helpless. He did it without water. It is called Manasika achamana. Purification is by sincere contemplation. On another occasion very long ago, one of this writer's acharya/elder had informed that in a place where there was no water and river bed was bone dry due to acute drought, the elder continued with Sandhya using the mud from the river.
However, if there is wherewithal and time and of course water (adequate, after considering basic needs/ contingencies) then one MUST take bath and do the Sandhya.
Incidentally,our wise forbears, Rishis, Acharayas all have in-built bath/internal cleanliness in the Sandhya design by having the achamanan. Achamana is the cleaning process. The single drop of water one takes for gulping with the mantra chanting empowers the drop to replicate a bucket full of water.
testing situations would come, but the goal must not be lost sight of. True, it is PREFERABLE to take bath, but the purpose must not be lost sight of, i.e. bathing should be a cause for delay or non-performance of Sandhi. Cleanliness is important but doing Sandhya is even more (utmost) important.
Best Regards ?,
Om tat Sat
Strictly, from the most orthodox /traditional point, for us Dwijas, literally travel has to be highly restricted, especially frequent travel with common public because it would cause impurity to stick to us. But from a practical point, we have to travel, commute, get involved / mingle with society at large and today everywhere there is the common issue of water shortage in cities, villages also. Most of us are caught in this quagmire .....A practical dilemma is thus created.
This writer has faced a situation where he is travelling in a long distance train and due to some technical fault the train had to be halted for more than 6 hrs in a remote location between two stations. The are was dry, not a soul around and just vast arid emptiness. The water he was carrying from home was exhausted and everyone wanted to preserve whatever water they had in this scenario....it was quite embarrassing to ask for some water for Sandhya, leave aside taking a bath. The exterior body/face, hair was full of soot and dust from the heat and the wind blasting against the running train. But the sun was setting and Sandhya had to be done and he was helpless. He did it without water. It is called Manasika achamana. Purification is by sincere contemplation. On another occasion very long ago, one of this writer's acharya/elder had informed that in a place where there was no water and river bed was bone dry due to acute drought, the elder continued with Sandhya using the mud from the river.
However, if there is wherewithal and time and of course water (adequate, after considering basic needs/ contingencies) then one MUST take bath and do the Sandhya.
Incidentally,our wise forbears, Rishis, Acharayas all have in-built bath/internal cleanliness in the Sandhya design by having the achamanan. Achamana is the cleaning process. The single drop of water one takes for gulping with the mantra chanting empowers the drop to replicate a bucket full of water.
testing situations would come, but the goal must not be lost sight of. True, it is PREFERABLE to take bath, but the purpose must not be lost sight of, i.e. bathing should be a cause for delay or non-performance of Sandhi. Cleanliness is important but doing Sandhya is even more (utmost) important.
Best Regards ?,
Om tat Sat
