· 

IMPROVE IMMUNE SYSTEM AT ZERO COST? : Part 3

Sandhya Vandana while Sunbathing
Leverage the CORVID Lockdown opportunity and indulge in Sun bathing to build immunity.
We get 90% of Vitamin D from sun-our skin absorbs sunlight and produces them. Vitamin D helps body
absorb calcium, phosphorous , regulates immune system through T cells, fights MS, brain development, fights
obesity, asthma, cancer, TB , making some to term it as Miracle Vitamin. Psychiatrists have established that
Sun enhances the mood lifting antidepressant Serotonin. But ,Sunlight has UV Rays that can cause skin cancer
and immunosuppression-making the body weak in its fights.

How are we to make the best use of Sunlight, avoiding the risk ? We now plenty of time at our disposal due to
CORVID Lockdown.
Science tells us that UV rays are lowest at dawn and dusk with less risk of skin cancer.Vitamin D generation
his high around noon with higher risk of skin cancer. The Western science dealt with this conundrum by
discovering UV screening chemicals. Indian Sages dealt with this differently.
Based on empirical observations, they understood how Nature works. Recognizing it creates life, sustains and
can destroy it if we do not handle well, they called every aspect of Nature as God.
How did they handle Sunlight ?
Rg Veda Rishis combined the effects of a Mantra sounds and Sun light effects to create a procedure called
Sandhya Vandanam. The Sandhya Vandanam is to be performed at Dawn, Noon and at dusk. As a part of that
procedure one mediates on Gayatri Mantra facing East, North and West. The procedure includes, Surya
Namaskara Yoga, Asana, Pranayama, Japa and Dhyana.
Rg veda extols this - for example by praising the Dawn as Ushas.
स॒ ह वा॒मेन॑ न उषो॒ व्यु ॑ च्छा दुहितर्दिवः ।स॒ ह द्यु॒म्ने न॑ बृ ह॒ता वि॑ भावरि रा॒या दे॑ वि॒ दास्व॑ ती ॥ १.०४८.०१
“Shower us , O Uṣhas, Daughter of the Sky, grant us glory, Goddess of benevolent light”.
आ घा॒ योषे ॑ व सू॒नर्यु॒ षा या॑ ति प्रभु ञ्ज॒ ती ।ज॒ रय॑ न्ती॒ वृ ज॑नं प॒ द्वदी॑यत॒ उत्पा॑तयति प॒ क्षिणः॑ ॥ १.०४८.०५
“Like a mother Uṣhas comes tending everything:Rousing all life she stirs all creatures that have feet, and
makes the birds of air fly up”.
The Dawn is the time just before sun come up in the horizon ;the period when we see the Light but not the Sun
directly.Likewise, at dusk light lingers after sun goes down the horizon. In both times, damage causing UV
rays are minimum. The meditation is recommended with Gayatri japa is done facing East and West.
Madhyanhika sandhya is done at Noon time when the Sun is closer to Zenith , producing highest levels of
Vitamin Das well as high UV rays. The procedure asks the meditator to sit facing north, away from the Sun’s
incidence angle, perhaps in a shade.
This is the crux of sun worship in Sandhya vandana ritual.
Other super structure was built around it to provide healthy body, mind, attitude, behavior and rigor so that we
can internalize this knowledge. Hence the structure of Sandhya Vandana : Sankalpa ( determination) , Asana
(Posture) , Pranayama (Breath control) , Dhyana (Meditation), Vandana/Argya (thanks giving) .
Spend 30 minutes in Sandhyavandanam Ritual every day to build immune system. It costs nothing.
The Sun is 99.98% Hydrogen, Helium and Oxygen by volume (99% by mass). We humans are 75% Oxygen-
hydrogen and 18% carbon.
Sun, like any other star, was born out of gravitational collapse of Interstellar matter-basically hydrogen, helium
,oxygen,etc. The Kindling force was a shock wave from a distant collapsing star.
All matter in the universe have evolved out of same primordial soup: Energy-> p-soup->sun-> solar system-
>life-> us. Amazingly a version of Sandhyavandanam includes a statement, "असौ आदित्य ब्रह्म;ब्रह्मै व अस्मि"
-This Sun is Brahma; so am I.
Non-Dwijas & Non-Hindus may keep the process, substituting the mantra with their choice of sounds and do
this as sun worship. After all, This Sun is Brahma; so are we!