The Venkaṭeśvara Suprabhātam invokes Rāma, the son of Kauśalyā, during this time of day. For 10 points each:
[10m] Name this time during which the prātaḥ sandhyāvandanam (“PRA-tah sand-YAH-vun-duh-num”) prayer is performed. The Brahma-muhurta occurs right before this time, which is represented by the goddess Ushas riding a chariot across the sky in the Vedas.
ANSWER: morning [accept dawn or sunrise]
[10h] To end the prātaḥ sandhyāvandanam prayer, practitioners must recite this mantra 108 times. This mantra praising illumination of three worlds by Sāvitr is first learned during the upanayana thread ceremony.
ANSWER: Gāyatrī mantra [accept Gāyatrī japam; accept Sāvitrī mantra before Sāvitr is read]
[10e] During sandhyāvandanam, practitioners offer water as tarpaṇa to these people. The holiday of Pitṛpakṣa honors these people, who are venerated by their descendants so they don’t wander the earth as preta.
ANSWER: ancestors [accept forefathers or foremothers or fore-elders or forebearers; accept antecedents or antecessors; prompt on dead]
<Religion>