नोपतिष्ठति यः पूर्वां नोपास्ते यस्तु पश्चिमाम् । स शूद्रवद्बहिष्कार्यः सर्वस्माद् द्विजकर्मणः
He who does not perform the morning or evening sandhyā should be excluded from all duties of the twice-born, like a Śūdra.
यावज्जीवनपर्यन्तं त्रिःसन्ध्यां यः करोति च । स च सूर्यसमो विप्रस्तेजसा तपसा सदा
He who performs the three sandhyās throughout his life is, in brilliance and austerity, always equal to the sun, O brāhmaṇa.
तत्पादपद्मरजसा सद्यःपूता वसुन्धरा । जीवन्मुक्तः स तेजस्वी सन्ध्यापूतो हि यो द्विजः
By the dust of his lotus feet, the earth is instantly purified; that twice-born, purified by sandhyā, is liberated while living and radiant.
तीर्थानि च पवित्राणि तस्य संस्पर्शमात्रतः । ततः पापानि यान्त्येव वैनतेयादिवोरगाः
Holy places become pure merely by his touch; thus, sins depart from him just as serpents flee from Garuḍa.
न गृह्णन्ति सुराः पूजां पितरः पिण्डतर्पणम् । स्वेच्छया च द्विजातेश्च त्रिसन्ध्यारहितस्य च
The gods do not accept worship, nor the ancestors the offerings, from a twice-born who neglects the three sandhyās, acting as he pleases.
मूलप्रकृत्यभक्तो यस्तन्मन्त्रस्याप्यनर्चकः । तदुत्सवविहीनश्च विषहीनो यथोरगः
He who has no devotion to the root nature, who does not honor its mantra, who neglects its festivals, is like a serpent without poison.
विष्णुमन्त्रविहीनश्च त्रिसन्ध्यारहितो द्विजः । एकादशीविहीनश्च विषहीनो यथोरगः
A twice-born who lacks the Viṣṇu mantra, who neglects the three sandhyās, or who omits the eleventh day observance, is like a serpent without poison.
हरेरनैवेद्यभोजी धावको वृषवाहकः । शूद्रान्नभोजी यो विप्रो विषहीनो यथोरगः
A brāhmaṇa who eats food not offered to Hari, who runs after the bull, or who eats food of a Śūdra, is like a serpent without poison.
शूद्राणां शवदाही यः स विप्रो वृषलीपतिः । शूद्राणां सूपकारश्च विषहीनो यथोरगः
A Brahmin who cremates the dead for Shudras is the master of outcastes; a Brahmin who cooks for Shudras is like a serpent without poison.
शूद्राणां च प्रतिग्राही शूद्रयाजी च यो द्विजः । मसिजीवी असिजीवी विषहीनो यथोरगः
A twice-born who accepts gifts from Shudras or performs sacrifices for Shudras, who lives by ink or by the sword, is like a serpent without poison.
यः कन्याविक्रयी विप्रो यो हरेर्नामविक्रयी । यो विप्रोऽवीरान्नभोजी ऋतुस्नातान्नभोजकः
A Brahmin who sells maidens, who sells the name of Hari, who eats food not given by the pure, or eats food from a woman in her period—
भगजीवी बार्धुषिको विषहीनो यथोरगः । यो विद्याविकयी विप्रो विषहीनो यथोरगः
One who lives off a courtesan, who is a messenger, is like a serpent without poison; a Brahmin who sells knowledge is like a serpent without poison.
सूर्योदये स्वपेद्यो हि मत्स्यभोजी च यो द्विजः । शिवापूजादिरहितो विषहीनो यथोरगः
A twice-born who sleeps at sunrise, who eats fish, or who neglects the worship of Shiva and others, is like a serpent without poison.
इत्युक्त्वा च मुनिश्रेष्ठः सर्वपूजाविधिक्रमम् । तमुवाच च सावित्र्या ध्यानादिकमभीप्सितम्
Having thus spoken of all the improper ways of worship, O best of sages, he then told him the desired meditation and other practices of Savitri.
दत्त्वा सर्वं नृपेन्द्राय ययौ च स्वाश्रमे मुने । राजा संपूज्य सावित्रीं ददर्श वरमाप च
After giving everything to the king, the sage returned to his own hermitage; the king, having worshipped Savitri, saw her and obtained a boon.
नारद उवाच किं वा ध्यानं च सावित्र्याः किं वा पूजाविधानकम् । स्तोत्रं मन्त्रं च किं दत्त्वा प्रययौ स पराशरः
Narada said: What was the meditation on Savitri, what was the method of worship, what hymn or mantra did Parashara give before departing?
नृपः केन विधानेन संपूज्य श्रुतिमातरम् । वरं च कं वा सम्प्राप सम्पूज्य तु विधानतः
By what method did the king worship the Mother of the Vedas, and what boon did he obtain after worshipping her according to the proper rite?
तत्सर्वं श्रोतुमिच्छामि सावित्र्याः परमं महत् । रहस्यातिरहस्यं च श्रुतिसिद्धं समासतः
I wish to hear all this—the supreme and great secret of Savitri, the most confidential mystery established in the Vedas, in brief.
श्रीनारायण उवाच ज्येष्ठकृष्णत्रयोदश्यां शुद्धकाले च यत्नतः । व्रतमेव चतुर्दश्यां व्रती भक्त्या समाचरेत्
Shri Narayana said: On the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Jyeshtha, at a pure time, one should carefully observe the vow, and on the fourteenth, perform it with devotion.
व्रतं चतुर्दशाब्दं च द्विसप्तफलसंयुतम् । दत्त्वा द्विसप्तनैवेद्यं पुष्पधूपादिकं चरेत्
The vow, lasting fourteen years, yields twice sevenfold fruits; offering twice seven kinds of food, one should perform worship with flowers, incense, and the like.
वस्त्रं यज्ञोपवीतं च भोजनं विधिपूर्वकम् । संस्थाप्य मङ्गलघटं फलशाखासमन्वितम्
With proper rites, one should offer cloth, sacred thread, and food, and establish an auspicious pot adorned with fruit-bearing branches.
गणेशं च दिनेशं च वह्निं विष्णुं शिवं शिवाम् । सम्पूज्य पूजयेदिष्टं घटे आवाहिते द्विजः
Having worshipped Ganesha, the Sun, Fire, Vishnu, Shiva, and the Goddess, the twice-born should worship the desired deity in the invoked pot.
शृणु ध्यानं च सावित्र्याश्चोक्तं माध्यन्दिने च यत् । स्तोत्रं पूजाविधानं च मन्त्रं च सर्वकामदम्
Hear now the meditation on Savitri, as taught for midday, along with the hymn, the method of worship, and the mantra that grants all desires.
तप्तकाञ्चनवर्णाभां ज्वलन्तीं ब्रह्मतेजसा । ग्रीष्ममध्याह्नमार्तण्डसहस्रसम्मितप्रभाम्
Her form shines with the hue of molten gold, blazing with the radiance of Brahman, her brilliance equal to a thousand summer noonday suns.
ईषद्धास्यप्रसन्नास्यां रत्नभूषणभूषिताम् । वह्निशुद्धांशुकाधानां भक्तानुग्रहविग्रहाम्
Her face is slightly smiling and gracious, adorned with jeweled ornaments; she is clad in garments purified by fire, her form bestows grace upon devotees.
सुखदां मुक्तिदां शान्तां कान्तां च जगतां विधेः । सर्वसम्पत्स्वरूपां च प्रदात्रीं सर्वसम्पदाम्
She is the giver of happiness and liberation, peaceful, beloved of the worlds and of Brahma; she is the very form of all prosperity, the bestower of all wealth.
वेदाधिष्ठातृदेवीं च वेदशास्त्रस्वरूपिणीम् । वेदबीजस्वरूपां च भजे तां वेदमातरम्
I worship the Goddess who presides over the Vedas, who is the essence of the Vedic scriptures, who is the seed-form of the Vedas, and who is the Mother of the Vedas.
ध्यात्वा ध्यानेन नैवेद्यं दत्त्वा पाणिं स्वमूर्धनि । पुनर्ध्यात्वा घटे भक्त्या देवीमावाहयेद् व्रती
Having meditated, offered food by placing my hand on my own head, and again meditated with devotion upon the pot, the votary should invoke the Goddess.
दत्त्वा षोडशोपचारं वेदोक्तं मन्त्रपूर्वकम् । सम्पूज्य स्तुत्वा प्रणमेद्देवदेवीं विधानतः
Having offered the sixteen services as prescribed in the Vedas, accompanied by mantras, and having worshipped and praised Her, one should bow to the Goddess of gods according to the proper method.
आसनं पाद्यमर्घ्यं च स्नानीयं चानुलेपनम् । धूपं दीपं च नैवेद्यं ताम्बूलं शीतलं जलम्
Seat, water for washing the feet, water for offering, water for bathing, ointments, incense, lamp, food offering, betel, and cool water—