एकान्तिनां प्रपन्नानां परमैकान्तिनामपि । अच्छिद्रपुण्ड्राकरणे प्रत्यवायो महान्भवेत्
But for those who are exclusively devoted and surrendered, even of the highest devotion, making an unbroken tilaka brings great fault.
ऊर्ध्वपुण्ड्रं तु यः कुर्याद्दण्डाकारं तु शोभनम् । मध्ये छिद्रं वैष्णवाश्च नमोऽन्तैः केशवादिभिः
One who makes the upward tilaka in the beautiful form of a staff, with a space in the middle, and Vaishnavas with names like Keshava at the ends, is praised.
विमलान्यूर्ध्वपुण्ड्राणि सान्तरालानि यो नरः । करोति विपुलं तत्र मन्दिरं मे करोति सः
A man who makes pure upward tilakas with spaces between them creates for me there a great temple.
ऊर्ध्वपुण्ड्रस्य मध्ये तु विशाले सुमनोहरे । लक्ष्म्या साकं सहासीनो रमते विष्णुरव्ययः
In the broad and delightful middle of the upward tilaka, Vishnu, the imperishable, sits with Lakshmi and enjoys.
निरन्तरालं यः कुर्यादूर्ध्वपुण्ड्रं द्विजाधमः । स हि तत्र स्थितं विष्णुं श्रियं चैव व्यपोहति
But if a lowly twice-born makes an upward tilaka without space, he drives away Vishnu and Sri who dwell there.
अच्छिद्रमूर्ध्वपुण्ड्रं तु यः करोति विमूढधीः । स पर्यायेण तानेति नरकानेकविंशतिम्
He who, out of delusion, makes an unbroken upward tilaka, in due course attains twenty-one hells.
ऋजूनि स्फुटपार्श्वानि सान्तरालानि विन्यसेत् । ऊर्ध्वपुण्ड्राणि दण्डाब्जदीपमत्स्यनिभानि च
One should apply straight, clear-sided, and spaced upward tilakas, in the forms of staff, lotus, lamp, or fish.
शिखोपवीतवद्धार्यमूर्ध्वपुण्ड्रं द्विजेन च । विना कृताश्चेद्विफलाः क्रियाः सर्वा महामुने
A twice-born should wear the upward tilaka as one wears the sacred thread on the topknot; without it, all rituals performed are fruitless, O great sage.
तस्मात्सर्वेषु कार्येषु कार्यं विप्रस्य धीमतः । ऊर्ध्वपुण्ड्रं त्रिशूलं च वर्तुलं चतुरस्रकम्
Therefore, in all actions, the wise Brahmin should make the upward tilaka, the trident, the circle, or the square.
अर्धचन्द्रादिकं लिङ्गं वेदनिष्ठो न धारयेत् । जन्मना लब्धजातिस्तु वेदपन्थानमाश्रितः
A knower of the Vedas should not wear marks like the half-moon and others; one who is born into the Vedic path by birth should follow the Vedic way.
पुण्ड्रान्तरं भ्रमाद्वापि ललाटे नैव धारयेत् । ख्यातिकान्त्यादिसिद्ध्यर्थं चापि विष्ण्वागमादिषु
One should not wear the intermediate mark (puṇḍra) on the forehead, even by mistake; this is stated in the Viṣṇu scriptures and others for the sake of fame, beauty, and other attainments.
स्थितं पुण्ड्रान्तरं नैव धारयेद्वैदिको जनः । तिर्यक्त्रिपुण्ड्रं सन्त्यज्य श्रौतं कथमपि भ्रमात्
A Vedic person should not wear the intermediate mark; abandoning the horizontal tripuṇḍra, even mistakenly, is not in accordance with the śrauta tradition.
ललाटे भस्मना तिर्यक्त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य च धारणम् । विना पुण्ड्रान्तरं मोहाद्धारयन्नारकी भवेत्
Wearing the horizontal tripuṇḍra with ash on the forehead, without the intermediate mark, out of delusion, makes one destined for hell.
वेदमार्गैकनिष्ठस्तु मोहेनाप्यङ्कितो यदि । पतत्येव न सन्देहस्तथा पुण्ड्रान्तरादपि
One who is firmly established in the Vedic path, if marked out of ignorance, certainly falls; there is no doubt, and likewise from the intermediate mark.
नाङ्कनं विग्रहे कुर्याद्वेदमार्गं समाश्रितः । श्रौतधर्मैकनिष्ठानां लिङ्गं तु श्रौतमेव हि
One who has embraced the Vedic path should not make marks on the body; for those steadfast in śrauta dharma, the sign should be only śrauta.
अश्रौतधर्मनिष्ठानामश्रौत लिङ्गमीरितम् । देवता वेदसिद्धा यास्तासां लिङ्गं तु वैदिकम्
For those steadfast in non-śrauta dharma, the sign is said to be non-śrauta; for deities established by the Vedas, their sign is Vedic.
अश्रौततन्त्रनिष्ठा यास्तासामश्रौतमेव हि । वेदसिद्धो महादेवः साक्षात्संसारमोचकः
For those devoted to non-śrauta tantra, their sign is indeed non-śrauta; Mahādeva, established by the Vedas, is directly the liberator from worldly existence.
भक्तानामुपकाराय श्रौतं लिङ्गं दधाति च । वेदसिद्धस्य विष्णोश्च श्रौतं लिङ्गं न चेतरत्
For the benefit of devotees, he assumes the śrauta sign; for Viṣṇu established by the Vedas, the sign is śrauta, not any other.
प्रादुर्भावविशेषाणामपि तस्य तदेव हि । श्रौतं लिङ्गं तु विज्ञेयं त्रिपुण्ड्रोद्धूलनादिकम्
Even in his special manifestations, that same śrauta sign should be understood; the śrauta sign is the tripuṇḍra and its application.
अश्रौतमूर्ध्वपुण्ड्रादि नैव तिर्यक्त्रिपुण्ड्रकम् । वेदमार्गैकनिष्ठानां वेदोक्तेनैव वर्त्मना
The non-śrauta upright puṇḍra and others are not the horizontal tripuṇḍra; those steadfast in the Vedic path should follow only the course prescribed by the Vedas.
ललाटे भस्मना तिर्यक्त्रिपुण्ड्रं धार्यमेव हि । यस्तु नारायणं देवं प्रपन्नः परमं पदम् । धारयेत्सर्वदा शूलं ललाटे गन्धवारिणा
The horizontal tripuṇḍra with ash should indeed be worn on the forehead; but one who has surrendered to the god Nārāyaṇa and attained the supreme state should always wear the trident mark on the forehead with sandal paste and water.
सन्ध्योपासननिरूपणम् श्रीनारायण उवाच अथातः श्रूयतां पुण्यं सन्ध्योपासनमुत्तमम् । भस्मधारणमाहात्म्यं कथितं चैव विस्तरात्
The description of sandhyā worship. Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Now hear about the excellent and meritorious sandhyā worship; the greatness of wearing ash has also been explained in detail.
प्रातःसन्ध्याविधानं च कथयिष्यामि तेऽनघ । प्रातःसन्ध्यां सनक्षत्रां मध्याह्ने मध्यभास्कराम्
I will tell you, O sinless one, the procedure for the morning sandhyā; the morning sandhyā with stars, and at midday with the central sun.
ससूर्यां पश्चिमां सन्ध्यां तिस्रः सन्ध्या उपासते । तद्भेदानपि वक्ष्यामि शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम
With the sun, the evening sandhyā; three sandhyās are worshipped. I will also explain their distinctions; listen, O best of divine sages.
उत्तमा तारकोपेता मध्यमा लुप्ततारका । अधमा सूर्यसहिता प्रातःसन्ध्या त्रिधा मता
The morning sandhyā is considered threefold: the highest is accompanied by stars, the middle when the stars have disappeared, the lowest when accompanied by the sun.
उत्तमा सूर्यसहिता मध्यमास्तमिते रवौ । अधमा तारकोपेता सायंसन्ध्या त्रिधा मता
The evening sandhyā is considered threefold: the highest is accompanied by the sun, the middle when the sun has set, the lowest when accompanied by stars.
विप्रो वृक्षो मूलकान्यत्र सन्ध्या वेदः शाखा धर्मकर्माणि पत्रम् । तस्मान्मूलं यत्नतो रक्षणीयं छिन्ने मूले नैव वृक्षो न शाखा
The brāhmaṇa is like a tree, the root is sandhyā, the Veda is the branch, dharma and actions are the leaves; therefore, the root must be carefully protected. If the root is cut, neither the tree nor the branch remains.
सन्ध्या येन न विज्ञाता सन्ध्या येनानुपासिता । जीवमानो भवेच्छूद्रो मृतः श्वा चैव जायते
He who has not understood sandhyā, he who has not worshipped sandhyā, while living becomes a śūdra, and after death is born as a dog.
तस्मान्नित्यं प्रकर्तव्यं सन्ध्योपासनमुत्तमम् । तदभावेऽन्यकर्मादावधिकारी भवेन्न हि
Therefore, the excellent worship at the time of twilight must always be performed; in its absence, one is not qualified for other rites or duties.
उदयास्तमयादूर्ध्वं यावत्स्याद्घटिकात्रयम् । तावत्सन्ध्यामुपासीत प्रायश्चित्तं ततः परम्
From sunrise or sunset, for as long as three ghaṭikās pass, one should perform the twilight worship; after that, expiation should be done.