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.
कालातिक्रमणे जाते चतुर्थार्घ्यं प्रदापयेत् । अथवाष्टशतं देवीं जप्त्वादौ तां समाचरेत्
If the proper time has passed, one should offer the fourth libation, or else, after reciting the goddess's name eight hundred times, then perform it at the beginning.
यस्मिन्काले तु यत्कर्म तत्कालाधीश्वरीं च ताम् । सन्ध्यामुपास्य पश्चात्तु तत्कालीनं समाचरेत्
At whatever time a rite is to be performed, one should first worship the goddess who presides over that time, and then carry out the act appropriate to that time.
गृहे साधारणा प्रोक्ता गोष्ठे वै मध्यमा भवेत् । नदीतीरे चोत्तमा स्याद्देवीगेहे तदुत्तमा
At home, the twilight worship is considered ordinary; in a cowshed, it is middling; on a riverbank, it is excellent; and in the goddess's temple, it is supreme.
यतो देव्या उपासेयं ततो देव्यास्तु सन्निधौ । सन्ध्यात्रयं प्रकर्तव्यं तदानन्त्याय कल्पते
Wherever the goddess is to be worshipped, there, in her presence, all three twilight worships should be performed; this leads to endless merit.
एतस्या अपरं दैवं ब्राह्मणानां च विद्यते । न विष्णूपासना नित्या न शिवोपासना तथा
There is no other divine rite for Brāhmaṇas besides this; neither the constant worship of Viṣṇu nor of Śiva is prescribed.
यथा भवेन्महादेव्या गायत्र्याः श्रुतिचोदिता । सर्ववेदसारभूता गायत्र्यास्तु समर्चना
As the worship of the great goddess Gāyatrī is enjoined by the Vedas, so is the worship of Gāyatrī, the essence of all the Vedas.
ब्रह्मादयोऽपि सन्ध्यायां तां ध्यायन्ति जपन्ति च । वेदा जपन्ति तां नित्यं वेदोपास्या ततः स्मृता
Even Brahmā and the others meditate on her and recite her at twilight; the Vedas always recite her, and thus she is remembered as the one to be worshipped by the Vedas.
तस्मात्सर्वे द्विजाः शाक्ता न शैवा न च वैष्णवाः । आदिशक्तिमुपासन्ते गायत्रीं वेदमातरम्
Therefore, all twice-born are Śāktas, not Śaivas or Vaiṣṇavas; they worship the primordial power, Gāyatrī, the mother of the Vedas.
आचान्तः प्राणमायम्य केशवादिकनामभिः । केशवश्च तथा नारायणो माधव एव च
Having rinsed the mouth and controlled the breath, one should recite the names beginning with Keśava: Keśava, Nārāyaṇa, and Mādhava.
गोविन्दो विष्णुरेवाथ मधुसूदन एव च । त्रिविक्रमो वामनश्च श्रीधरोऽपि ततः परम्
Govinda, Viṣṇu, Madhusūdana, Trivikrama, Vāmana, and then Śrīdhara.