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.
हृषीकेशः पद्मनाभो दामोदर अतः परम् । सङ्कर्षणो वासुदेवः प्रद्युम्नोऽप्यनिरुद्धकः
Hṛṣīkeśa, Padmanābha, Dāmodara, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha.
पुरुषोत्तमाधोक्षजौ च नारसिंहोऽप्युतस्तथा । जनार्दन उपेन्द्रश्च हरिः कृष्णोऽन्तिमस्तथा
Puruṣottama, Adhokṣaja, Nṛsiṃha, Janārdana, Upendra, Hari, and finally Kṛṣṇa.
ॐकारपूर्वकं नाम चतुर्विंशतिसङ्ख्यया । स्वाहान्तैः प्राशयेद्वारि नमोऽन्तैः स्पर्शयेत्तथा
With the syllable 'Om' prefixed, the twenty-four names should be recited; with 'svāhā' at the end, water should be sipped, and with 'namo' at the end, it should be touched.
केशवादित्रिभिः पीत्वा द्वाभ्यां प्रक्षालयेत्करौ । मुखं प्रक्षालयेद्द्वाभ्यां द्वाभ्यामुन्मार्जनं तथा
After sipping with the first three names starting with Keśava, one should wash the hands with two, the mouth with two, and likewise perform cleansing with two.
एकेन पाणिं सम्प्रोक्ष्य पादावपि शिरोऽपि च । सङ्कर्षणादिदेवानां द्वादशाङ्गानि संस्पृशेत्
With one, sprinkle the hand, the feet, and the head as well; then touch the twelve limbs with the names from Saṅkarṣaṇa onward.
दक्षिणेनोदकं पीत्वा वामेन संस्पृशेद्बुध: । तावन्न शुध्यते तोयं यावद्वामेन न स्पृशेत्
After sipping water with the right hand, the wise should touch with the left; the water is not purified until it is touched with the left hand.
गोकर्णाकृतिहस्तेन माषमात्रं जलं पिबेत् । ततो न्यूनाधिकं पीत्वा सुरापायी भवेद्द्विजः
With the hand shaped like a cow's ear, one should drink water equal to the size of a black gram; if one drinks more or less than this, a twice-born becomes as if he has drunk liquor.
संहताङ्गुलिना तोयं पाणिना दक्षिणेन तु । मुक्ताङ्गुष्ठकनिष्ठाभ्यां शेषेणाचमनं विदुः
With the fingers held together, using the right hand, except for the thumb and little finger, one should perform ācamana with the remaining fingers.
प्राणायामं ततः कृत्वा प्रणवस्मृतिपूर्वकम् । गायत्रीं शिरसा सार्धं तुरीयपदसंयुताम्
Then, having performed prāṇāyāma with remembrance of the praṇava, one should recite the Gāyatrī along with its śiras and the fourth pāda.
दक्षिणे रेचयेद्वायुं वामेन पूरितोदरम् । कुम्भेन धारयेन्नित्यं प्राणायामं विदुर्बुधा:
Exhaling through the right nostril, and filling the belly through the left, one should always retain the breath with kumbhaka; thus the wise know prāṇāyāma.