पीडयेद्दक्षिणां नाडीमङ्गुष्ठेन तथोत्तराम् । कनिष्ठानामिकाभ्यां तु मध्यमां तर्जनीं त्यजेत्
One should press the right nāḍī with the thumb, and the left with the little and ring fingers, leaving out the middle and index fingers.
रेचक: पूरकश्चैव प्राणायामोऽथ कुम्भक: । प्रोच्यते सर्वशास्त्रेषु योगिभिर्यतमानसै:
Exhalation, inhalation, and then retention—these are called prāṇāyāma and kumbhaka in all the scriptures by striving yogis.
रेचकः सृजते वायुं पूरकः पूरयेत्तु तम् । साम्येन संस्थितिर्यत्तत्कुम्भकः परिकीर्तितः
Exhalation expels the air, inhalation fills it, and the state of balance between them is called kumbhaka.
नीलोत्पलदलश्यामं नाभिमध्ये प्रतिष्ठितम् । चतुर्भुजं महात्मानं पूरके चिन्तयेद्धरिम्
During inhalation, one should meditate on Hari, dark as a blue lotus petal, established in the center of the navel, with four arms and great in spirit.
कुम्भके तु हृदि स्थाने ध्यायेत्तु कमलासनम् । प्रजापतिं जगन्नाथं चतुर्वक्त्रं पितामहम्
During retention, one should meditate in the heart on the lotus-seated Lord, the Lord of creatures, the Lord of the world, the four-faced Grandsire.
रेचके शङ्करं ध्यायेल्ललाटस्थं महेश्वरम् । शुद्धस्फटिकसंकाशं निर्मलं पापनाशनम्
During exhalation, one should meditate on Śaṅkara, the great Lord established in the forehead, shining like pure crystal, spotless, and destroyer of sins.
पूरके विष्णुसायुज्यं कुम्भके ब्रह्मणो गतिम् । रेचकेन तृतीयं तु प्राप्नुयादीश्वरं परम्
By inhalation, one attains union with Viṣṇu; by retention, the state of Brahmā; by exhalation, one attains the supreme Lord, the third.
पौराणाचमनाद्यं च प्रोक्तं देवर्षिसत्तम । श्रौतमाचमनाद्यं च शृणु पापापहं मुने
The ancient method of ācamana has been described, O best of divine sages; now hear the Vedic method of ācamana, which destroys sins, O sage.
प्रणवं पूर्वमुच्चार्य गायत्रीं तु तदित्यृचम् । पादादौ व्याहृतीस्तिस्रः श्रौताचमनमुच्यते
First uttering the praṇava, then the Gāyatrī and the verse 'āpo hi ṣṭha', and the three vyāhṛtis at the beginning and end—this is called Vedic ācamana.
गायत्रीं शिरसा सार्धं जपेद्व्याहृतिपूर्विकाम् । प्रतिप्रणवसंयुक्तां त्रितयं प्राणसंयमः
One should recite the Gāyatrī along with its śiras, preceded by the vyāhṛtis, joined with the praṇava each time, three times, with control of the breath.
(सलक्षणं तु प्राणानामायामं कीर्त्यतेऽधुना । नानापापैकशमनं महापुण्यफलप्रदम् ॥) पञ्चाङ्गुलीभिर्नासाग्रं पीडयेत्प्रणवेन तु । सर्वपापहरा मुद्रा वानप्रस्थगृहस्थयोः
(Now the characteristics of breath control are described, which destroy all kinds of sins and bestow great merit.) With five fingers, one should press the tip of the nose while uttering the praṇava; this mudrā removes all sins for householders and forest-dwellers.
कनिष्ठानामिकाङ्गुष्ठैर्यतेश्च ब्रह्मचारिणः । आपो हि ष्ठेति तिसृभिः प्रोक्षणं स्यात्कुशोदकैः
For brahmacārins, the pressing is done with the little finger, ring finger, and thumb; sprinkling with kuśa water is performed with the three words 'āpo hi ṣṭha'.
ऋगन्ते मार्जनं कुर्यात्पादान्ते वा समाहितः । नवप्रणवयुक्तेन आपो हि ष्ठेत्यनेन तु
At the end of the Ṛgveda or at the feet, one should perform mārjana with concentration, using the phrase 'āpo hi ṣṭha' joined with nine praṇavas.
नश्येदघं मार्जनेन संवत्सरसमुद्भवम् । तत आचमनं कृत्वा सूर्यश्चेति पिबेदपः
By mārjana, the sin accumulated over a year is destroyed; then, having performed ācamana, one should drink water reciting 'sūryaś ca'.
अन्तःकरणसम्भिन्नं पापं तस्य विनश्यति । प्रणवेन व्याहृतिभिर्गायत्र्या प्रणवाद्यया
Sin that has entered the mind is destroyed by the recitation of the Pranava, the Vyahritis, and the Gayatri, beginning with the Pranava.
आपो हि ष्ठेति सूक्तेन मार्जनं चैव कारयेत् । उद्धृत्य दक्षिणे हस्ते जलं गोकर्णवत्कृते
With the hymn 'Āpo hi ṣṭha', one should perform the rite of purification, taking water in the right hand shaped like a cow's ear.
नीत्वा तं नासिकाग्रं तु वामकुक्षौ स्मरेदघम् । पुरुषं कृष्णवर्णं च ऋतं चेति पठेत्ततः
Bringing that water to the tip of the nose, one should mentally direct the sin into the left side of the abdomen, and then recite 'puruṣaṃ kṛṣṇavarṇaṃ ca ṛtaṃ ca'.
द्रुपदां वा ऋचं पश्चाद्दक्षनासापुटेन च । श्वासमार्गेण तं पापमानयेत्करवारिणि
Afterwards, reciting the Drupadā verse, and using the right nostril, one should expel that sin through the breath into the water held in the hand.
नावलोक्यैव तद्वारि वामभागेऽश्मनि क्षिपेत् । निष्पापं तु शरीरं मे सञ्जातमिति भावयेत्
Without looking at that water, one should cast it onto a stone on the left side, contemplating, 'My body has now become free from sin.'
उत्थाय तु ततः पादौ द्वौ समौ सन्नियोजयेत् । जलाञ्जलिं गृहीत्वा तु तर्जन्यङ्गुष्ठवर्जितम्
Then, rising up, one should place both feet together, and taking water in the hands—excluding the index finger and thumb—
वीक्ष्य भानुं क्षिपेद्वारि गायत्र्या चाभिमन्त्रितम् । त्रिवारं मुनिशार्दूल विधिरेषोऽर्घ्यमोचने
Gazing at the sun, one should offer the water, sanctified by the Gayatri, three times; this is the prescribed method for offering arghya, O best of sages.
ततः प्रदक्षिणां कुर्यादसावादित्यमन्त्रतः । मध्याह्ने सकृदेव स्यात्सन्ध्ययोस्तु त्रिवारतः
Then, one should circumambulate while reciting the Sun-mantra; at midday this is done once, but at the two twilights, it is done three times.
ईषन्नग्रः प्रभाते तु मध्याह्ने दण्डवत्स्थितः । आसने चोपविष्टस्तु द्विजः सायं क्षिपेदपः
In the morning, standing slightly forward; at midday, standing upright like a staff; and in the evening, seated on a seat, the twice-born should offer water.
उदकं प्रक्षिपेद्यस्मात्तत्कारणमतः शृणु । त्रिंशत्कोट्यो महावीरा मन्देहा नाम राक्षसाः
Now hear the reason for offering water: there are thirty crore mighty demons called Mandehas—
कृतघ्ना दारुणा घोराः सूर्यमिच्छन्ति खादितुम् । ततो देवगणाः सर्वे ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः
Ungrateful, cruel, and terrible, they desire to devour the sun; therefore, all the hosts of gods and ascetic sages—
उपासते महासन्ध्यां प्रक्षिपन्त्युदकाञ्जलिम् । दह्यन्ते तेन दैत्यास्ते वज्रीभूतेन वारिणा
Worship the great Sandhya and offer handfuls of water; by that water, which becomes like a thunderbolt, those demons are burned.
एतस्मात्कारणाद्विप्राः सन्ध्यां नित्यमुपासते । महापुण्यस्य जननं सन्ध्योपासनमीरितम्
For this reason, O Brahmins, Sandhya is always worshipped; the worship of Sandhya is declared to be the source of great merit.
अर्घ्याङ्गभूतमन्त्रोऽयं प्रोच्यते शृणु नारद । यदुच्चारणमात्रेण साङ्गं सन्ध्याफलं भवेत्
This mantra, which is an essential part of the arghya, is now spoken—listen, O Narada; by its mere recitation with its limbs, the full fruit of Sandhya is obtained.
सोऽहमर्कोऽस्म्यहं ज्योतिरात्मा ज्योतिरहं शिवः । आत्मज्योतिरहं शुक्लः सर्वज्योती रसोऽस्म्यहम्
I am he, I am the sun, I am the self-luminous light, I am the auspicious one; I am the light of the self, I am pure, I am the essence of all light.
आगच्छ वरदे देवि गायत्रि ब्रह्मरूपिणि । जपानुष्ठानसिद्ध्यर्थं प्रविश्य हृदयं मम
Come, O giver of boons, O Goddess Gayatri, embodiment of Brahman; for the accomplishment of the recitation, enter into my heart.