उत्तिष्ठ देवि गन्तव्यं पुनरागमनाय च । अर्घ्येषु देवि गन्तव्यं प्रविश्य हृदयं मम
Arise, O Goddess, you must go, and return again; O Goddess, you must go at the arghya offerings, having entered my heart.
ततः शुद्धस्थले नैजमासनं स्थापयेद्बुधः । तत्रारुह्य जपेत्पश्चाद्गायत्रीं वेदमातरम्
Then, on a pure spot, the wise one should place his own seat; ascending there, he should then recite the Gayatri, the mother of the Vedas.
अत्रैव खेचरी मुद्रा प्राणायामोत्तरं मुने । प्रातःसन्ध्याविधाने च कीर्तिता मुनिपुङ्गव
Here, O sage, the Khechari Mudra, which is superior to pranayama, and the procedure for the morning Sandhya have been described, O best of sages.
तन्नामार्थं प्रवक्ष्यामि सादरं शृणु नारद । चित्तं चरति खे यस्माज्जिह्वा चरति खे गता
I will now explain the meaning of its name; listen attentively, O Narada. Because the mind moves in the sky, and the tongue moves in the sky, it is so called.
भ्रुवोरन्तर्गता दृष्टिर्मुद्रा भवति खेचरी । न चासनं सिद्धसमं न कुम्भसदृशोऽनिलः
When the gaze is fixed between the eyebrows, that is called the Khechari Mudra. No posture equals Siddhasana, and no breath retention equals Kumbhaka.
न खेचरीसमा मुद्रा सत्यं सत्यं च नारद । घण्टावत्पणवोच्चाराद्वायुं निर्जित्य यत्नतः
There is truly no mudra equal to Khechari, O Narada, this is the truth. By mastering the breath with effort, as with the sound of a bell or drum—
स्थिरासने स्थिरो भूत्वा निरहङ्कारनिर्ममः । लक्षणं नारद मुने शृणु सिद्धासनस्य च
Sitting firmly in a steady posture, free from ego and possessiveness—hear, O sage Narada, the characteristics of Siddhasana.
योनिस्थानकमङ्घ्रिमूलघटितं कृत्वा दृढं विन्यसे- न्मेढ्रे पादमथैकमेव हृदयं कृत्वा समं विग्रहम् । स्थाणुः संयमितेन्द्रियोऽचलदृशा पश्यन्भ्रुवोरन्तरं तिष्ठत्येतदतीव योगिसुखदं सिद्धासनं प्रोच्यते
Placing the heel firmly at the perineum, and then placing the other foot on the genitals, keeping the body upright and the heart steady, the yogi, with controlled senses and unmoving gaze fixed between the eyebrows, remains motionless—this posture, which gives great happiness to yogis, is called Siddhasana.
आयातु वरदा देवी अक्षरं ब्रह्मसम्मितम् । गायत्री छन्दसां मातरिदं ब्रह्म जुषस्व मे
May the boon-giving Goddess, the imperishable one equal to Brahman, arrive here. O Mother Gayatri, mother of the meters, may this Brahman accept me.
यदह्ना कुरुते पापं तदह्ना प्रतिमुच्यते । यद्रात्र्या कुरुते पापं तद्रात्र्या प्रतिमुच्यते
Whatever sin is committed during the day, by that day it is released; whatever sin is committed during the night, by that night it is released.
सर्ववर्णे महादेवि सन्ध्याविद्ये सरस्वति । अजरे अमरे देवि सर्वदेवि नमोऽस्तु ते
O great Goddess of all colors, O Sandhya, O Sarasvati, O ageless and immortal Goddess, O Goddess of all, I bow to you.
तेजोऽसीत्यादिमन्त्रेण देवीमावाहयेत्ततः । यत्कृतं त्वदनुष्ठानं तत्सर्वं पूर्णमस्तु मे
Then, with the mantra beginning 'You are light,' one should invoke the Goddess. May all that I have performed in your worship be complete for me.
ततः शापविमोक्षाय विधानं सम्यगाचरेत् । ब्रह्मशापस्ततो विश्वामित्रस्य च तथैव च
Then, for the removal of curses, one should properly perform the prescribed rite; thus, the curse of Brahma and also that of Vishvamitra are removed.
वसिष्ठशाप इत्येतत्त्रिविधं शापलक्षणम् । ब्रह्मणः स्मरणेनैव ब्रह्मशापो निवर्तते
The curse of Vasishtha is also thus described as threefold. By remembering Brahma, the curse of Brahma is dispelled.
विश्वामित्रस्मरणतो विश्वामित्रस्य शापतः । वसिष्ठस्मरणादेव तस्य शापो विनश्यति
By remembering Vishvamitra, the curse of Vishvamitra is removed; by remembering Vasishtha, his curse is destroyed.
हृत्पद्ममध्ये पुरुषं प्रमाणं सत्यात्मकं सर्वजगत्स्वरूपम् । ध्यायामि नित्यं परमात्मसंज्ञं चिद्रूपमेकं वचसामगम्यम्
In the lotus of the heart, I meditate always on the Person who is the measure, whose nature is truth, who is the form of the entire universe, who is called the Supreme Self, who is consciousness alone, and who cannot be reached by words or by the Vedas.
अथ न्यासविधिं वक्ष्ये सन्ध्याया अङ्गसम्भवम् । ॐकारं पूर्ववद्योज्यं ततो मन्त्रानुदीरयेत्
Now I will describe the procedure of nyasa, arising from the limbs of Sandhya. The syllable Om should be joined as before, then the mantras should be recited.
भूरित्युक्त्वा च पादाभ्यां नम इत्येव चोच्चरेत् । भुवः पूर्वं तु जानुभ्यां स्व: कटिभ्यां नमो वदेत्
Having uttered 'Bhūḥ,' one should touch the feet, and also say 'namah.' 'Bhuvaḥ' should be said touching the knees, 'Svaḥ' touching the hips, and 'namah' should be spoken.
महर्नाभ्यै जनश्चैव हदयाय ततस्तपः । कण्ठाय च ततः सत्यं ललाटे परिकीर्तयेत्
'Mahar' should be uttered touching the navel, 'Jana' touching the heart, then 'Tapaḥ' touching the throat, and finally 'Satya' should be pronounced touching the forehead.
अङ्गुष्ठाभ्यां तत्सवितुस्तर्जनीभ्यां वरेण्यकम् । भर्गो देवस्य मध्याभ्यां धीमहीत्येव कीर्तयेत्
With the thumbs, one should say 'Tat Savitur'; with the index fingers, 'Vareṇyam'; with the middle fingers, 'Bhargo Devasya'; and with the ring fingers, 'Dhīmahi' should be uttered.
अनामाभ्यां कनिष्ठाभ्यां धियो यो न: पदं वदेत् । प्रचोदयात्करपृष्ठतलयोर्विन्यसेत्सुधी:
One who does not recite the phrase 'dhiyo yo nah' with the ring and little fingers should place them on the backs of both hands, so that the intellect may be inspired.
ब्रह्मात्मने तत्सवितुर्हृदयाय नमस्तथा । विष्ण्वात्मने वरेण्यं च शिरसे नम इत्यपि
To Brahman as the Self, 'tat savitur'—obeisance to the heart; to Vishnu as the Self, 'varenyam'—obeisance to the head.
भर्गो देवस्थ रुद्रात्मने शिखायै प्रकीर्तितम् । शक्त्यात्मने धीमहीति कवचाय ततः परम्
'Bhargo devas'—to Rudra as the Self, is said to be for the crown; to Shakti as the Self, 'dhīmahi'—then for the armor.
कालात्मने धियो यो नो नेत्रत्रय उदीरितम् । प्रचोदयाच्च सर्वात्मनेऽस्त्राय परिकीर्तितम्
To Kala as the Self, 'dhiyo yo nah' is uttered at the three eyes; and 'pracodayat' to Sarvatman is declared for the missile.
अक्षरन्यासमेवाग्रे कथयामि महामुने । गायत्रीवर्णसम्भूतन्यास: पापहरः पर:
Now I shall describe the placement of the syllables, O great sage; the placement of the syllables arising from Gayatri is supremely purifying.
प्रणवं पूर्वमुच्चार्य वर्णन्यासः प्रकीर्तितः । तत्कारमादावुच्चार्य पादाङ्गुष्ठद्वये न्यसेत्
Having first pronounced the syllable 'Om', the placement of the letters is prescribed; uttering 'ta' at the beginning, one should place it on both big toes.
सकारं गुल्फयोस्तद्वद्विकारं जङ्घयोर्न्यसेत् । जान्वोस्तुकारं विन्यस्य ऊर्वोश्चैव वकारकम्
The syllable 'sa' should be placed on the ankles, likewise 'vi' on the shanks; 'tu' on the knees, and 'r' on the thighs.
रेकारं च गुदे न्यस्य णिकारं लिङ्ग एव च । कट्यां यकारमेवात्र भकारं नाभिमण्डले
'Re' should be placed at the anus, 'ṇi' at the organ; at the waist 'ya', and at the navel region 'bha'.
गोकारं हृदये न्यस्य देकारं स्तनयोर्द्वयोः । वकारं हृदि विन्यस्य स्यकारं कण्ठकूपके
'Go' should be placed at the heart, 'de' on both breasts; 'va' at the heart, and 'sy' at the hollow of the throat.
धीकारं मुखदेशे तु मकारं तालुदेशके । हिकारं नासिकाग्रे तु धिकारं नेत्रमण्डले
'Dhī' at the mouth, 'ma' at the palate; 'hi' at the tip of the nose, and 'dhī' at the region of the eyes.