षण्मुखाधोमुखं चैव व्यापकाञ्जलिकं तथा । शकटं यमपाशं च ग्रथितं सन्मुखोन्मुखम्
Ṣaṇmukha, Adhomukha, Vyāpaka, Añjalika, Śakaṭa, Yamapāśa, Grathita, Sanmukha, and Unmukha—
विलम्बं मुष्टिकं चैव मत्स्यं कूर्मं वराहकम् । सिंहाक्रान्तं महाक्रान्तं मुद्गरं पल्लवं तथा
Vilamba, Muṣṭika, Matsya, Kūrma, Varāhaka, Siṃhākrānta, Mahākrānta, Mudgara, and Pallava as well—
चतुर्विंशतिमुद्राश्च गायत्र्याः सम्प्रदर्शयेत् । शताक्षरां च गायत्रीं सकृदावर्तयेत्सुधीः
These twenty-four mudras should be shown for Gayatri; and the wise should recite the hundred-syllabled Gayatri once.
चतुर्विंशत्यक्षराणि गायत्र्या कीर्तितानि हि । जातवेदसनाम्नीं च ऋचमुच्चारयेत्ततः
The twenty-four syllables of Gayatri are indeed proclaimed; then one should recite the Ṛk called Jātavedas.
त्र्यम्बकस्यर्चमावृत्य गायत्री शतवर्णका । भवतीयं महापुण्या सकृज्जप्या बुधैरियम्
Having recited the Ṛk of Tryambaka, the hundred-syllabled Gayatri, which is supremely meritorious, should be chanted once by the wise.
ॐकारं पूर्वमुच्चार्य भूर्भुवः स्वस्तथैव च । चतुर्विंशत्यक्षरां च गायत्रीं प्रोच्चरेत्ततः
First utter Om, then Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, and Svaḥ; after that, recite the twenty-four-syllabled Gayatri.
एवं नित्यं जपं कुर्याद्ब्राह्मणो विप्रपुङ्गवः । स समग्रं फलं प्राप्य सन्ध्यायाः सुखमेधते
In this way, a foremost Brāhmaṇa should perform the daily recitation; having attained the complete fruit of Sandhya, he enjoys happiness.
सन्ध्यादिकृत्यवर्णनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच भिन्नपादा तु गायत्री ब्रह्महत्याप्रणाशिनी । अभिन्नपादा गायत्री ब्रह्महत्यां प्रयच्छति
Oṃ. Description of the duties beginning with Sandhya. Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: The Gayatri with broken feet destroys the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa; the Gayatri with unbroken feet causes the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa.
अच्छिन्नपादागायत्रीजपं कुर्वन्ति ये द्विजाः । अथोमुखाश्च तिष्ठन्ति कल्पकोटिशतानि च
Those twice-born who recite the Gayatri with unbroken feet, and who remain facing downward, stay for hundreds of millions of kalpas.
सम्पुटैका षडोङ्कारा गायत्री विविधा मता । धर्मशास्त्रपुराणेषु इतिहासेषु सुव्रत
The Gayatri is considered of various forms: with one enclosure, with six Oṃkāras, as taught in the Dharmaśāstras, Purāṇas, and Itihāsas, O virtuous one.
पञ्चप्रणवसंयुक्तां जपेदित्यनुशासनम् । जपसंख्याष्टभागान्ते पादो जप्यस्तुरीयकः
The instruction is to recite it joined with five praṇavas; at the end of one-eighth the number of recitations, the fourth foot should be recited.
स द्विजः परमो ज्ञेयः परं सायुज्यमाप्नुयात् । अन्यथा प्रजपेद्यस्तु स जपो विफलो भवेत्
That twice-born is to be known as supreme, he attains the highest union; but if one recites otherwise, that recitation becomes fruitless.
सम्पुटैका षडोङ्कारा भवेत्सा ऊर्ध्वरेतसाम् । गृहस्थो ब्रह्मचारी वा मोक्षार्थी तुरीयां जपेत्
The Gayatri with one enclosure and six Oṃkāras is for those of upward-flowing energy; a householder or a celibate seeking liberation should recite the fourth foot.
तुरीयपादो गायत्र्याः परोरजसे सावदोम् । ध्यानमस्य प्रवक्ष्यामि जपसाङ्गफलप्रदम्
The fourth foot of Gayatri, which is beyond rajas and has 'Om' at the end, I will declare its meditation, which grants the fruit of recitation with its limbs.
हृदि विकसितपद्मं सार्कसोमाग्निबिम्बं प्रणवमयमचिन्त्यं यस्य पीतं प्रकल्प्यम् । अचलपरमसूक्ष्मं ज्योतिराकाशसारं भवतु मम मुदेऽसौ सच्चिदानन्दरूपः
In the heart, a blossomed lotus, with the discs of sun, moon, and fire, and the inconceivable praṇava as its essence, which is golden—let that unshakable, supremely subtle, luminous, space-like essence, of the nature of existence, consciousness, and bliss, be for my joy.
त्रिशूलयोनी सुरभिमक्षमालां च लिङ्गकम् । अम्बुजं च महामुद्रामिति सप्त प्रदर्शयेत्
One should display the seven: triśūla, yoni, surabhi, akṣamālā, liṅga, ambuja, and mahāmudrā.
या सन्ध्या सैव गायत्री सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणी । भक्त्या तां ब्राह्मणो नित्यं पूजयेच्च नमेत्ततः
That which is Sandhya is indeed Gayatri, embodying existence, consciousness, and bliss. A Brahmin should worship her daily with devotion and bow to her.
ध्यातस्य पूजां कुर्वीत पञ्चभिश्चोपचारकैः । लं पृथिव्यात्मने गन्धमर्पयामि नमो नमः
One should perform worship of the meditated deity with five offerings: 'Laṃ' for the earth principle, I offer fragrance; salutations, salutations.
हमाकाशात्मने पुष्पं चार्पयामि नमो नमः । यं च वाय्वात्मने धूपं चार्पयामि ततो वदेत्
'Haṃ' for the space principle, I offer flowers; salutations, salutations. 'Yaṃ' for the air principle, I offer incense; then one should say:
रं च वह्न्यात्मने दीपमर्पयामि ततो वदेत् । वममृतात्मने तस्मै नैवेद्यमपि चार्पयेत्
'Raṃ' for the fire principle, I offer a lamp; then one should say: 'Vaṃ' for the nectar principle, to that I also offer food.
यं रं लं वं हमिति च पुष्पाञ्जलिमथार्पयेत् । एवं पूजां विधायाथ चान्ते मुद्राः प्रदर्शयेत्
Reciting 'Yaṃ', 'Raṃ', 'Laṃ', 'Vaṃ', 'Haṃ', one should then offer a handful of flowers. Having thus performed the worship, at the end one should display the mudras.
ध्यायेत्तु मनसा देवीं मन्त्रमुच्चारयेच्छनैः । न कम्पयेच्छिरो ग्रीवा दन्तान्नैव प्रकाशयेत्
One should meditate upon the Goddess in the mind and softly recite the mantra, without moving the head or neck, and without showing the teeth.
विधिनाष्टोत्तरशतमष्टाविंशतिरेव वा । दशवारमशक्तो वा नातो न्यूनं कदाचन
According to the prescribed method, one should recite one hundred and eight times, or twenty-eight times, or ten times if unable; never less than this.
तत उद्वासयेद्देवीमुत्तमेत्यनुवाकतः । न गायत्रीं जपेद्विद्वाञ्जलमध्ये कथञ्चन
Then, according to the text, one should respectfully dismiss the Goddess. The learned should never recite Gayatri while holding water in the palm.
यतः साग्निमुखी प्रोक्तेत्याहुः केचिन्महर्षयः । सुरभिर्ज्ञानशूर्पं च कूर्मो योनिश्च पङ्कजम्
Because she is said to be facing fire, so declare some great sages: fragrant, the knowledge winnowing basket, the tortoise, the womb, and the lotus.
लिङ्गं निर्वाणकं चैव जपान्तेऽष्टौ प्रदर्शयेत् । यदक्षरपदभ्रष्टं स्वरव्यञ्जनवर्जितम्
One should display eight mudras at the end of the recitation: the emblem, the nirvana emblem, and whatever syllable, word, or letter is omitted or lacking in vowel or consonant.
तत्सर्वं क्षम्यतां देवि कश्यपप्रियवादिनि । गायत्रीतर्पणं चातः करणीयं महामुने
Let all that be forgiven, O Goddess, speaker dear to Kashyapa. Therefore, O great sage, the offering to Gayatri should be performed.
गायत्री छन्द आख्यातं विश्वामित्रऋषिः स्मृतः । सविता देवता प्रोक्ता विनियोगश्च तर्पणे
Gayatri meter is declared, Vishvamitra is remembered as the seer, Savita is said to be the deity, and the purpose is for offering.
भूरित्युक्त्वा च ऋग्वेदपुरुषं तर्पयामि च । भुव इत्येतदुक्त्वा च यजुर्वेदमथो वदेत्
Having uttered 'Bhūḥ', one should offer to the person of the Rigveda; having uttered 'Bhuvaḥ', one should then offer to the Yajurveda.
स्वर्व्याहृतिं समुक्त्वा च सामवेदं समुच्चरेत् । मह इत्येतदुक्त्वान्तेऽथर्ववेदं च तर्पयेत्
Having spoken the Svar vyahriti, one should offer to the Samaveda; at the end, having uttered 'Mahaḥ', one should offer to the Atharvaveda.