अथ सायन्तनीं सन्ध्यां प्रवक्ष्यामि महामुने । यदनुष्ठानमात्रेण महामाया प्रसीदति
Now I shall describe the evening twilight ritual, O great sage, by the mere performance of which the Great Goddess becomes pleased.
आचम्य प्राणानायम्य साधकः स्थिरमानसः । बद्धपद्मासनो योगी सायंकाले स्थिरो भवेत्
Having purified oneself and regulated the breath, the practitioner, with a steady mind, should sit firmly in the lotus posture as a yogi at evening time.
श्रुतिस्मृत्यादिकर्मादौ सगर्भः प्राणसंयमः । अगर्भो ध्यानमात्रं तु स चामन्त्रः प्रकीर्तितः
In ritual actions such as those prescribed by the scriptures and traditions, breath control is performed with intention; meditation alone without intention is called 'without seed' and is done without mantra.
भूतशुद्ध्यादिकं कृत्वा नान्यथा कर्म कीर्तितम् । सलक्षो देवतां ध्यात्वा पूरकुम्भकरेचकैः
After performing purification of the elements and similar rites, no other action is prescribed; meditating on the deity with attributes, using inhalation, retention, and exhalation.
ध्यानं प्रकुर्यात्सन्ध्यायां सायंकाले विचक्षणः । वृद्धां सरस्वतीं देवीं कृष्णाङ्गीं कृष्णवाससम्
At evening twilight, the wise should meditate in the ritual on the goddess Sarasvati, aged, with a dark complexion, and dressed in dark garments.
शङ्खचक्रगदापद्महस्तां गरुडवाहनाम् । नानारत्नलसद्भूषां क्वणन्मञ्जीरमेखलाम्
She holds a conch, discus, mace, and lotus in her hands, rides upon Garuda, adorned with various precious jewels, and wears a tinkling girdle.
अनर्घ्यरत्नमुकुटां तारहारावलीयुताम् । ताटङ्कबद्धमाणिक्यकान्तिशोभिकपोलकाम्
She wears a priceless jeweled crown, a string of pearls, and her cheeks shine with the radiance of rubies set in her earrings.
पीताम्बरधरां देवीं सच्चिदानन्दरूपिणीम् । सामवेदेन सहितां संयुतां सत्त्ववर्त्मना
The goddess is clad in yellow garments, embodying existence, consciousness, and bliss, accompanied by the Sama Veda, and established in the path of virtue.
व्यवस्थितां च स्वर्लोके आदित्यपय्हगामिनीम् । आवाहयाम्यहं देवीमायान्तीं सूर्यमण्डलात्
She is situated in the heavenly realm, moving along the path of the sun; I invoke the goddess who descends from the solar orb.
एवं ध्यात्वा च तां देवीं सन्ध्यासङ्कल्पमाचरेत् । आपो हि ष्ठेति मन्त्रेण अग्निश्चेति तथैव च
Having meditated thus upon the goddess, one should undertake the twilight ritual, using the mantras 'āpo hi ṣṭha' and 'agniśca' accordingly.
विदध्यादाचमनकं शेषं पूर्ववदीरितम् । गायत्रीमन्त्रमुक्च्चार्य श्रीनारायणप्रीतये
One should perform purification as before, recite the Gayatri mantra for the pleasure of Shri Narayana.
अर्घ्यं दद्याच्च सूर्याय साधकः शुद्धमानसः । उभौ पादौ समौ कृत्वा हस्ते धूत्वा जलाञ्जलिम्
The practitioner, with a pure mind, should offer water to the sun, placing both feet together, waving the handful of water in the hand.
देवं ध्यात्वा मण्डलस्थं क्षिपेदर्घ्यं ततः क्रमात् । अर्घ्यं दद्यात्तु यो नीरे मूढात्मा ज्ञानवर्जितः
Meditating on the deity within the solar orb, one should then offer the arghya in order; but whoever offers arghya in water without knowledge, disregarding the prescribed mantras, is considered ignorant.
उल्लङ्घ्य स्मृतिमन्त्रांश्च प्रायश्चित्ती भवेद्द्विजः । ततः सूर्यमुपस्थायाप्यसावादित्यमन्त्रतः
A twice-born who neglects the prescribed mantras and scriptures must perform atonement; then, having approached the sun, recite the Aditya mantra.
गायत्र्याश्च जपं कुर्यादुपविश्य ततो बृसीम् । सहस्रं वा तदर्धं वा श्रीदेवीध्यानपूर्वकम्
Seated, one should recite the Gayatri, a thousand times or half that, preceded by meditation on Shri Devi.
यथा प्रातः पुनस्तद्वदुपस्थानादिकं चरेत् । सायं सन्ध्यातर्पणे च क्रमेण परिकीर्तयेत्
As in the morning, one should perform the same acts of worship and approach; and in the evening, the ritual offerings should be recited in order.
वसिष्ठो ऋषिरेवात्र सरस्वत्याः प्रकीर्तितः । देवता विष्णुरूपा सा छन्दश्चैव सरस्वती
Here, Vasiṣṭha is declared as the seer of Sarasvatī; the deity is Viṣṇu in form, and the meter is also Sarasvatī.
सायंकालीनसन्ध्यायास्तर्पणे विनियोगकः । स्वरित्युक्त्वा च पुरुषं सामवेदं तथैव च
This is to be used for the evening twilight libation; having uttered 'svar', one should also mention the Puruṣa and likewise the Sāma Veda.
मण्डलं चेति सम्प्रोच्य हिरण्यगर्भकं तथा । तथैव परमात्मानं ततोऽपि च सरस्वतीम्
One should also mention the maṇḍala, then Hiraṇyagarbha, and likewise the Supreme Self, and after that, Sarasvatī.
वेदमातरमेवात्र सङ्कृतिं तद्वदेव च । सन्ध्यां वृद्धां तथा विष्णुरूपिणीमुषसीं तथा
Here, one should also mention the Mother of the Vedas, the tradition, the aged Sandhyā, Viṣṇu in female form, and Uṣasī.
निर्मृजीं च तथा सर्वसिद्धीनां कारिणीं तथा । सर्वमन्त्राधिपतिकां भूर्भुवः स्वश्च पूरुषम्
Also, the Purifier, the accomplisher of all perfections, the mistress of all mantras, and the Puruṣa of Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ, and Svaḥ.
इत्येवं तर्पणं कार्यं सन्ध्यायाः श्रुतिसम्मतम् । सायं सन्ध्याविधानं च कथितं पापनाशनम्
Thus, the libation for Sandhyā, as approved by the scriptures, should be performed; the procedure for evening Sandhyā, which destroys sins, has been described.
सर्वदुःखहरं व्याधिनाशकं मोक्षदं तथा । सदाचारेषु सन्ध्यायाः प्राधान्यं मुनिपुङ्गव । सन्ध्याचरणतो देवी भक्ताभीष्टं प्रयच्छति
It removes all suffering, destroys disease, and grants liberation; O best of sages, Sandhyā holds the highest place among good practices. By performing Sandhyā, the Goddess grants the devotee's wishes.
गायत्रीपुरश्चरणविधिकथनम् श्रीनारायण उवाच अथातः श्रूयतां ब्रह्मन् गायत्र्या पापनाशनम् । पुरश्चरणकं पुण्यं यथैष्टफलदायकम्
The procedure for the performance of the Gāyatrī Puraścaraṇa is described.
पर्वताग्रे नदीतीरे बिल्वमूले जलाशये । गोष्ठे देवालयेऽश्वत्थे उद्याने तुलसीवने
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: Now, O Brāhmaṇa, listen to the destruction of sins by Gāyatrī, the meritorious Puraścaraṇa that grants the desired fruit.
पुण्यक्षेत्रे गुरोः पार्श्वे चित्तैकाग्र्यस्थलेऽपि च । पुरश्चरणकृन्मन्त्री सिध्यत्येव न संशयः
On the summit of a mountain, on a riverbank, at the root of a bilva tree, in a reservoir, in a cowshed, in a temple, under an aśvattha tree, in a garden, or in a grove of tulasī—
यस्य कस्यापि मन्त्रस्य पुरश्चरणमारभेत् । व्याहृतित्रयसंयुक्तां गायत्रीं चायुतं जपेत्
In a holy place, near the guru, or in a place where the mind is concentrated—wherever one performs Puraścaraṇa, the mantra surely succeeds, without doubt.
नृसिंहार्कवराहाणां तान्त्रिकं वैदिकं तथा । विना जप्त्वा तु गायत्रीं तत्सर्वं निष्कलं भवेत्
Whoever undertakes the Puraścaraṇa of any mantra should recite the Gāyatrī, joined with the three Vyāhṛtis, ten thousand times.
सर्वे शाक्ता द्विजाः प्रोक्ता न शैवा न च वैष्णवाः । आदिशक्तिमुपासन्ते गायत्रीं वेदमातरम्
For the mantras of Nṛsiṃha, Arka, and Varāha, both tantric and Vedic, if one does not recite the Gāyatrī, all that becomes ineffective.
मन्त्रं संशोध्य यत्नेन पुरश्चरणतत्परः । मन्त्रशोधनपूर्वाङ्गमात्मशोधनमुत्तमम्
All Śākta twice-borns are said to worship the primordial Śakti, Gāyatrī, the Mother of the Vedas; not the Śaivas nor the Vaiṣṇavas.