Shloka 14

Sandhyā-Upāsanā Vidhi: Prāṇāyāma, Water Purification, Aghāmarpaṇa, Sūrya Worship, Nyāsa, and Gāyatrī Japa

Devanagari script

संध्याकाले तु विन्यस्य जपेद्वै वेदमातरम् / शिवस्तस्यास्तु सर्वाह्ने प्राणायामपरं न्यसेत्

Transliteration

saṃdhyākāle tu vinyasya japedvai vedamātaram / śivastasyāstu sarvāhne prāṇāyāmaparaṃ nyaset

Translation

في وقت السَّندْهْيا، بعد إجراء النْياسا، ينبغي أن يكرّر بجَپا أمَّ الفيدا، أي غاياتري. ليكن له اليُمن طوال النهار؛ ثم ليتفرّغ لِبراناياما (ضبط النفس) وليُجرِ النْياسا الأعلى مرةً أخرى.

Word by Word

• संध्याकाले: at the time of sandhyā
• संध्याकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (संध्यायाः कालः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारण/विरोध-भावक (but/indeed)

• विन्यस्य: having placed (nyāsa)
• विन्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् (absolutive), अव्ययभावः

• जपेत्: should recite/mutter
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्ययम् (indeed/certainly)

• वेदमातरम्: the Mother of the Vedas (Gāyatrī)
• वेदमातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (वेदानां माता)

• शिवः: auspicious
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (auspicious)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक

• सर्वाह्ने: throughout the whole day
• सर्वाह्ने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सर्वस्मिन् अह्नि)

• प्राणायामपरम्: that which is connected with prāṇāyāma
• प्राणायामपरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (prāṇāyāma-para: devoted/pertaining to prāṇāyāma)

• न्यसेत्: should place/assign
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Japa + prāṇāyāma as a daily ladder from outer rite to inner stillness, yielding śiva (well-being/auspiciousness) through the day.

Vedantic Theme: Sādhana-catuṣṭaya support: mind purification and steadiness (citta-śuddhi, ekāgratā) as proximate means toward self-knowledge.

Application: At each Sandhyā: do nyāsa, chant Gāyatrī with attention, then prāṇāyāma; treat the sequence as non-negotiable daily hygiene for mind and breath.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual time-threshold

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.36.12-13 (nyāsa sequence); Garuda Purana 1.36.15 (begin japa after knowing viniyoga/ṛṣi/chandas)

Characters & Entities

• Veda-mātā (Gāyatrī)
• Śiva (as auspiciousness)

FAQs

What is the importance of Sandhyā and Gāyatrī-japa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Sandhyā-time as the proper context for nyāsa and Gāyatrī-japa, framing it as a daily discipline that brings ‘śiva’—auspicious well-being—throughout the day.

How does this verse relate to the Garuda Purana’s broader teaching on spiritual progress?

While later sections address death rites and afterlife outcomes, this Ācāra-focused instruction emphasizes purification and steadiness of prāṇa and mind (prāṇāyāma + japa) as foundational practices that support dharma and inner fitness.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Keep a consistent dawn/dusk practice: a brief nyāsa (mental placement), Gāyatrī japa with attention, then a few rounds of calm prāṇāyāma—treating it as daily mental and ethical alignment.