Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 2

Brahmacarya and Vānaprastha Duties; Gradual Dissolution of Bodily Identity

Devanagari script

सायं प्रातरुपासीत गुर्वग्‍न्यर्कसुरोत्तमान् । सन्ध्ये उभे च यतवाग्जपन्ब्रह्म समाहित: ॥ २ ॥

Transliteration

sāyaṁ prātar upāsīta gurv-agny-arka-surottamān sandhye ubhe ca yata-vāg japan brahma samāhitaḥ

Translation

Am Abend und am Morgen, zu beiden Sandhyā-Zeiten, soll er den Guru, das heilige Feuer, den Sonnengott und den höchsten Herrn Viṣṇu verehren; die Rede gezügelt, soll er gesammelt das Gāyatrī (brahma) rezitieren.

Synonyms

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (time adverb: evening)

• प्रातर्: in the morning
• प्रातर्: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातर् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (time adverb: morning)

• उपासीत: should worship/attend upon
• उपासीत: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• गुरु-अग्नि-अर्क-सुरोत्तमान्: the teacher, the sacred fire, the sun, and the best of gods
• गुरु-अग्नि-अर्क-सुरोत्तमान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + सुरोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (list): गुरु, अग्नि, अर्क, सुरोत्तम; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), बहुवचन

• सन्ध्ये: the two twilight junctions
• सन्ध्ये: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), द्विवचन (two sandhyās)

• उभे: both
• उभे: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; विशेषण (qualifying सन्ध्ये)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत-वाक्: with restrained speech
• यत-वाक्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत (प्रातिपदिक) + वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: यता वाक् यस्य सः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with implied subject)

• जपन्: muttering/reciting
• जपन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय) / जपन्त् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: the Veda/sacred syllable (brahman)
• ब्रह्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; जप्य-विषय (object of recitation)

• समाहितः: composed/concentrated
• समाहितः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + धा (धातु) + क्त / समाहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त) in sense 'collected'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Sandhya Vandana and daily worship?

This verse instructs worship at dawn and dusk—honoring the guru, sacred fire, sun, and foremost divine authorities—and chanting Vedic mantras with controlled speech and a focused mind.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī prescribe worship of guru, Agni, and Sūrya in Canto 7?

In the context of describing varṇāśrama duties, Śukadeva explains the disciplined routine that purifies a student’s life—training reverence, steadiness, and remembrance of sacred authority through daily worship and mantra-japa.

Practical application of controlling speech and chanting regularly in modern life?

Keep fixed morning-evening spiritual time, reduce idle talk, and do steady mantra recitation or prayer with full attention—building purity, focus, and devotional consistency.