Shloka 1

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

Devanagari script

नाम पञ्चत्रिंशो ऽध्यायः हरिरुवाच / सन्ध्याविधिं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु रुद्राघनाशनम् / प्राणायामत्रयं कृत्वा सन्ध्यास्नानमुपक्रमेत्

Transliteration

nāma pañcatriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ hariruvāca / sandhyāvidhiṃ pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu rudrāghanāśanam / prāṇāyāmatrayaṃ kṛtvā sandhyāsnānamupakramet

Translation

Hari (der Herr Viṣṇu) sprach: „Nun werde ich das rechte Verfahren der Sandhyā-Verehrung darlegen—höre, denn es vernichtet selbst schwere Sünden. Nachdem man die dreifache Prāṇāyāma-Übung vollzogen hat, soll man mit dem Sandhyā-snāna, dem rituellen Reinigungsbad, beginnen.“

Word by Word

• nāma: (called) / title marker
• nāma: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/iti-artha marker), अध्याय-शीर्षकसूचक

• pañcatriṃśaḥ: thirty-fifth
• pañcatriṃśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcatriṃśat (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण; समासः द्विगु (pañca+triṃśat)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• hariḥ: Hari (Vishnu)
• hariḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sandhyā-vidhim: the rule/rite of twilight worship
• sandhyā-vidhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandhyā (प्रातिपदिक) + vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sandhyāyāḥ vidhiḥ)

• pravakṣyāmi: I will explain
• pravakṣyāmi: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + pra (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (Injunction/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• rudra-agha-nāśanam: O destroyer of Rudra-like sins / destroyer of grievous sin
• rudra-agha-nāśanam: Sambodhana (Vocative sense/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + agha (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (rudrasya aghasya nāśanam / or rudrāgha-nāśanam as determinative)

• prāṇāyāma-trayam: the threefold breath-control
• prāṇāyāma-trayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇāyāma (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (prāṇāyāmasya trayam)

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; पूर्वक्रिया

• sandhyā-snānam: twilight bath
• sandhyā-snānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sandhyā (प्रातिपदिक) + snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sandhyāyāḥ snānam)

• upakramet: should begin
• upakramet: Kriyā (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kram (धातु) + upa (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Hari)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sandhyā-vidhi as daily obligatory purification; prāṇāyāma as preparatory tapas that destroys even grave sins.

Vedantic Theme: Antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi (purification of the inner instrument) as a prerequisite for higher knowledge and devotion.

Application: Establish a daily Sandhyā routine: begin with threefold prāṇāyāma, then ritual bath/purification at the proper junction-times.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.36 (Sandhyā-vidhi sequence continuing with prāṇāyāma, ācamana, mārjana)

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)

FAQs

What is the importance of Sandhyā-vidhi in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Sandhyā worship as a purifying daily discipline that can destroy even serious sins, making it a key practice of dharma.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by emphasizing purification and sin-destruction through daily rites, it supports a life of dharma that shapes one’s post-death trajectory through karma.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Begin daily prayer/meditation with structured breath regulation (three rounds of prāṇāyāma) and a simple act of cleanliness/purification before worship.