Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31
The Explanation of Sandhyā and Related Daily Observances
Saṅdhyā-ādi Nitya-karma-Vidhi
पूजायन्त्रं च तन्मध्ये स्वान्तादावाह्य देवताम् । स्नापयित्वार्चयेत्तां च मानसैरुपचारकैः ॥ ३१ ॥
pūjāyantraṃ ca tanmadhye svāntādāvāhya devatām | snāpayitvārcayettāṃ ca mānasairupacārakaiḥ || 31 ||
Man bereite die Pūjā‑Yantra vor und rufe die Gottheit aus dem inneren Herzen herbei, um sie in ihrer Mitte zu invokieren. Nachdem man sie gebadet hat, verehre man sie mit geistigen Darbringungen (mānasa‑upacāras).
Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that true worship is rooted in inner realization: the deity is invoked from the heart into the ritual center, showing that external rite (yantra, snāna, arcana) is empowered by inward devotion and concentration.
By emphasizing mānasa-upacāra (mental offerings), the verse highlights bhakti as an inner relationship of service—where attention, reverence, and loving intention are themselves acts of worship, even while supported by formal ritual.
It reflects procedural ritual knowledge—especially the structured sequence of āvāhana (invocation), snāna (ritual bathing), and arcana (worship with upacāras)—a technical upāsanā method aligned with the text’s Book 1.3 focus on disciplined religious practice.