Shloka 99

गृहस्थस्य सदाचारः: शौच, तर্পण, वैश्वदेव, अतिथिधर्म, भोजन-विधि, संध्योपासन, ऋतु-धर्मः

Devanagari script

दिनान्तसंध्यां सूर्येण पूर्वाम् ऋक्षैर् युतां बुधः उपतिष्ठेद् यथान्यायं सम्यग् आचम्य पार्थिव

Transliteration

dināntasaṃdhyāṃ sūryeṇa pūrvām ṛkṣair yutāṃ budhaḥ upatiṣṭhed yathānyāyaṃ samyag ācamya pārthiva

Translation

O König, nachdem er die Ācamana richtig vollzogen hat, soll der Weise gemäß der Vorschrift zur Verehrung der abendlichen Sandhyā stehen, wenn die Sonne dem Untergang zugeht und die Sternbilder erscheinen.

Word by Word

• dina-anta-saṃdhyām: the evening twilight (end-of-day sandhyā)
• dina-anta-saṃdhyām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (दिनस्य अन्ते या संध्या)

• sūryeṇa: with/through the sun
• sūryeṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• pūrvām: eastern/preceding
• pūrvām: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (संध्याम्)

• ṛkṣaiḥ: with stars/constellations
• ṛkṣaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (or पुंलिङ्ग in some uses), तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• yutām: joined with, accompanied by
• yutām: Karman (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuta (प्रातिपदिक; past passive participle from √yuj)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (संध्याम्)

• budhaḥ: the wise man
• budhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• upatiṣṭhet: should perform
• upatiṣṭhet: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन — “should perform/attend”

• yathā-nyāyam: according to proper rule
• yathā-nyāyam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + nyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः — “according to rule”

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — “properly”

• ācamya: having sipped (ācamana)
• ācamya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√cam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); “having sipped (water), having performed ācamana”

• pārthiva: O king
• pārthiva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; addressing the kingly archetype via 'pārthiva')

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Evening sandhyā procedure (ācāmana and proper timing aligned to solar/stellar markers)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: ritual-precise

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sandhyā is to be performed at the correct liminal time, after purification (ācāmana), in harmony with the Sun’s course and the rising of the constellations.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Keep a consistent evening contemplative practice at sunset; use environmental cues (light change) as reminders for recollection and gratitude.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos functions as the Lord’s body (śarīra), so aligning worship with celestial order expresses service within His immanent governance.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Surya (the Sun)

FAQs

What is the significance of evening sandhyā in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents evening sandhyā as a dharmic duty aligned with cosmic order—performed at day’s end when the Sun’s course changes and the stars appear—marking disciplined reverence for the universe’s ordained rhythm.

How does Sage Parāśara explain proper preparation for sandhyā worship?

He emphasizes ritual purity first: one should perform ācamana correctly, and only then undertake the sandhyā observance in the prescribed manner (yathānyāya).

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana frames dharma and cosmic regularity as expressions of the Supreme Reality’s order; faithful daily observance becomes a way of honoring the sustaining principle identified with Vishnu.