Shloka 3

चत्वारोऽाश्रमाः — ब्रह्मचर्यादि मोक्षाश्रमपर्यन्तम्

The Four Āśramas as a graded path to mokṣa

Devanagari script

उभे संध्ये रविं भूप तथैवाग्निं समाहितः उपतिष्ठेत् तथा कुर्याद् गुरोर् अप्य् अभिवादनम्

Transliteration

ubhe saṃdhye raviṃ bhūpa tathaivāgniṃ samāhitaḥ upatiṣṭhet tathā kuryād guror apy abhivādanam

Translation

O König, mit gesammelt ruhigem Geist soll er zu beiden Sandhyā-Zeiten die Sonne verehren und ebenso das heilige Feuer; und in derselben Haltung dem Lehrer die gebührende Ehrerbietung erweisen.

Word by Word

• उभे: both
• उभे: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; विशेषण (to saṃdhye)

• संध्ये: twilights (morning and evening)
• संध्ये: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• रविम्: the sun
• रविम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रकारवाचक adverb: “thus/likewise”)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थक particle: “indeed/just”)

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समाहितः: collected, attentive
• समाहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उपतिष्ठेत्: should attend upon / worship
• उपतिष्ठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: thus, in the same way
• तथा: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• गुरोः: of the teacher
• गुरोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ particle: “also/even”)

• अभिवादनम्: salutation
• अभिवादनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि-वादन (प्रातिपदिक; from वद्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya, addressing the ideal king)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Daily sandhyā duties: reverence to Sun and Fire; salutation to guru

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: injunctive

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: By honoring Sun at both twilights and tending the sacred Fire, and by saluting the guru, the student stabilizes mind and sustains dharmic order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Keep daily anchors (morning/evening practice): prayer, gratitude, and respectful check-ins with teachers/elders to steady conduct.

Vishishtadvaita: Ritual acts are not mere form: they are modes of service that harmonize the jīva with the Lord’s cosmic governance (ṛta) mediated through sacred powers like sūrya and agni.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Surya (Sun)
• Agni
• Guru (Teacher)
• King (Raja)

FAQs

What is the significance of Sandhyā (dawn and dusk) observance in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Sandhyā as a daily anchor of dharma: by reverencing the Sun at both junctions of day, a ruler aligns personal discipline with the maintenance of cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the king’s daily duties in this context?

Parāśara frames kingship as sustained by regular, inwardly focused practice—worship of Surya and Agni with a composed mind, along with respectful conduct toward one’s guru.

What is the theological importance of these acts in Vaishnava thought?

Though Vishnu is the Supreme Reality, the Purāṇa teaches that honoring Surya, Agni, and the guru supports dharma and purifies the mind—preparing the ruler to govern as a protector of Vishnu’s order in the world.