Shloka 24

Āhnika-Dharma: Dawn Purification, Sandhyā-Upāsanā, Tarpana, Pañca-Mahāyajñas, and Aśauca Rules

Devanagari script

विहाय सन्ध्याप्रणतिं स याति नरकायुतम् / तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सन्ध्योपासनमाचरेत्

Transliteration

vihāya sandhyāpraṇatiṃ sa yāti narakāyutam / tasmātsarvaprayatnena sandhyopāsanamācaret

Translation

One who abandons the reverential worship of Sandhyā goes to innumerable hells; therefore, with every effort one should practice the worship of Sandhyā.

Word by Word

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• सन्ध्याप्रणतिम्: salutation/obeisance to sandhyā
• सन्ध्याप्रणतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रणति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सन्ध्यायाः प्रणतिः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नरकायुतम्: to a multitude of hells / to hell in great measure
• नरकायुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक) + अयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नरकस्य अयुतम् = नरकसमूह/नरक-प्राप्ति)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे अपादान-प्राय (therefore/from that reason)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वः प्रयत्नः)

• सन्ध्योपासनम्: sandhyā-worship
• सन्ध्योपासनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + उपासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• आचरेत्: should perform
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa / Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Naraka

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Neglect of obligatory Sandhyā is papa generating severe afterlife consequences; therefore one must exert fully in nitya-upāsanā.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-bandha through omission (pratyavāya-doṣa); disciplined duty as purification and protection from downfall.

Application: Treat omission of core duties as spiritually consequential; set safeguards (alarms, community practice, simplified minimum observance) to prevent lapse.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: afterlife realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: naraka descriptions and karmic causality (general internal resonance); Garuda Purana: pratyavāya/omission of nitya-karma leading to demerit

FAQs

What is the importance of Sandhyā worship in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats Sandhyā-upāsanā as an essential daily duty (nitya-karma); neglecting it is described as leading to severe negative consequences, hence it is to be performed with full effort.

How does this verse explain consequences for neglected daily duties?

It states a direct karmic result: abandoning Sandhyā-prayer is a punishable lapse of dharma, metaphorically expressed as falling into innumerable hell-states (narakāyutam).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain a consistent daily spiritual discipline—especially morning/evening prayer or meditation—treating it as a non-negotiable ethical and devotional routine.