Shloka 57

सूर्यरथ-कालचक्र-आयनविभागः, संध्योपासनम्, देवयान-पितृयानम्, विष्णुपद-गङ्गावतरणम्

Devanagari script

तस्मान् नोल्लङ्घनं कार्यं संध्योपासनकर्मणः स हन्ति सूर्यं संध्याया नोपास्तिं कुरुते हि यः

Transliteration

tasmān nollaṅghanaṃ kāryaṃ saṃdhyopāsanakarmaṇaḥ sa hanti sūryaṃ saṃdhyāyā nopāstiṃ kurute hi yaḥ

Translation

Therefore, one must never transgress the sacred obligation of Sandhyā worship. Whoever neglects the worship at Sandhyā is said, in effect, to strike down the Sun himself.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: अपादान (Source/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Ablative singular ‘therefore/from that’

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्; Negation

• उल्लङ्घनम्: transgression/omission
• उल्लङ्घनम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्-लङ्घ् (धातु) + अन (कृदन्त/भाव)
• Form: भाववाचक-नाम (अन-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘transgression/omission’

• कार्यम्: to be done / should be
• कार्यम्: विधेय (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्यतार्थक-यत्-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘to be done/should be’ (here: ‘should be done’ with negation)

• संध्योपासनकर्मणः: of the sandhyā-worship rite
• संध्योपासनकर्मणः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + उपासन (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Genitive singular ‘of the act of sandhyā-worship’

• स: he
• स: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Pronoun ‘he’, Nom sg

• हन्ति: kills/strikes
• हन्ति: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; Present 3sg

• सूर्यम्: the Sun
• सूर्यम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Accusative singular

• संध्यायाः: of the sandhyā (twilight rite)
• संध्यायाः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी/पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Gen/Abl sg (here: Gen ‘of sandhyā’)

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम्; Negation

• उपास्तिम्: worship/attendance
• उपास्तिम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपास्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Accusative singular

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; Present 3sg (Ā)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Emphasis/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्ययम्; Particle ‘indeed/for’

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Relative pronoun Nom sg

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Normative duty connected to the Sun’s protection and the sandhyā-junction.

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sandhyā-upāsanā is a non-transgressible nitya-karma; neglect is tantamount to harming the Sun, i.e., undermining the world’s sustaining order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Keep a consistent daily rhythm of worship/meditation at transitions (dawn/dusk), treating liminal times as anchors for discipline and ethical clarity.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is service to the Lord’s cosmic administration; individual duty participates in sustaining the divinely-ordered world.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman (philosophical)

Bhakti Type: Dasya (servant)

Characters & Entities

• Surya (Sun)

FAQs

What is the significance of Sandhyā worship in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Sandhyā as a non-negotiable daily duty (nitya-karma) whose neglect is not merely personal laxity but a disruption of cosmic order symbolized by the Sun.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the consequence of skipping Sandhyā?

Parāśara uses a strong theological metaphor: failing to perform Sandhyā is tantamount to harming Sūrya—indicating that daily rites uphold the world’s rhythm and dharma.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching aligns with Vaishnava dharma: disciplined daily worship sustains the divinely ordered universe ultimately governed by the Supreme Reality, Vishnu.