Shloka 100

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

Devanagari script

सर्वकालम् उपस्थानं संध्ययोः पार्थिवेष्यते अन्यत्रसूतकाशौचविभ्रमातुरभीतितः

Transliteration

sarvakālam upasthānaṃ saṃdhyayoḥ pārthiveṣyate anyatrasūtakāśaucavibhramāturabhītitaḥ

Translation

O King, attendance upon the Sandhyā rites is enjoined for a ruler at all times; only in cases of birth-impurity (sūtaka), death-impurity (āśauca), mental derangement, severe illness, or overwhelming fear is exception allowed.

Word by Word

• sarva-kālam: at all times
• sarva-kālam: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः — “at all times”

• upasthānam: attendance/observance (of sandhyā)
• upasthānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upasthāna (प्रातिपदिक; action noun from upa-√sthā)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• saṃdhyayoḥ: of the two sandhyās (morning and evening)
• saṃdhyayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), द्विवचन

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

• iṣyate: is enjoined/approved
• iṣyate: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः — “is desired/approved (is enjoined)”

• anyatra: except
• anyatra: Apavāda (Exception marker/अपवाद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपवादसूचक) — “except/otherwise”

• sūtaka-āśauca-vibhrama-ātura-abhīti-taḥ: due to birth-impurity, impurity, confusion, illness, or fear
• sūtaka-āśauca-vibhrama-ātura-abhīti-taḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sūtaka (प्रातिपदिक) + āśauca (प्रातिपदिक) + vibhrama (प्रातिपदिक) + ātura (प्रातिपदिक) + abhīti (प्रातिपदिक) + tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तसिलन्त-अव्यय “-तः” — “due to/from (states of) sūtaka, impurity, confusion, illness, fear”

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Obligatoriness of sandhyā for rulers and legitimate exceptions due to impurity, illness, or fear

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: legalistic and clarificatory

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sandhyā worship is a constant obligation, with limited exceptions for ritual impurity, mental disturbance, severe illness, or extreme fear.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Maintain core daily spiritual commitments; when genuinely incapacitated, adopt a minimal substitute (silent remembrance) and resume fully when able.

Vishishtadvaita: Nitya-karma is framed as ongoing service to the Lord’s order; exceptions recognize embodied limitation without denying the primacy of devotion-in-duty.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Characters & Entities

• Kings
• Sandhya (dawn/dusk rites)

FAQs

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

This verse treats Sandhyā as a daily pillar of dharma—especially for rulers—linking personal discipline to the maintenance of social and cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain when Sandhyā duties may be suspended?

Parāśara allows exceptions only under compelling conditions: birth/death impurity (sūtaka/āśauca), mental disorientation, serious illness, or immediate fear—otherwise the practice is continuous.

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

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the dharmic regimen of Sandhyā functions as alignment with the Supreme Order upheld by Vishnu—where righteous kingship becomes service to that sustaining Reality.