Shloka 103

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

Devanagari script

उपतिष्ठन्ति ये संध्यां न पूर्वां न च पश्चिमाम् व्रजन्ति ते दुरात्मानस् तामिस्रं नरकं नृप

Transliteration

upatiṣṭhanti ye saṃdhyāṃ na pūrvāṃ na ca paścimām vrajanti te durātmānas tāmisraṃ narakaṃ nṛpa

Translation

O king, those of corrupted intent who perform the Sandhyā neither at dawn nor at dusk—neglecting both twilight worships—go to the Tāmisra hell, the realm of blinding darkness.

Word by Word

• उपतिष्ठन्ति: (they) worship/attend
• उपतिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था (धातु; √स्था)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक—“those who”

• संध्याम्: the sandhyā
• संध्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• पूर्वाम्: the morning (sandhyā)
• पूर्वाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; संध्याया विशेषणम्—“eastern/earlier (morning)”

• न: nor
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• पश्चिमाम्: the evening (sandhyā)
• पश्चिमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; संध्याया विशेषणम्—“western (evening)”

• व्रजन्ति: go
• व्रजन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दुरात्मानः: evil-minded ones
• दुरात्मानः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; दुर् + आत्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिवत् विशेषणार्थे—“evil-souled (persons)”

• तामिस्रम्: Tāmisra (dark)
• तामिस्रम्: Karma (Destination-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तामिस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नरकविशेषणम्

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Destination/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse, addressing a kingly addressee within the teaching)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Consequences of neglecting daily dharma such as sandhyā-vandana

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: warning, authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Neglect of both dawn and dusk sandhyā is a grave lapse of nitya-dharma leading to naraka consequences (Tāmisra).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat daily spiritual disciplines as character-forming duties; track consistency and repair lapses quickly through renewed practice.

Vishishtadvaita: Moral order is upheld under the Lord’s governance; neglect of ordained duties disturbs one’s alignment with the divine niyati (cosmic law).

Characters & Entities

• Kings
• Naraka (hell realms)
• Tāmisra

FAQs

What is the significance of Sandhyā (twilight worship) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats Sandhyā as a foundational daily duty; neglecting both dawn and dusk worship is presented as a serious breach of dharma with severe karmic consequences.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the consequences of neglecting daily rites?

Parāśara frames omission of obligatory practices as moral and spiritual decline (durātmānaḥ), leading to specific post-death outcomes such as Tāmisra, emphasizing karma’s governance of cosmic justice.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the teaching presumes a Vishnu-governed moral cosmos where dharma sustains order; daily rites align the individual with that supreme, sustaining reality.