Shloka 5

Sandhyā-Upāsanā Vidhi: Prāṇāyāma, Water Purification, Aghāmarpaṇa, Sūrya Worship, Nyāsa, and Gāyatrī Japa

Devanagari script

आपोहिष्ठेत्यृचा कुर्यान्मार्जनं तु कुशोदकैः / प्रणवेन तु संयुक्तं क्षिपेद्वारि पदेपदे

Transliteration

āpohiṣṭhetyṛcā kuryānmārjanaṃ tu kuśodakaiḥ / praṇavena tu saṃyuktaṃ kṣipedvāri padepade

Translation

Recitando el Ṛk que comienza con «Āpo hi ṣṭhā…», debe hacerse el mārjana, la purificación por aspersión, con agua consagrada con hierba kuśa; y, unido al praṇava (Oṁ), debe arrojarse agua a cada paso.

Word by Word

• āpo-hiṣṭhā: “Āpo hiṣṭhā …” (mantra)
• āpo-hiṣṭhā: Sambandha (Mantra citation/मन्त्र-उद्धरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āpas (प्रातिपदिक) + hiṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मन्त्र-आरम्भपद (ऋग्वेद-मन्त्रनाम), प्रथमा (1st) एकवचन-प्राय (उद्धरणरूप)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ṛcā: with a ṛk-verse
• ṛcā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriyā (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mārjanam: sprinkling/cleansing
• mārjanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), विरोध/अन्वय-नियामक

• kuśa-udakaiḥ: with water (mixed) with kuśa grass
• kuśa-udakaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (kuśena miśram udakam)

• praṇavena: with the praṇava (Om)
• praṇavena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• tu: and/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• saṃyuktam: combined/connected
• saṃyuktam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु) + sam (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; (mārjanam) विशेषण

• kṣipet: should sprinkle/throw
• kṣipet: Kriyā (Injunction/विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣip (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• vāri: water
• vāri: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• pade-pade: at every step / repeatedly
• pade-pade: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Frequency/आवृत्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (reduplicative), अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mārjana (sprinkling purification) with kuśa-water while reciting ‘Āpo hi ṣṭhā…’; casting water at each step with praṇava for sanctification and protection.

Vedantic Theme: Śabda (mantra) as a purifier of mind and environment; external rite mirrors inner cleansing.

Application: Use sanctified water with focused mantra to mark transitions—before worship, study, or travel—cultivating mindfulness and ethical restraint.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.36.4 (midday ‘Āpaḥ punantu’ and prescribed sipping)

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa
• Praṇava (Oṁ)
• Āpo hi ṣṭhā mantra

FAQs

What is the importance of the “Āpo hi ṣṭhā” mantra in Garuda Purana rituals?

This verse prescribes it as the key Ṛg-mantra for mārjana (ritual cleansing), treating sanctified water as the medium for purity and readiness for subsequent rites.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana’s broader ritual discipline?

It emphasizes preparatory śuddhi—purification through mantra, kuśa, and water—showing that correct inner and outer cleanliness is required before proceeding with formal religious actions.

Practical application of this instruction today?

Before prayer or rites, one may perform a brief sprinkling/purification using clean water, remembering Oṁ and a purification mantra, to cultivate attentiveness, cleanliness, and ritual order.