Shloka 98

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

Devanagari script

सच्छास्त्रादिविनोदेन सन्मार्गाद् अविरोधिना दिनं नयेत् ततः संध्याम् उपतिष्ठेत् समाहितः

Transliteration

sacchāstrādivinodena sanmārgād avirodhinā dinaṃ nayet tataḥ saṃdhyām upatiṣṭhet samāhitaḥ

Translation

सत्शास्त्र आदि के पावन विनोद से, सन्मार्ग के विरुद्ध न जाकर, दिन बिताए; फिर समाहित चित्त से संध्या-उपासना करे।

Word by Word

• sat-śāstra-ādi-vinodena: by recreation in good scriptures etc.
• sat-śāstra-ādi-vinodena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vinoda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सत्-शास्त्र-आदि-विनोदः)

• sat-mārgāt: from the good path
• sat-mārgāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (सन् मार्गः)

• avirodhinā: non-opposing, not conflicting
• avirodhinā: Karaṇa (Instrument qualifier/करणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-virodhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; विशेषण (विनोदेन इत्यस्य)

• dinam: the day
• dinam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• nayet: should pass (spend)
• nayet: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन — “should lead/pass”

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla/Anukrama (Temporal sequence/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — “then/thereafter”

• saṃdhyām: the twilight prayer (sandhyā)
• saṃdhyām: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• upatiṣṭhet: should perform/attend
• upatiṣṭhet: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन — “should attend/perform”

• samāhitaḥ: composed, concentrated
• samāhitaḥ: Karta (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-āhita (प्रातिपदिक; past passive participle from sam-ā-√dhā)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषण — “collected, composed”

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in instruction to Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Sandhyā
• Dharma
• Sat-śāstra (true scripture)

FAQs

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

This verse presents Sandhyā as the daily spiritual hinge-point: after a day kept aligned with dharma, one should conclude by focused twilight observance, reinforcing purity, order, and steadiness of mind.

How does Sage Parāśara explain balanced living for a dhārmic person?

He allows “recreation,” but only of the sat-śāstra type—refreshment that does not conflict with the righteous path—followed by disciplined ritual practice performed with concentration.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the teaching serves Vaishnava dharma: regulated life, scriptural nourishment, and Sandhyā discipline are portrayed as ways of living in harmony with the Supreme Order upheld by Vishnu.