Shloka 62

Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā

Devanagari script

स हन्ति सूर्यं सन्ध्यायां नोपास्तिं कुरुते तु यः / दहन्ति मन्त्रपूतेन तोयेनानलरूपिणा

Transliteration

sa hanti sūryaṃ sandhyāyāṃ nopāstiṃ kurute tu yaḥ / dahanti mantrapūtena toyenānalarūpiṇā

Translation

സന്ധ്യാകാലത്ത് വിധിപൂർവ്വം ഉപാസന ചെയ്യാത്തവൻ സൂര്യനെ ഹനിക്കുന്നവനെന്നു പറയപ്പെടുന്നു. മന്ത്രപൂതമായ ജലം അഗ്നിരൂപം ധരിച്ചു അവനെ ദഹിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सः: he (that person)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• हन्ति: kills/strikes
• हन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• सूर्यम्: the sun
• सूर्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सन्ध्यायाम्: at twilight (sandhyā time)
• सन्ध्यायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• उपास्तिम्: worship/attendance (service)
• उपास्तिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपास्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुरुते: does/performs
• कुरुते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• दहन्ति: burn (him)
• दहन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• मन्त्रपूतेन: purified by mantra
• मन्त्रपूतेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पूत (पू (धातु) क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मन्त्रेण पूतः); पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तोयेन: with water
• तोयेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• अनलरूपिणा: having the form of fire
• अनलरूपिणा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अनलस्य रूपम् यस्य/अनलरूपः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nitya-karma (Sandhyā-upāsanā) is obligatory; omission (pratyavāya) yields suffering.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-kāṇḍa as purifier and protector of sattva; neglect strengthens tamas and binds the jīva to adverse results.

Application: Maintain a fixed daily Sandhyā practice (at least arghya, gāyatrī-japa, upasthāna); treat twilight as non-negotiable spiritual hygiene.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: temporal-liminal

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.213.63 (definition/measure of sandhyā); Garuda Purana 1.213.64-65 (self-performed homa and authorized proxies)

Characters & Entities

• Surya
• Devas

FAQs

What is the importance of Sandhya worship in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats Sandhyā-upāsanā as a vital daily duty; neglecting it is framed as a grave offence against Sūrya and leads to punitive suffering.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It links neglected daily dharma to post-mortem consequences: ritual failures become karmic causes for specific torments described in the Purāṇic afterlife framework.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain regular Sandhyā practice (or a sincere daily twilight prayer/recitation) as a discipline of gratitude, self-purification, and dharmic consistency.