Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

उदुत्यञ्चित्रमित्याभ्यामुपतिष्ठेद्दिवाकरम् / दिवा रात्रौ च यत्पापं सर्वं नश्यति तत्क्षणात्

Transliteration

udutyañcitramityābhyāmupatiṣṭheddivākaram / divā rātrau ca yatpāpaṃ sarvaṃ naśyati tatkṣaṇāt

Translation

उदुत्यं चित्रमित्याभ्यां दिवाकरमुपतिष्ठेत्। दिवा रात्रौ च यत्पापं सर्वं नश्यति तत्क्षणात्॥

Word by Word

• udutya: ‘udutya’ (mantra word)
• udutya: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udutya (मन्त्र-पद; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; मन्त्र-नाम (neuter accusative singular; mantra-word)

• citram: ‘citram’ (mantra word)
• citram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; मन्त्र-नाम (neuter accusative singular; mantra word)

• iti: thus
• iti: Marker (उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोग (quotative particle)

• ābhyām: by these two (mantras)
• ābhyām: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम (instrumental dual; ‘by these two’)

• upatiṣṭhet: should worship/attend upon
• upatiṣṭhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (optative, 3rd sg; ‘should worship/attend’)

• divākaram: the Sun (day-maker)
• divākaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divākara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)

• divā: by day
• divā: Modifier (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: divā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (feminine locative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• yat: whatever
• yat: Relation (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st)/द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (neuter sg; relative pronoun)

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st)/द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (neuter singular)

• sarvam: all
• sarvam: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st)/द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter singular; adjective)

• naśyati: perishes, is destroyed
• naśyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (present indicative, 3rd sg)

• tat-kṣaṇāt: immediately, from that moment
• tat-kṣaṇāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थ-प्रयोगः (ablative singular; ‘from that moment’ = immediately)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Upāsanā of Divākara through Vedic sūkta recitation (‘Ud utyam’, ‘Citram’) is a powerful prāyaścitta that destroys day-and-night sins instantly.

Vedantic Theme: Tejas as purifier; devotion and mantra align the individual with ṛta (cosmic order), reducing pāpa and tamas.

Application: At dawn (and/or noon), recite the specified Vedic hymns or their authorized equivalents with arghya to the Sun; cultivate truthfulness and clarity as ‘solar’ virtues.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: open sky / sandhyā place

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.36 (sandhyā and sin-destruction through Sūrya-upāsanā and gāyatrī)

Characters & Entities

• Divākara (Sūrya)

FAQs

What is the importance of Sun worship (Sūryopāsanā) in Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse presents Sūrya-upāsanā as an immediate purifier: reciting the specified Vedic hymns while worshipping Divākara is said to destroy sins accumulated by day and night.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it emphasizes moral and ritual purification in daily life; reducing pāpa through prescribed worship supports a dhārmic life, which in Purāṇic teaching influences post-death outcomes and the soul’s onward journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain a consistent morning practice: offer respectful worship to the Sun (e.g., arghya) and recite traditional Sūrya hymns/mantras with sincerity as a discipline for ethical living and inner purification.