Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

संध्याकाले तु विन्यस्य जपेद्वै वेदमातरम् / शिवस्तस्यास्तु सर्वाह्ने प्राणायामपरं न्यसेत्

Transliteration

saṃdhyākāle tu vinyasya japedvai vedamātaram / śivastasyāstu sarvāhne prāṇāyāmaparaṃ nyaset

Translation

ในกาลสันธยา เมื่อทำนยาสะแล้ว พึงสวดชปะพระเวทมารดา (คายตรี) ขอความเป็นสิริมงคลสถิตแก่เขาตลอดทั้งวัน แล้วจึงตั้งตนในปราณายามะ และทำ นยาสะขั้นสูง (ถัดไป) อีกครั้ง.

Word by Word

• संध्याकाले: at the time of sandhyā
• संध्याकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (संध्यायाः कालः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारण/विरोध-भावक (but/indeed)

• विन्यस्य: having placed (nyāsa)
• विन्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् (absolutive), अव्ययभावः

• जपेत्: should recite/mutter
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्ययम् (indeed/certainly)

• वेदमातरम्: the Mother of the Vedas (Gāyatrī)
• वेदमातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (वेदानां माता)

• शिवः: auspicious
• शिवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (auspicious)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक

• सर्वाह्ने: throughout the whole day
• सर्वाह्ने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (सर्वस्मिन् अह्नि)

• प्राणायामपरम्: that which is connected with prāṇāyāma
• प्राणायामपरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (prāṇāyāma-para: devoted/pertaining to prāṇāyāma)

• न्यसेत्: should place/assign
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Japa + prāṇāyāma as a daily ladder from outer rite to inner stillness, yielding śiva (well-being/auspiciousness) through the day.

Vedantic Theme: Sādhana-catuṣṭaya support: mind purification and steadiness (citta-śuddhi, ekāgratā) as proximate means toward self-knowledge.

Application: At each Sandhyā: do nyāsa, chant Gāyatrī with attention, then prāṇāyāma; treat the sequence as non-negotiable daily hygiene for mind and breath.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual time-threshold

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.36.12-13 (nyāsa sequence); Garuda Purana 1.36.15 (begin japa after knowing viniyoga/ṛṣi/chandas)

Characters & Entities

• Veda-mātā (Gāyatrī)
• Śiva (as auspiciousness)

FAQs

What is the importance of Sandhyā and Gāyatrī-japa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Sandhyā-time as the proper context for nyāsa and Gāyatrī-japa, framing it as a daily discipline that brings ‘śiva’—auspicious well-being—throughout the day.

How does this verse relate to the Garuda Purana’s broader teaching on spiritual progress?

While later sections address death rites and afterlife outcomes, this Ācāra-focused instruction emphasizes purification and steadiness of prāṇa and mind (prāṇāyāma + japa) as foundational practices that support dharma and inner fitness.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Keep a consistent dawn/dusk practice: a brief nyāsa (mental placement), Gāyatrī japa with attention, then a few rounds of calm prāṇāyāma—treating it as daily mental and ethical alignment.