Shloka 12

Gayā-kṣetra and Phalgu Tīrtha: Sites, Rites, and the Liberation of the Pitṛs

Devanagari script

सन्ध्यां कृत्वा प्रयत्नेन सर्ववेदफलं लभेत् / सावित्रीं चैव मध्याह्ने दृष्ट्वा यज्ञफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

sandhyāṃ kṛtvā prayatnena sarvavedaphalaṃ labhet / sāvitrīṃ caiva madhyāhne dṛṣṭvā yajñaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

ผู้ใดประกอบสันธยาอุปาสนาอย่างเพียรพยายาม ย่อมได้บุญเทียบเท่าผลแห่งพระเวททั้งปวง และผู้ใดเพ่งพินิจ/สวดภาวนาพระสาวิตรีในเวลาเที่ยง ย่อมได้ผลแห่งยัญพิธี

Word by Word

• सन्ध्याम्: twilight worship (sandhyā)
• सन्ध्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• कृत्वा: having performed
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; having done

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (means)

• सर्ववेदफलम्: the fruit of all the Vedas
• सर्ववेदफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: सर्वेषां वेदानां फलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; may obtain

• सावित्रीम्: Sāvitrī (mantra/deity)
• सावित्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• मध्याह्ने: at midday
• मध्याह्ने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्याह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (time)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; having seen

• यज्ञफलम्: the fruit of sacrifice
• यज्ञफलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: यज्ञस्य फलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• लभेत्: may obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; may obtain

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra, per the common Garuda Purana dialogue frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nitya Sandhyā as a concentrated substitute for extensive śruti-study and sacrificial performance in terms of phala.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga discipline: regular obligatory rites purify antaḥkaraṇa and sustain dharma, preparing for higher knowledge.

Application: Perform Sandhyā-vandana with attention (ācamanā, prāṇāyāma, arghya, japa); at midday, renew focus with Sāvitrī-japa as ‘inner yajña’.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: temporal sacred threshold

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated phala-śruti for sandhyā, tīrtha-darśana, and devatā-darśana as compact dharma

Characters & Entities

• Savitri (Gayatri)
• Vedas
• Yajna

FAQs

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

This verse states that performing Sandhyā with sincere effort yields merit comparable to the fruits of all the Vedas, highlighting it as a powerful daily nitya-karma.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By emphasizing daily purification and mantra-discipline (Sandhyā and Sāvitrī), the verse points to practices that accumulate puṇya (merit), shaping one’s post-death trajectory and well-being in the afterlife framework taught in the Purana.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain a consistent daily discipline: perform Sandhyā prayers with attention, and recite/meditate on the Gāyatrī (Sāvitrī) especially at midday, treating it as a concrete practice of dharma and inner purification.