Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 17
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
एवमेवापरां संध्यां समुपासीत वाग्यत: । नेक्षेतादित्यमुद्यन्तं नास्तं यान््तं कदाचन,इसी प्रकार सायंकालमें भी मौन रहकर संध्योपासना करे। उदय और अस्तके समय सूर्यकी ओर कदापि न देखे
evam evāparāṃ sandhyāṃ samupāsīta vāgyataḥ | nekṣetādityam udyantaṃ nāstaṃ yāntaṃ kadācana ||
Bhīṣma nói: “Cũng như vậy, hãy cử hành lễ sandhyā buổi chiều trong im lặng, giữ lời nói được chế ngự. Tuyệt đối chớ nhìn thẳng mặt trời—dù lúc mọc hay lúc lặn.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Maintain disciplined daily religious practice: perform the evening Sandhyā with restraint of speech, and observe the rule of not gazing at the sun at the liminal times of sunrise and sunset—an ethic of reverence, self-control, and proper conduct.
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, he continues outlining rules for daily observances. Here he specifies how the evening Sandhyā should be performed and adds a behavioral prohibition regarding looking at the sun during its rising and setting.