The Description of the Midday Sandhya

Verse 1 (devibhagavatam.11.19.1)

श्रीनारायण उवाच । अथातः श्रूयतां ब्रह्मन् सन्ध्यां माध्याह्निकीं शुभाम् । यदनुष्ठानतोऽपूर्वं जायतेऽत्युत्तमं फलम् ॥

śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca athātaḥ śrūyatāṁ brahman sandhyāṁ mādhyāhnikīṁ śubhām yadanuṣṭhānato'pūrvaṁ jāyate'tyuttamaṁ phalam

Shri Narayana said: Now, O brahmin, hear about the auspicious midday sandhya, by the performance of which an unprecedented and most excellent fruit is produced.

Verse 2 (devibhagavatam.11.19.2)

सावित्रीं युवतीं श्वेतवर्णां चैव त्रिलोचनाम् । वरदां चाक्षमालाढ्यां त्रिशूलाभयहस्तकाम् ॥

sāvitrīṁ yuvatīṁ śvetavarṇāṁ caiva trilocanām varadāṁ cākṣamālāḍhyāṁ triśūlābhayahastakām

One should meditate on Savitri — youthful, white in color, three-eyed, boon-granting, holding a rosary, and with hands bearing a trident and the gesture of fearlessness,

Verse 3 (devibhagavatam.11.19.3)

वृषारूढां यजुर्वेदसंहितां रुद्रदेवताम् । तमोगुणयुतां चैव भुवर्लोकव्यवस्थिताम् ॥

vṛṣārūḍhāṁ yajurvedasaṁhitāṁ rudradevatām tamoguṇayutāṁ caiva bhuvarlokavyavasthitām

mounted upon a bull, identified with the Yajur Veda Samhita, having Rudra as her deity, possessed of the quality of tamas, and established in Bhuvarloka,

Verse 4 (devibhagavatam.11.19.4)

आदित्यमार्गसञ्चारकर्त्रीं मायां नमाम्यहम् । आदिदेवीमथ ध्यात्वाऽऽचमनादि च पूर्ववत् ॥

ādityamārgasañcārakartrīṁ māyāṁ namāmyaham ādidevīmatha dhyātvā''camanādi ca pūrvavat

the one who effects the sun's course along its path, Maya — I bow to her. Having thus meditated on the primordial Goddess, one should perform achamana and the rest as before.

Verse 5 (devibhagavatam.11.19.5)

अथ चार्घ्यप्रकरणं पुष्पाणि चिनुयात्ततः । तदलाभे बिल्वपत्रं तोयेन मिश्रयेत्ततः ॥

atha cārghyaprakaraṇaṁ puṣpāṇi cinuyāttataḥ tadalābhe bilvapatraṁ toyena miśrayettataḥ

Then, in the matter of the arghya, one should gather flowers; in their absence, one should mix a bilva leaf with the water.

Verse 6 (devibhagavatam.11.19.6)

ऊर्ध्वं च सूर्याभिमुखं क्षिप्त्वार्घ्यं प्रतिपादयेत् । प्रातःसन्ध्यादिवत्सर्वमुपसंहारपूर्वकम् ॥

ūrdhvaṁ ca sūryābhimukhaṁ kṣiptvārghyaṁ pratipādayet prātaḥsandhyādivatsarvamupasaṁhārapūrvakam

Casting it upward, facing the sun, one should offer the arghya; everything else is as in the morning sandhya, concluding with the closing rites.

Verse 7 (devibhagavatam.11.19.7)

मध्याह्ने केचिदिच्छन्ति सावित्रीं तु तदित्यृचम् । असम्प्रदायं तत्कर्म कार्यहानिस्तु जायते ॥

madhyāhne kecidicchanti sāvitrīṁ tu tadityṛcam asampradāyaṁ tatkarma kāryahānistu jāyate

At midday, some desire to recite Savitri, that is, the verse beginning 'tat...'; but that act, if not in accordance with tradition, results in a deficiency of the rite.

Verse 8 (devibhagavatam.11.19.8)

कारणं सन्ध्ययोश्चात्र मन्देहा नाम राक्षसाः । भक्षितुं सूर्यमिच्छन्ति कारणं श्रुतिचोदितम् ॥

kāraṇaṁ sandhyayoścātra mandehā nāma rākṣasāḥ bhakṣituṁ sūryamicchanti kāraṇaṁ śruticoditam

The reason for the arghya at the two sandhyas here is that the demons named Mandehas desire to devour the sun — this cause is declared by the Shruti.

Verse 9 (devibhagavatam.11.19.9)

अतस्तु कारणाद्विप्रः सन्ध्यां कुर्यात्प्रयत्नतः । सन्ध्ययोरुभयोर्नित्यं गायत्र्या प्रणवेन च ॥

atastu kāraṇādvipraḥ sandhyāṁ kuryātprayatnataḥ sandhyayorubhayornityaṁ gāyatryā praṇavena ca

For this reason, the brahmin should diligently perform the sandhya; at both the sandhyas constantly, with the Gayatri and with the syllable Om,

Verse 10 (devibhagavatam.11.19.10)

अम्भस्तु प्रक्षिपेत्तेन नान्यथा श्रुतिघातकः । आकृष्णेनेति मन्त्रेण पुष्पैर्वाम्बुविमिश्रितम् ॥

ambhastu prakṣipettena nānyathā śrutighātakaḥ ākṛṣṇeneti mantreṇa puṣpairvāmbuvimiśritam

one should cast the water by this means, and not otherwise, lest one become a violator of the Shruti. With the mantra 'ākṛṣṇena...' one should cast flowers mixed with water,

Verse 11 (devibhagavatam.11.19.11)

अलाभे बिल्वदूर्वादिपत्रेणोक्तेन पूर्वकम् । अर्ध्यं दद्यात्प्रयत्नेन साङ्गं सन्ध्याफलं लभेत् ॥

alābhe bilvadūrvādipatreṇoktena pūrvakam ardhyaṁ dadyātprayatnena sāṅgaṁ sandhyāphalaṁ labhet

or, in their absence, with the aforementioned bilva or durva leaf; one should diligently offer the arghya and thereby obtain the complete fruit of the sandhya.

Verse 12 (devibhagavatam.11.19.12)

अत्रैव तर्पणं वक्ष्ये शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम । भुवः पुनः पूरुषं तु तर्पयामि नमो नमः ॥

atraiva tarpaṇaṁ vakṣye śṛṇu devarṣisattama bhuvaḥ punaḥ pūruṣaṁ tu tarpayāmi namo namaḥ

Here I shall also declare the tarpana; listen, O best of divine sages. 'Bhuvah — again, I offer libation to the Purusha — salutations, salutations.'

Verse 13 (devibhagavatam.11.19.13)

यजुर्वेदं तर्पयामि मण्डलं तर्पयामि च । हिरण्यगर्भं च तथान्तरात्मानं तथैव च ॥

yajurvedaṁ tarpayāmi maṇḍalaṁ tarpayāmi ca hiraṇyagarbhaṁ ca tathāntarātmānaṁ tathaiva ca

'I offer libation to the Yajur Veda, I offer libation to the solar orb, and likewise to Hiranyagarbha, and likewise to the Inner Self.'

Verse 14 (devibhagavatam.11.19.14)

सावित्रीं च ततो देवमातरं साङ्कृतिं तथा । सन्ध्यां तथैव युवतीं रुद्राणीं नीमृजां तथा ॥

sāvitrīṁ ca tato devamātaraṁ sāṅkṛtiṁ tathā sandhyāṁ tathaiva yuvatīṁ rudrāṇīṁ nīmṛjāṁ tathā

'And then to Savitri, the Mother of the gods, and likewise to Sankriti; and likewise to the Sandhya, the youthful one, to Rudrani, and likewise to Nirmrija,'

Verse 15 (devibhagavatam.11.19.15)

सर्वार्थानां सिद्धिकरीं सर्वमन्त्रार्थसिद्धिदाम् । भूर्भुवः स्वः पूरुषं तु इति मध्याह्नतर्पणम् ॥

sarvārthānāṁ siddhikarīṁ sarvamantrārthasiddhidām bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ pūruṣaṁ tu iti madhyāhnatarpaṇam

'the bestower of accomplishment in all aims, granter of success in the meaning of all mantras.' 'Bhur, Bhuvah, Svah — to the Purusha' — thus is the tarpana of midday.

Verse 16 (devibhagavatam.11.19.16)

उदुत्यमिति सूक्तेन सूर्योपस्थानमेव च । चित्रं देवानामिति च सूर्योपस्थानमाचरेत् ॥

udutyamiti sūktena sūryopasthānameva ca citraṁ devānāmiti ca sūryopasthānamācaret

With the hymn beginning 'udutyaṁ...' one should perform the veneration of the sun; and likewise with the verse beginning 'citraṁ devānām...' one should perform the veneration of the sun.

Verse 17 (devibhagavatam.11.19.17)

ततो जपं प्रकुर्वीत मन्त्रसाधनतत्परः । जपस्यापि प्रकारं तु वक्ष्यामि शृणु नारद ॥

tato japaṁ prakurvīta mantrasādhanatatparaḥ japasyāpi prakāraṁ tu vakṣyāmi śṛṇu nārada

Then, devoted to the accomplishment of the mantra, one should perform the recitation. I shall also declare the manner of this recitation; listen, O Narada.

Verse 18 (devibhagavatam.11.19.18)

कृत्वोत्तानौ करौ प्रातः सायं चाधः करौ तथा । मध्याह्ने हृदयस्थौ तु कृत्वा जपमुदीरयेत् ॥

kṛtvottānau karau prātaḥ sāyaṁ cādhaḥ karau tathā madhyāhne hṛdayasthau tu kṛtvā japamudīrayet

In the morning, holding the hands facing upward; in the evening, likewise holding the hands facing downward; and at midday, holding the hands at the heart — thus one should perform the recitation.

Verse 19 (devibhagavatam.11.19.19)

पर्वद्वयमनामिक्याः कनिष्ठादिक्रमेण तु । तर्जनीमूलपर्यन्तं करमाला प्रकीर्तिता ॥

parvadvayamanāmikyāḥ kaniṣṭhādikrameṇa tu tarjanīmūlaparyantaṁ karamālā prakīrtitā

Two joints of the ring finger, then in order beginning from the little finger, up to the base of the index finger — this is proclaimed to be the 'hand-rosary.'

Verse 20 (devibhagavatam.11.19.20)

गोघ्नः पितृघ्नो मातृघ्नो भ्रूणहा गुरुतल्पगः । ब्रह्मस्वक्षेत्रहारी च यश्च विप्रः सुरां पिबेत् ॥

goghnaḥ pitṛghno mātṛghno bhrūṇahā gurutalpagaḥ brahmasvakṣetrahārī ca yaśca vipraḥ surāṁ pibet

A killer of a cow, a killer of one's father, a killer of one's mother, a killer of an embryo, one who violates his guru's bed, a usurper of brahmin property or land, and a brahmin who drinks liquor —

Verse 21 (devibhagavatam.11.19.21)

स गायत्र्या सहस्रेण पूतो भवति मानवः । मानसं वाचिकं पापं विषयेन्द्रियसङ्गजम् ॥

sa gāyatryā sahasreṇa pūto bhavati mānavaḥ mānasaṁ vācikaṁ pāpaṁ viṣayendriyasaṅgajam

such a man becomes purified by a thousand recitations of the Gayatri. Sin of mind, sin of speech, sin born of attachment to the senses and their objects —

Verse 22 (devibhagavatam.11.19.22)

तत्किल्बिषं नाशयति त्रीणि जन्मानि मानवः । गायत्रीं यो न जानाति वृथा तस्य परिश्रमः ॥

tatkilbiṣaṁ nāśayati trīṇi janmāni mānavaḥ gāyatrīṁ yo na jānāti vṛthā tasya pariśramaḥ

that offense a man destroys over three lifetimes. Whoever does not know the Gayatri — his labor is in vain.

Verse 23 (devibhagavatam.11.19.23)

पठेच्च चतुरो वेदान् गायत्रीं चैकतो जपेत् । वेदानां चावृतेस्तद्वद्गायत्रीजप उत्तमः ॥

paṭhecca caturo vedān gāyatrīṁ caikato japet vedānāṁ cāvṛtestadvadgāyatrījapa uttamaḥ

Whether one reads the four Vedas, or on the other hand recites the Gayatri — the repetition of the Gayatri is equally, indeed supremely, as good as the repeated study of the Vedas.

Verse 24 (devibhagavatam.11.19.24)

इति मध्याह्नसन्ध्यायाः प्रकारः कीर्तितो मया । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि ब्रह्मयज्ञविधिक्रमम् ॥

iti madhyāhnasandhyāyāḥ prakāraḥ kīrtito mayā ataḥ paraṁ pravakṣyāmi brahmayajñavidhikramam

Thus has the procedure of the midday sandhya been declared by me. Hereafter I shall declare the order and method of the Brahma-yajna.