The Rite of the Twilight Worship

Verse 1 (garuda.1.36.1)

।।हरिरुवाच । सन्ध्याविधिं प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रृणु रुद्राघनाशनम् । प्राणायामत्रयं कृत्वा सन्ध्यास्नानमुपक्रमेत्

hariruvāca sandhyāvidhiṁ pravakṣyāmi śrṛṇu rudrāghanāśanam prāṇāyāmatrayaṁ kṛtvā sandhyāsnānamupakramet

Hari said: I shall declare the rite of the twilight worship; hear it, O Rudra, for it destroys sin. Having performed three breath-controls, one should begin the twilight bathing.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.36.2)

सप्रणवां सव्याहृतिं गायत्त्रीं शिरसा सह । त्रिः पठेदायतप्रणः प्राणायामः स उच्यते

sapraṇavāṁ savyāhṛtiṁ gāyattrīṁ śirasā saha triḥ paṭhedāyatapraṇaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ sa ucyate

With controlled breath, one should recite the Gayatri, together with the syllable Om, the vyahritis, and the head-mantra, three times — this is called breath-control.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.36.3)

मनोवाक्रायजं दोषं प्राणायामैर्दहेद्द्विजः । तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु प्राणायामपरो भवेत्

manovākrāyajaṁ doṣaṁ prāṇāyāmairdaheddvijaḥ tasmātsarveṣu kāleṣu prāṇāyāmaparo bhavet

The twice-born should burn away the fault born of mind, speech, and body through the breath-controls. Therefore, at all times, one should be devoted to breath-control.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.36.4)

सायमग्निश्च मेत्युक्ता प्रातः सूर्य्येत्यपः पिबेत् । आपः पुनन्तु मध्याह्ने उपस्पृश्य यथाविधि

sāyamagniśca metyuktā prātaḥ sūryyetyapaḥ pibet āpaḥ punantu madhyāhne upaspṛśya yathāvidhi

In the evening, with the mantra "agniśca mā," and in the morning with "sūryaśca mā," one should sip water. At midday, with "āpaḥ punantu," one should duly touch the water.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.36.5)

आपोहिष्ठेत्यृचा कुर्य्यान्मार्जनं तु कुशोदकैः । प्रणवेन तु संयुक्तं क्षिपेद्वारि पदेपदे

āpohiṣṭhetyṛcā kuryyānmārjanaṁ tu kuśodakaiḥ praṇavena tu saṁyuktaṁ kṣipedvāri padepade

With the verse "āpo hi ṣṭhā," one should perform purification with kusha grass and water. Joined with the syllable Om, one should sprinkle water at each word.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.36.6)

रजस्तमः स्वमोहोत्थाञ्जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिजान् । वाङ्मनः कर्मजान्दोषान्नवैतान्नवभिर्दहेत्

rajastamaḥ svamohotthāñjāgratsvapnasuṣuptijān vāṅmanaḥ karmajāndoṣānnavaitānnavabhirdahet

One should burn, with nine oblations, these nine faults — those arising from the delusion of rajas and tamas, those born of waking, dream, and deep sleep, and those born of speech, mind, and action.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.36.7)

समुद्धृत्योदकं पाणौ जप्त्वा च द्रुपदां क्षिपेत् । त्रिपडष्टौ द्वादशधा वर्त्तयेदघमर्पणम्

samuddhṛtyodakaṁ pāṇau japtvā ca drupadāṁ kṣipet tripaḍaṣṭau dvādaśadhā varttayedaghamarpaṇam

Having lifted water in the hand and recited the "drupada" mantra, one should release it. Repeating the three feet eight or twelve times, one should perform the offering of one's sin.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.36.8)

उदुत्यंचित्रमित्याभ्यामुपतिष्ठेद्दिवाकरम् । दिवा रात्रौ च यत्पापं सर्वं नश्यति तत्क्षणात्

udutyaṁcitramityābhyāmupatiṣṭheddivākaram divā rātrau ca yatpāpaṁ sarvaṁ naśyati tatkṣaṇāt

With the two mantras "udutyaṁ" and "citraṁ," one should stand in salutation before the sun. Whatever sin occurred by day or by night, all of it is destroyed at that very instant.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.36.9)

पूर्वसंध्यां जपंस्तिष्ठेत्पश्चिमामुपविश्य च । महाव्याहृतिसंयुक्तां गायत्त्रीं प्रणवान्विताम्

pūrvasaṁdhyāṁ japaṁstiṣṭhetpaścimāmupaviśya ca mahāvyāhṛtisaṁyuktāṁ gāyattrīṁ praṇavānvitām

In the morning twilight one should stand and recite, and in the evening twilight sit and recite, the Gayatri, joined with the great vyahritis and the syllable Om.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.36.10)

दशभिर्जन्मजनितं शतेन तु पुरा कृतम् । त्रियुगं तु सहस्त्रेण गायत्त्रीं हन्ति दुष्कृतम्

daśabhirjanmajanitaṁ śatena tu purā kṛtam triyugaṁ tu sahastreṇa gāyattrīṁ hanti duṣkṛtam

With ten recitations, sin committed in this birth; with a hundred, that committed in a former birth; and with a thousand, evil deeds done across three ages — the Gayatri destroys all of these.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.36.11)

रक्ता भवति गायत्त्री सावित्री शुक्लवर्णिका । कृष्णा सरस्वती ज्ञेया संध्यात्रयमुदाहृतम्

raktā bhavati gāyattrī sāvitrī śuklavarṇikā kṛṣṇā sarasvatī jñeyā saṁdhyātrayamudāhṛtam

Gayatri is red in hue, Savitri is white, and Sarasvati should be known as black — thus the three twilight-forms have been declared.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.36.12)

ॐ भूर्विन्यस्य हृदये ॐ भुवः शिरसि न्यसेत् । ॐ स्वरिति शिखायां च गायत्र्याः प्रथमं पदम्

oṁ bhūrvinyasya hṛdaye oṁ bhuvaḥ śirasi nyaset oṁ svariti śikhāyāṁ ca gāyatryāḥ prathamaṁ padam

Having placed "Om bhūḥ" in the heart, one should place "Om bhuvaḥ" in the head. "Om svaḥ" in the crest, and the first foot of the Gayatri —

Verse 13 (garuda.1.36.13)

विन्यसेत्कवचे विद्वान्द्वितीयं नेत्रयोर्न्यसेत् । तृतीयेनाङ्गविन्यासं चतुर्थं सर्वतो न्यसेत्

vinyasetkavace vidvāndvitīyaṁ netrayornyaset tṛtīyenāṅgavinyāsaṁ caturthaṁ sarvato nyaset

the wise should place in the armor; the second foot should be placed in both eyes. With the third, one should perform the limb-placement; the fourth should be placed everywhere.

Verse 14 (garuda.1.36.14)

संध्याकाले तु विन्यस्य जपेद्वै वेदमातरम् । शिवस्तस्यास्तु सर्वाह्णे प्राणायामपरं न्यसेत्

saṁdhyākāle tu vinyasya japedvai vedamātaram śivastasyāstu sarvāhṇe prāṇāyāmaparaṁ nyaset

At the time of twilight, having performed the placement, one should recite the mother of the Vedas. Its deity is Shiva; at all times, the placement should be done through breath-control.

Verse 15 (garuda.1.36.15)

त्रिपदा या तु गायत्त्री ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वरी । विनियोगमृषिच्छन्दो ज्ञात्वा तु जपमारभेत्

tripadā yā tu gāyattrī brahmaviṣṇumaheśvarī viniyogamṛṣicchando jñātvā tu japamārabhet

That Gayatri which is three-footed is of the form of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara. Having known its application, sage, and meter, one should begin the recitation.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.36.16)

सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो ब्रह्मलोकमवाप्नुयात् । परोरजसि सारं तं तुरीयपदमीरितम्

sarvapāpavinirmukto brahmalokamavāpnuyāt parorajasi sāraṁ taṁ turīyapadamīritam

By this a man, freed of all sin, attains the world of Brahma. That essence beyond rajas is declared to be the fourth foot of the Gayatri.

Verse 17 (garuda.1.36.17)

तं हन्ति सूर्य्यः सन्ध्यायां नोपास्तिं कुरुते तु यः । तुरीयस्य पदस्यापि ऋषिर्निर्मल एव च

taṁ hanti sūryyaḥ sandhyāyāṁ nopāstiṁ kurute tu yaḥ turīyasya padasyāpi ṛṣirnirmala eva ca

Whoever does not perform worship at the twilight, the Sun destroys him. Of that fourth foot too, the sage is the pure one himself,

Verse 18 (garuda.1.36.18)

छन्दस्तु देवी गायत्त्री परमात्मा च देवता

chandastu devī gāyattrī paramātmā ca devatā

its meter is the goddess Gayatri, and the Supreme Self alone is its deity.