Manava Dharmashastra 2.101.3

2.101.3

kutaḥ phalaśravaṇam | yattu praśaṃṣādivākye 'vedapuṇyena yujyata' iti phalānuvādabhramaḥ, sa tatraiva nirṇītaḥ | tasmātsthānāsane pradhāne | athavā agnihotriṇaḥ sakṛtsāvitrīṃ japiṣyanti trirāvartayiṣyanti vā | na tāvatā'gnihotrasya kālātipattiḥ | aśnan sāyaṃ vinirmukta iti na tāvatā vihanyate | aśnaśabdaḥ cirakālavacanaḥ | tāvatā ca kṛtaḥ sandhyārtho bhavati | arkadarśanaparyantatā hyaṅgameva | uditahomināṃ kṛtasandhyānāmevāgnihotrahomaḥ | gautamena tu 'sajyotiṣyāñjyotiṣo darśanāditi' (a. 2 sū. 17) sūtrasyārthaḥ | 'etāvānkālaḥ sandhyocyate' | na vidhyaṅgam | tatraitāvati kāle nāstyāvṛttiḥ | yathā 'paurṇamāsyāṃ yajeteti' na kālānurodhena karmaṇa āvṛttiḥ, tathā 'pūrvāṃ sandhyāṃ sanakṣatrāṃ paścimāṃ sadivākarāmiti' tadapi kālalakṣaṇaṃ 'etāvānkāla iha sandhyāśabdenocyate, tatra sāndhyo vidhiranuṣṭheyaḥ' | tatreyati sandhyāśabdavācye kāle ca muhūrtamātre yadi tricaturāsu kālakalāsu sthānāsanajapānkuryāt sampanna eva vidhyarthaḥ | na hyatra kṛtsnakālavyāptiḥ śrutā manoriva | sarvathā'gnihotrasandhyāvidhī samānakālāvapi śakyāvanuṣṭhātum | sadāśabdo nityatāmāha | ubhayasandhyāśeṣaḥ | āsīta āsanamanvarthatāvasthānamupaviṣṭo bhavet | 'ṛkṣaṃ' nakṣatram | 'ā' tadbhāvanāt | ā'rkadarśanāditi ya ākāraḥ sa ihānuṣaktavyaḥ | samyakśabdo darśanavibhāvanayorviśeṣaṇam | samyagyadā paripūrṇamaṇḍala ādityo bhavati, nakṣatrāṇi ca bhāsvanti svabhāsā yuktāni nādityatejobhibhūtāni |

In answer to this we make the following observations: The present context is not intended for persons moved by personal desires; hence why should the text speak of any desirable results? As regards the misconception that people h ave regarding the declaration in verse 78—‘He becomes endowed with Vedic merit’—describing the syllable ‘om,’ etc., as being a description of results,—this we have already disposed of under that context. Hence we conclude that in the present context, standing and sitting are the predominant factors.

Or, it may be that those who perforin the Agnihotra shall recite the Sāvitrī only once, or shall repeat it thrice; and this much of it will not interfere with the time prescribed for the Agnihotra. [Just as even though it is stated that ‘in the evening one becomes free by muttering prayers for a long time,’ yet this does not interfere with the performance of the Agnihotra. The term ‘aśna’ stands for long time.] And yet the said recitation of the Sāvitrī would accomplish the purpose of the Twilight Prayers; specially as the assertion that the repeating is to go on till the sun is seen is only a subordinate factor in the Injunction (and hence need not be necessarily followed).

[The above applies to such Agnihotrins only as have adopted the time before sun-rise for their offerings.] As for those who have adopted the time after sunrise, (the difficulty does not arise, and) the Agnihotra-oblations would naturally be offered after the Twilight Prayers have been offered.

Gautama (2.17) speaks of the two Twilight Prayers as to be offered ‘(a) while the stars are still visible (at dawn) and (b) till such time as the stars become visible (after sunset)’; and all that this means is that the time described is to be regarded as ‘Twilight’; and it does not mean that this time mentioned is part of the Injunction; nor does it follow that the Sāvitrī is to be repeated during the whole of the time stated. Just as in the case of the Injunction ‘One should offer sacrifices on the full-moonday,’ it does not mean that the act of sacrificing is to be repeated during all the time comprised in the time mentioned; exactly in the same manner, when we have such assertions as that “the Earlier Twilight-Prayers are to be repeated while the stars are visible, and the later ones while the sun is still visible,”—all that is meant is the definition of the two times; the meaning being that ‘such and such a time is what is meant by the term Twilight; and it is at that time that the Twilight-Prayers should be offered.’ Thus then, the term ‘Twilight’ standing for the period of time mentioned, if one should perform the standing or sitting and mantra-ref tenting for only a minute, or for any three or four points of time, he will have accomplished what is prescribed by the Injunction.

The term ‘Sadā,’ ‘Every day,' signifies the compulsory character of the act; and it is to be taken as pertaining to both Twilights.

‘Should sit’;—‘sitting’ standing for any position other than standing, the meaning is that he should be seated.

‘Ṛkṣa’ means stars. ‘Ā’—i.e., till—they are seen;—the ‘ā’ (‘till’) occurring in connection with ‘arkadarśanāt’ (in the first time) should be construed also along with ‘ṛkṣavibhāvanāt.’

‘Samyak,’ ‘clearly,’ qualifies both ‘darśana’ and ‘vibhāvana’; the sense being—(a) ‘when the sun is seen clearly,—i.e., the whole disc becomes visible,’—and (b) ‘when the stars are bright, shining in their full splendour, and not dimmed by the stronger light of the sun.’—(101)