Verse 2.222

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

आचम्य प्रयतो नित्यमुभे सन्ध्ये समाहितः ।
शुचौ देशे जपञ्जप्यमुपासीत यथाविधि ॥ २२२ ॥

ācamya prayato nityamubhe sandhye samāhitaḥ |
śucau deśe japañjapyamupāsīta yathāvidhi || 222 ||

Having sipped water, with calm and collected mind, he shall daily attend upon the two twilights, in a clean place, reciting the mantras to be recited, according to rule.—(222)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

In as much as there is great sin accruing from sleeping at sun-set and sun-rise,—therefore ‘having sipped water—‘with mind calm’—intent upon the purpose—‘and collected’—having set aside all distractions;—‘in a dean place, reciting the mantras to be recited,’—i.e., the Praṇava, the Vyāhṛtis and the Sāvitrī;—‘one should attend upon the two twilights.’ The two twilights are the objects to be attended upon; and ‘attendance’ in this case can only be in the form of a particular disposition of the mind.

Or, the construction may be—‘During the two twilights he shall attend upon—the Sun.’ Since the mantra (Sāvitrī) is one sacred to the Sun, it is the Sun that should be the object of attendance; i.e., having given up all distraction, he should fix his mind upon the Sun.

The rest of the verse is a descriptive commendation of the foregoing injunction; the attending alone being the object of the injunction.

Others explain that the verse is meant to be the injunction of the ‘clean place.’

But in this case there would be a needless repetition. In connection with all acts it has been laid down that ‘it should be done by one who is clean’; and if one were to sit in an unclean place, how could he be regarded as ‘clean’?—(222)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (28.2).—‘Offering of the two Twilight Prayers.’

Gautama (2-17).—‘The Morning Prayer should be offered standing, the Evening one, seated; the former while stars are visible, the latter before the stars have become visible.’