सन्ध्या

{ sandhyā }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

The presiding Devatā of dusk. She is called Pratīcyādevī as well. [Udyoga Parva, Chapter 117, Verse 16] .
SANDHYĀ I   The previous birth of Arundhatī, wife of Vasiṣṭha. (For more details see under Vasiṣṭha Para 1, Sub-Section 1).
SANDHYĀ II   Mother of the giantess Sālakaṭaṅkā. It is stated in Uttara Rāmāyaṇa that this Sālakaṭaṅkā. the daughter of Sandhyā was married by the giant Vidyutkeśa.
SANDHYĀ III   Time of union or conjunction. There are three Sandhyās in a day. These are morning sandhyā (Prātaḥsandhyā), noon sandhyā (Madhyāhna sandhyā) and evening sandhyā (Sāyaṁ Sandhyā). The meeting time of night and day, is morning Sandhyā, the joining time of the first half and the second half of the day, is noon (Madhyāhna Sandhyā), and the joining time of day and night, is evening Sandhyā (Sāyaṁ sandhyā). Brahmins should keep the three Sandhyās properly. The morning sandhyā is of three kinds. Good, Medium and Bad. When the morning stars are seen and the sunrise is approaching it is good morning; when the stars are not seen and the sun is not risen it is medium sandhyā and the morning time after the sunrise is bad Sandhyā. In sāyaṁsandhyā also there is this difference of time, as good, medium and bad. The time till the sunset is good; the time after the sunset and before the rising of the stars is medium and the evening after the rising of the stars is bad. In the Vedas it is metaphorically mentioned that Brahmins are trees, and the three sandhyās are their roots, the Vedas, their branches and the rites and rituals ordained in the Vedas their leaves. From this it is clear that Brahmins should on no account leave unobserved, worships at these three sandhyās. The Brahmin who does not observe these three sandhyās carefully will, in his life time, become a śūdra and after the death, will be born again as a dog. Moreover the Brahmin who does not do the three evening, morning and noon worships, will have no right to conduct any other Vedic rites. After the sun-rise and sun-set, within three nāzhikas (a nāzhika-24 minutes) the morning and evening worship should be finished. There is atonement ordered for morning and evening prayers conducted after the stipulated time. [Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 11] .
SANDHYĀ IV   A holy river who worships Varuṇa in his assembly. [Sabhā Parva, Chapter 9, Verse 23] .

Shabda-Sagara

सन्ध्या  f.  ( -न्ध्या)
1. Twilight, either morning or evening.
2. The period that elapses between the expiration of one Yuga or age, and the commencement of another.
3. A period of time, forenoon, after moon or mid-day.
4. Religious abstraction, meditation, repetition of Mantras, sipping water, &c., to be performed by the three first classes of Hindus, at stated periods in the course of every day, especially at sunrise, sunset, and at noon.
5. Reflection. 6. Promise, assent.
7. Boundary, limit.
8. Joining, union.
9. A flower; according to some the tuberose, to others, the jasmine.
10. Twilight, personified as the daughter of BRAHMĀ, and wife of ŚIVA.
11. The name of a river.
E. सन्धि a joint, (of the day,) and यत् aff.; or सम् + ध्यै-अङ् सन्धौ भवः यत् वा .

ROOTS:

सन्धि यत् सम् + ध्यै-अङ् सन्धौ भवः यत् वा .

संस्कृतम् (Sanskrit) WN

noun  सम्यक् ध्यायत्यस्यामिति।   Ex. सः प्रतिदिने सन्ध्याम् उपास्ते। / सन्ध्या उपासिता येन विष्णुस्तेन उपासितः [श क]

ONTOLOGY:

कार्य (Action) ➜ अमूर्त (Abstract) ➜ निर्जीव (Inanimate) ➜ संज्ञा (Noun)

Wordnet:

ben সন্ধ্যোপাসনা

guj સંધ્યોપાસના

hin संध्योपासना

kan ಸಂಧ್ಯೋಪಸನೆ

kok संध्या

mal സന്ധ്യോപാസന

mar संध्योपासना

ori ସଂଧ୍ୟୋପାସନା

tam மாலைவழிபாடு

urd عبادت شام , شام اُپاسنا

noun  एका नदी ।   Ex. सन्ध्यायाः उल्लेखः महाभारते अस्ति
See : त्रयः, दुर्गा