Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61
न संविशेच्च संध्यायां प्रातः सायं क्वचिद्बुधः । नाचक्षीत धयंतीं गां नेंद्रचापं प्रदर्शयेत्
na saṃviśecca saṃdhyāyāṃ prātaḥ sāyaṃ kvacidbudhaḥ | nācakṣīta dhayaṃtīṃ gāṃ neṃdracāpaṃ pradarśayet
لا ينبغي للحكيم أن يضطجع وقت السَّندهيا، لا عند الفجر ولا عند المساء، في أي مكان. ولا ينظر إلى بقرة وهي تُرضِع عجلها، ولا يُشير إلى قوس قزح أو يُظهره، فهو قوس إندرا.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating Dharmāraṇya-dharma to the sages (contextual attribution)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Scene: Twilight in the forest: a sage remains seated in japa rather than reclining; a cow nurses her calf nearby, viewed respectfully from a distance; in the sky a vivid rainbow arches, unpointed-at, simply witnessed in silence.
FAQs
It emphasizes sandhyā as a sacred junction of time meant for restraint and dharmic attentiveness, not negligence or casual behavior.
The broader setting is Dharmāraṇya (the ‘Forest of Dharma’) within the Brāhma Khaṇḍa; this verse focuses on conduct rather than naming a specific tīrtha.
A time-based rule of conduct: one should avoid lying down at dawn and dusk (sandhyā), implicitly preserving that period for sandhyā-related observances and disciplined behavior.