Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

काले फलंत्योषधयः काले पुष्पंति पादपाः । वर्षंति तोयदाः काले तस्मात्कालं न लंघयेत्

Transliteration

kāle phalaṃtyoṣadhayaḥ kāle puṣpaṃti pādapāḥ | varṣaṃti toyadāḥ kāle tasmātkālaṃ na laṃghayet

Translation

Zur rechten Zeit tragen die Kräuter Frucht; zur rechten Zeit blühen die Bäume; zur rechten Zeit ergießen die Regenwolken ihr Wasser—darum soll man die bestimmte Zeit nicht überschreiten.

Word by Word

• काले: in due season/time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• फलन्ति: bear fruit
• फलन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: फल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ओषधयः: herbs; plants
• ओषधयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• काले: in season
• काले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पुष्पन्ति: flower; blossom
• पुष्पन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुष्प् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पादपाः: trees
• पादपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• वर्षन्ति: rain down
• वर्षन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तोयदाः: clouds (water-givers)
• तोयदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय (प्रातिपदिक) + द (कृदन्त, √दा (धातु) + क)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तोयं ददाति इति)

• काले: in season
• काले: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम)
• Form: हेतौ/निगमने पञ्चमी-अर्थक-अव्यय (therefore; from that)

• कालम्: the proper time
• कालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Kriya-pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• लङ्घयेत्: should transgress/overstep
• लङ्घयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Gaṇas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijottama addressed

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic montage: herbs fruiting, trees blossoming, clouds raining—arranged like a wheel of seasons—paired with a devotee observing sandhyā on time, showing harmony between human rite and cosmic order.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (sacred time)
• Natural order (ṛtu/seasonality)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Just as nature thrives by season and timing, spiritual life thrives by honoring appointed times for duty and worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching stands within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s dharmic instruction; no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general injunction: do not violate the proper timing (kāla) of prescribed rites such as sandhyā and japa.