Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55
सदैव नक्ते पूजोक्ता सदा नक्ते तु भोजनम् । नक्त एव हि होमोऽयं नक्त एव क्षमापनम्
sadaiva nakte pūjoktā sadā nakte tu bhojanam | nakta eva hi homo'yaṃ nakta eva kṣamāpanam
Verehrung ist nur in der Nacht vorgeschrieben; und auch die Speise soll stets in der Nacht genommen werden. Ja, dieses Homa ist in der Nacht zu vollziehen, und auch das Erbitten von Vergebung geschieht in der Nacht.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa typically Skanda instructing Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A quiet night in Kāśī: devotee performs pūjā by lamplight, later offers homa; a simple night meal awaits; finally the devotee bows in kṣamā-prārthanā, hands folded, eyes lowered.
FAQs
Spiritual discipline is strengthened by clear constraints—timing, restraint, and accountability through atonement.
The instruction belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s vrata tradition associated with Kāśī.
Nakta observance: pūjā, meal, homa, and kṣamāpanā are all to be performed at night.