Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 82
महाबालध्वनौ रात्रावनध्यायाः प्रकीर्तिताः । उल्कापाते च भूकंपे दिग्दाहे मध्यरात्रिषु
mahābāladhvanau rātrāvanadhyāyāḥ prakīrtitāḥ | ulkāpāte ca bhūkaṃpe digdāhe madhyarātriṣu
La nuit, lorsqu’un grand fracas effrayant retentit, l’anadhyāya—la suspension de la récitation et de l’étude—est prescrit. De même lors d’une chute de météores, d’un tremblement de terre ou d’un embrasement des directions, surtout à minuit.
Unknown (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa instructional narration; speaker not explicit in snippet)
Scene: Midnight scene: a meteor streaks across the sky; the earth trembles; distant horizon glows as if quarters burn. In an āśrama, students roll up manuscripts and sit in silent japa while elders perform a small śānti-homa.
FAQs
Sacred study is governed by cosmic and environmental rhythms; dharma includes knowing when to pause, not only when to act.
No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a general rule for anadhyāya.
Anadhyāya is prescribed during ominous events such as terrifying nighttime sounds, meteor-falls, earthquakes, and directional conflagrations—especially around midnight.