Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48
पूर्वाह्णे क्रियते यच्च रात्रौ वा संध्ययोरपि । पर्याकाशे तथा देशे तच्छ्राद्धं व्यर्थतां व्रजेत
pūrvāhṇe kriyate yacca rātrau vā saṃdhyayorapi | paryākāśe tathā deśe tacchrāddhaṃ vyarthatāṃ vrajeta
Un śrāddha accompli dans la matinée, ou la nuit, ou aux deux crépuscules—et de même en un lieu à ciel ouvert, sans abri—devient sans fruit.
Skanda (deduced)
Listener: A king (nṛpa/rājan)
Scene: A śrāddha setting contrasted: on one side an exposed open ground at twilight with offerings rendered ineffective; on the other a sheltered, purified maṇḍapa prepared for pitṛ-kārya, emphasizing correct ritual environment.
FAQs
Right timing and proper setting are integral to sacred action; dharma is upheld through correct kāla (time) and deśa (place).
No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it gives general kāla-deśa discipline for śrāddha.
Avoid śrāddha in the forenoon, at night, at sandhyā times, and in unsheltered/open places.