Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

कालहीनं न कर्तव्यं कृतं न फलदं भवेत् । वेदेष्वयमधीकारो दृष्टः सर्वो मनीषिभिः

Transliteration

kālahīnaṃ na kartavyaṃ kṛtaṃ na phaladaṃ bhavet | vedeṣvayamadhīkāro dṛṣṭaḥ sarvo manīṣibhiḥ

Translation

Un rite ne doit pas être accompli hors de son temps propre ; fait à contretemps, il ne porte pas de fruit. Cette règle d’habilitation et de juste moment se voit dans tous les Veda, ainsi que l’ont reconnu les sages.

Word by Word

• कालहीनम्: devoid of (proper) time
• कालहीनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया/पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (कालेन हीनम् = lacking proper time)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done/should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विध्यर्थक-भाव्य (gerundive, तव्यत्)

• कृतम्: what is done; a done act
• कृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘done act’

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• फलदम्: fruit-giving
• फलदम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्तार्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (फलम् ददाति इति)

• भवेत्: would be/become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वेदेषु: in the Vedas
• वेदेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshya (Referent/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अधिकारः: rule/authority; prescription
• अधिकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दृष्टः: is seen/observed
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), कर्मणि/भावे ‘seen/observed’

• सर्वः: entire; universally
• सर्वः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मनीषिभिः: by sages/wise men
• मनीषिभिः: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; within the Prabhāsa Māhātmya discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic pause in the yajña: sages and priests reflect on the law of timing; a scroll-like aura of Vedic authority surrounds the statement on kāla.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• manīṣi (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is not only action but right action—performed with proper timing and authorization—so that it truly bears spiritual fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsa), where correct observance of sacred rites is emphasized as part of the site’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general Vedic prescription: do not perform rites kāla-hīna (out of their appointed time), because such acts fail to produce the intended phala.