Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

अहोरात्रं मुहूर्तेन मुहूर्तं तु कलाहतम् । कलां काष्ठा हतां कृत्वा काष्ठां निमिषभाजिताम्

Transliteration

ahorātraṃ muhūrtena muhūrtaṃ tu kalāhatam | kalāṃ kāṣṭhā hatāṃ kṛtvā kāṣṭhāṃ nimiṣabhājitām

Translation

അഹോരാത്രം മുഹൂർത്തങ്ങളാൽ കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; മുഹൂർത്തം കലകളായി വിഭജിക്കുന്നു. കലയെ കാഷ്ഠകളാക്കി, കാഷ്ഠയെ നിമിഷങ്ങളാക്കി വിഭജിച്ച്—ഇങ്ങനെ കാലമാനം നിർണ്ണയിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ahaḥ-rātram: day and night (a full day)
• ahaḥ-rātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahaḥ (प्रातिपदिक) + rātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (अहश्च रात्रिश्च)

• muhūrtena: by a muhūrta
• muhūrtena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muhūrta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• muhūrtam: a muhūrta
• muhūrtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muhūrta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/contrast particle)

• kalā-hatam: divided into kalās
• kalā-hatam: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalā (प्रातिपदिक) + √han (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (हत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; तत्पुरुषसमासः (कलया हतम् = कलाभिः विभक्तम्)

• kalām: a kalā (part)
• kalām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• kāṣṭhā: a kāṣṭhā (unit of time)
• kāṣṭhā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• hatām: divided/struck down
• hatām: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (हत)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (कर्मणि)

• kṛtvā: having made
• kṛtvā: Kriya (Gerundial/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त
• Form: अव्यय; त्वान्त (gerund), पूर्वक्रिया

• kāṣṭhām: a kāṣṭhā
• kāṣṭhām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• nimiṣa-bhājitām: divided into nimiṣas
• nimiṣa-bhājitām: Karma (Object-complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nimiṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + √bhaj (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (bhājita)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; तत्पुरुषसमासः (निमिषैः भाजिता = निमिषैः विभक्ता)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic ‘time ladder’ descending from day-night to ever-smaller units, shown as concentric circles or steps; a pilgrim with prayer beads marks muhūrtas near a coastal shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Ahorātra
• Muhūrta
• Kalā
• Kāṣṭhā
• Nimīṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time is sacredly structured; mindfulness of its divisions supports disciplined worship and dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the setting; the Māhātmya uses time-reckoning to ground sacred observances in cosmic order.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is commanded, but the units named are foundational for timing japa, pūjā, vrata, and snāna.