Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43
देव्यावूचतुः । मर्त्यलोकेऽत्र या नार्यो गर्भवत्यः स्वपंति च । संध्याकालप्रकाशे च तासां गर्भोऽस्तु वो द्रुतम्
devyāvūcatuḥ | martyaloke'tra yā nāryo garbhavatyaḥ svapaṃti ca | saṃdhyākālaprakāśe ca tāsāṃ garbho'stu vo drutam
Dua Dewi bersabda: “Di alam manusia ini, mana-mana wanita yang hamil dan tidur pada saat cahaya senja—biarlah janin mereka segera menjadi milik kamu.”
Two devīs (devyau)
Scene: Two goddesses speaking a potent decree at twilight; in the background, sleeping pregnant women under the glow of dusk-lamps, with an ominous aura suggesting unseen transfer of embryos.
FAQs
Twilight (sandhyā) is portrayed as a potent threshold-time where unseen forces act; it urges vigilance and sanctity of conduct at liminal hours.
The verse is situated in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya, but no particular tīrtha is named in this line.
No explicit ritual is stated, but it highlights saṃdhyā-kāla, traditionally associated with sandhyā-vandana and heightened spiritual discipline.