Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61
न संविशेच्च संध्यायां प्रातः सायं क्वचिद्बुधः । नाचक्षीत धयंतीं गां नेंद्रचापं प्रदर्शयेत्
na saṃviśecca saṃdhyāyāṃ prātaḥ sāyaṃ kvacidbudhaḥ | nācakṣīta dhayaṃtīṃ gāṃ neṃdracāpaṃ pradarśayet
O sábio não deve deitar-se no tempo do sandhyā, nem de manhã nem ao entardecer, em lugar algum. Tampouco deve olhar para uma vaca enquanto amamenta o bezerro, nem apontar ou exibir o arco-íris, o arco de Indra.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating Dharmāraṇya-dharma to the sages (contextual attribution)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Scene: Twilight in the forest: a sage remains seated in japa rather than reclining; a cow nurses her calf nearby, viewed respectfully from a distance; in the sky a vivid rainbow arches, unpointed-at, simply witnessed in silence.
FAQs
It emphasizes sandhyā as a sacred junction of time meant for restraint and dharmic attentiveness, not negligence or casual behavior.
The broader setting is Dharmāraṇya (the ‘Forest of Dharma’) within the Brāhma Khaṇḍa; this verse focuses on conduct rather than naming a specific tīrtha.
A time-based rule of conduct: one should avoid lying down at dawn and dusk (sandhyā), implicitly preserving that period for sandhyā-related observances and disciplined behavior.