Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21
अहोरात्रं मुहूर्तेन मुहूर्तं तु कलाहतम् । कलां काष्ठा हतां कृत्वा काष्ठां निमिषभाजिताम्
ahorātraṃ muhūrtena muhūrtaṃ tu kalāhatam | kalāṃ kāṣṭhā hatāṃ kṛtvā kāṣṭhāṃ nimiṣabhājitām
دن اور رات مُہورتوں سے شمار ہوتے ہیں، اور ایک مُہورت کَلاؤں میں تقسیم ہوتا ہے۔ کَلا کو کاشٹھا میں، اور کاشٹھا کو نِمیشوں میں بانٹ کر—یوں زمانہ ناپا جاتا ہے۔
Śiva
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī
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.
FAQs
Time is sacredly structured; mindfulness of its divisions supports disciplined worship and dharmic living.
Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the setting; the Māhātmya uses time-reckoning to ground sacred observances in cosmic order.
No specific rite is commanded, but the units named are foundational for timing japa, pūjā, vrata, and snāna.