Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

न संविशेच्च संध्यायां प्रातः सायं क्वचिद्बुधः । नाचक्षीत धयंतीं गां नेंद्रचापं प्रदर्शयेत्

Transliteration

na saṃviśecca saṃdhyāyāṃ prātaḥ sāyaṃ kvacidbudhaḥ | nācakṣīta dhayaṃtīṃ gāṃ neṃdracāpaṃ pradarśayet

Translation

Bậc trí chớ nằm xuống vào lúc saṃdhyā, dù rạng đông hay chiều tối. Cũng chớ nhìn con bò khi đang cho bê bú, và chớ trỏ bày cầu vồng—cung của Indra.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• saṃviśet: should lie down
• saṃviśet: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ + viś (विश् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘should lie down/enter (sleep)’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• saṃdhyāyām: at twilight
• saṃdhyāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃdhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• prātaḥ: in the morning
• prātaḥ: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prātaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• sāyam: in the evening
• sāyam: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāyam (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• kvacit: anywhere/ever
• kvacit: Adhikaraṇa (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: anywhere/ever)

• budhaḥ: a wise man
• budhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ācakṣīta: should speak of/mention
• ācakṣīta: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + cakṣ (चक्ष् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; ‘should speak/tell’

• dhayantīm: suckling
• dhayantīm: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhā (धा धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), द्वितीया-एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; ‘suckling’

• gām: a cow
• gām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• indra-cāpam: the rainbow
• indra-cāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra + cāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रस्य चापः = rainbow)

• pradarśayet: should show
• pradarśayet: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘should show’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating Dharmāraṇya-dharma to the sages (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It emphasizes sandhyā as a sacred junction of time meant for restraint and dharmic attentiveness, not negligence or casual behavior.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Dharmāraṇya (the ‘Forest of Dharma’) within the Brāhma Khaṇḍa; this verse focuses on conduct rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

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.