Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

प्राणायामद्विषट्केन प्रत्याहार उदाहृतः । प्रत्याहारैर्द्वादशभिर्धारणा परिकीर्तिता

Transliteration

prāṇāyāmadviṣaṭkena pratyāhāra udāhṛtaḥ | pratyāhārairdvādaśabhirdhāraṇā parikīrtitā

Translation

يُقال إن البراتيَاهارا (pratyāhāra) يتحقق باثنتي عشرة مجموعة من البراناياما (prāṇāyāma)؛ وتُعلن الدهارانا (dhāraṇā) أنها تُنال باثنتي عشرة براتيَاهارا.

Word by Word

• prāṇāyāma-dviṣaṭkena: by twelve prāṇāyāmas
• prāṇāyāma-dviṣaṭkena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇāyāma (प्रातिपदिक) + dviṣaṭka (प्रातिपदिक; द्वि+षट्क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—प्राणायामस्य द्विषट्कम् (द्वे षट्के = 12) तेन

• pratyāhāraḥ: pratyāhāra
• pratyāhāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyāhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• udāhṛtaḥ: is stated/declared
• udāhṛtaḥ: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-ā-hṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (Past Passive Participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘उदाहृतः’ = declared

• pratyāhāraiḥ: by pratyāhāras
• pratyāhāraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyāhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• dvādaśabhiḥ: with twelve
• dvādaśabhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (pratyāhāraiḥ इत्यस्य)

• dhāraṇā: dhāraṇā
• dhāraṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• parikīrtitā: is proclaimed
• parikīrtitā: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-kīrt (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (Past Passive Participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘परिकीर्तिता’ = proclaimed

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-yogi in Kāśī instructs disciples with a rosary and hand gestures, marking counts; behind them, a diagram-like mandala shows steps: prāṇāyāma → pratyāhāra → dhāraṇā with the number 12 repeated as petals.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Prāṇāyāma
• Pratyāhāra
• Dhāraṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual mastery is framed as cumulative: repeated disciplined units of practice mature into higher limbs of yoga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the sacred setting; the verse itself is a technical yogic guideline rather than a site-panegyric.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A numerical regimen is prescribed: twelve prāṇāyāma-units for pratyāhāra, and twelve pratyāhāras for dhāraṇā.