Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19
Devanagari script
उच्छ्वासश्चैव निःश्वासो ह्यन्नपानप्रवेशनम् । आकंठाच्छीर्षसंस्थास्य प्राणकर्म प्रकीर्तितम्
Transliteration
ucchvāsaścaiva niḥśvāso hyannapānapraveśanam | ākaṃṭhācchīrṣasaṃsthāsya prāṇakarma prakīrtitam
Translation
উচ্ছ্বাস-নিশ্বাস এবং অন্ন-জলের প্রবেশ—এগুলোই প্রाणের কর্ম বলে কীর্তিত; যার আসন কণ্ঠ থেকে মস্তক পর্যন্ত।
Word by Word
ucchvāsaḥinhalation/breathing in
ucchvāsaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootucchvāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
evaindeed
eva:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)
niḥśvāsaḥexhalation/breathing out
niḥśvāsaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootniḥśvāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
hiindeed/for
hi:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle: for/indeed)
anna-pāna-praveśanamthe entry of food and drink
anna-pāna-praveśanam:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootanna (प्रातिपदिक) + pāna (प्रातिपदिक) + praveśana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमाहार/तत्पुरुष (anna-pāna-प्रवेशः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
ā-kaṇṭhātfrom/up to the throat
ā-kaṇṭhāt:
Apadana (Limit/Source)
TypeNoun
Rootā (उपसर्ग) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; ‘आ’ उपसर्गेण ‘पर्यन्त’ अर्थः (up to/from the throat)
śīrṣa-saṃsthāsituated in the head
śīrṣa-saṃsthā:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootśīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsthā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष (śīrṣe saṃsthā), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (प्राण-क्रिया/नाडी प्रति)
asyaof this
asya:
Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular pronoun)
prāṇa-karmathe function of prāṇa
prāṇa-karma:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootprāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष (prāṇasya karma), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
prakīrtitamis proclaimed/declared
prakīrtitam:
Kriya (Predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootpra-√kīrt (कीर्त् धातु) + kta (क्त)
Formकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘प्रकीर्तितम्/उक्तम्’
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)
FAQs
Breath and nourishment are sacred operations of prāṇa; mindful regulation of them supports purity and yogic steadiness.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on inner sacred physiology rather than pilgrimage geography.
No explicit ritual is stated; the verse implicitly supports prāṇāyāma and disciplined intake as dharmic self-care.