Shloka 35

Yati-Āśrama: Bhikṣā-vidhi, Īśvara-dhyāna, and Prāyaścitta

Mahādeva as Non-dual Brahman

Devanagari script

स्कन्देदिन्द्रियदौर्बल्यात् स्त्रियं दृष्ट्वा यतिर्यदि / तेन धारयितव्या वै प्राणायामास्तु षोडश / दिवास्कन्दे त्रिरात्रं स्यात् प्राणायामशतं तथा

Transliteration

skandedindriyadaurbalyāt striyaṃ dṛṣṭvā yatiryadi / tena dhārayitavyā vai prāṇāyāmāstu ṣoḍaśa / divāskande trirātraṃ syāt prāṇāyāmaśataṃ tathā

Translation

Wenn ein Asket (yati) aus Schwäche der Sinne eine Frau erblickt und dabei in der Selbstzucht strauchelt, soll er sich durch sechzehn Prāṇāyāmas wieder festigen. Geschieht der Fehltritt am Tage, ist es drei Nächte lang zu beobachten; ebenso sind hundert Prāṇāyāmas vorgeschrieben.

Word by Word

• स्कन्देत्: should slip/fall (from restraint)
• स्कन्देत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्कन्द् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• इन्द्रिय-दौर्बल्यात्: due to weakness of the senses
• इन्द्रिय-दौर्बल्यात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + दौर्बल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• स्त्रियम्: a woman
• स्त्रियम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययकृदन्त)

• यतिः: an ascetic
• यतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्त-निपात)

• तेन: by him; by that (means)
• तेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun referring to the ascetic

• धारयितव्याः: to be performed/should be undertaken
• धारयितव्याः: Vidhi (विधि/obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारयितव्य (कृदन्त, √धृ धातु; तव्यत्/कर्तव्यता)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); passive necessity participle agreeing with 'प्राणायामाः'

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• प्राणायामाः: breath-restraints (prāṇāyāmas)
• प्राणायामाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• तु: then/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral used adjectivally; Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural sense qualifying 'प्राणायामाः' (indeclinable-like numeral form)

• दिवा-स्कन्दे: in a daytime lapse
• दिवा-स्कन्दे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय) + स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); 'in a daytime lapse'

• त्रि-रात्रम्: a period of three nights
• त्रि-रात्रम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्याशब्द) + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• प्राणायाम-शतम्: a hundred prāṇāyāmas
• प्राणायाम-शतम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• तथा: likewise; thus
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating a dharma-yoga teaching as transmitted by the sages)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Yati
• Prāṇāyāma

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it treats sense-weakness as an obstacle to steadiness; by prāṇāyāma and restraint the mind becomes fit for Atman-realization, which in the Kurma Purana’s yoga-dharma is the higher aim beyond mere expiation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Prāṇāyāma as a corrective discipline: prescribed counts (sixteen, and in a stricter case one hundred) function as tapas and mind-regulation to restore brahmacarya, indriya-nigraha, and meditative stability.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Not explicitly in this verse; it reflects the Kurma Purana’s shared yoga-ethic valued in both Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions—purification through tapas and prāṇāyāma as a common path toward the one Supreme.