Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

अतोऽनिलं निरुंधीत चित्तस्य स्थैर्य हेतवे । मरुन्निरोधनार्थाय षडंगं योगमभ्यसेत्

Transliteration

ato'nilaṃ niruṃdhīta cittasya sthairya hetave | marunnirodhanārthāya ṣaḍaṃgaṃ yogamabhyaset

Translation

Darum soll man den „Wind“, das heißt den Atem, zügeln, um den Geist zu festigen. Zur Beherrschung des Prāṇa übe man den sechsgliedrigen Yoga.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: सम्बन्ध (Conclusive adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/निगमनार्थ (therefore)

• अनिलम्: wind; breath
• अनिलम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निरुंधीत: should restrain
• निरुंधीत: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुध् (धातु) उपसर्गः नि-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चित्तस्य: of the mind
• चित्तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• स्थैर्य: steadiness
• स्थैर्य: प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थैर्य (प्रातिपदिक; स्थिर + य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/Acc), एकवचन

• हेतवे: for the sake/cause
• हेतवे: सम्प्रदान (Dative purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• मरुत्: of the wind/breath
• मरुत्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• निरोधनार्थाय: for the purpose of restraint
• निरोधनार्थाय: सम्प्रदान (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरोध (प्रातिपदिक; नि-√रुध् + घञ्) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (निरोधस्य अर्थः)

• षडंगम्: six-limbed
• षडंगम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (षड् अङ्गानि यस्य/षडङ्गम्)

• योगम्: yoga
• योगम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), एकवचन

• अभ्यसेत्: should practice
• अभ्यसेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु) उपसर्गः अभि-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (inner-yoga emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: seekers/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin practicing prāṇāyāma on a quiet ghat or in a small shrine courtyard; visible breath as subtle white stream being ‘reined in’; mind depicted as a lamp flame becoming steady.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇa (breath)
• Ṣaḍaṅga Yoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Control of breath supports control of mind; six-limbed yoga is recommended as the method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśīkhaṇḍa, linking Kāśī’s mokṣa-glory with practical yogic discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear practice is prescribed: restrain prāṇa (breath) and cultivate ṣaḍaṅga-yoga.