Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86
रविणा प्राणमाकृष्य पूरयेदौदरीं दरीम् । कुंभयित्वा शनैः पश्चाद्योगी चंद्रेण रेचयेत्
raviṇā prāṇamākṛṣya pūrayedaudarīṃ darīm | kuṃbhayitvā śanaiḥ paścādyogī caṃdreṇa recayet
Indem man das Prāṇa durch den «Sonnen»-Kanal einzieht, soll man die Bauchhöhle füllen; nachdem man es im Kumbhaka gehalten hat, soll der Yogi danach langsam durch den «Mond»-Kanal ausatmen.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame)
Scene: A seated yogin in Kāśī, spine erect, right nostril inhalation (sūrya), abdomen subtly expanding, then still kumbhaka, followed by slow left-nostril exhalation (candra); background hints of Gaṅgā ghāṭs and a distant Viśvanātha śikhara.
FAQs
Balanced regulation—draw in, retain, and release with steadiness—turns breath into a disciplined vehicle for inner mastery.
Kāśī remains the overarching sacred context; the verse teaches a specific technique rather than a pilgrimage act.
Inhale via the solar channel, retain in kumbhaka, and exhale slowly via the lunar channel.