Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

प्राणायामैर्दहेद्दोषान्प्रत्याहारेण पातकम् । मनोधैर्यं धारणया ध्यानेनेश्वरदर्शनम्

Transliteration

prāṇāyāmairdaheddoṣānpratyāhāreṇa pātakam | manodhairyaṃ dhāraṇayā dhyāneneśvaradarśanam

Translation

Durch prāṇāyāma verbrennt man die Unreinheiten des Leibes; durch pratyāhāra vernichtet man die Sünde. Durch dhāraṇā gewinnt der Geist Standhaftigkeit, und durch dhyāna erlangt man die Schau des Herrn.

Word by Word

• prāṇāyāmaiḥ: by prāṇāyāmas
• prāṇāyāmaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇāyāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः प्राण+आयाम

• dahet: should burn away
• dahet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• doṣān: faults, impurities
• doṣān: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• pratyāhāreṇa: by pratyāhāra (withdrawal)
• pratyāhāreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyāhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• pātakam: sin
• pātakam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• mano-dhairyam: steadiness of mind
• mano-dhairyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक) + dhairya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—मनसः धैर्यम्

• dhāraṇayā: by dhāraṇā (concentration)
• dhāraṇayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• dhyānena: by meditation
• dhyānena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• īśvara-darśanam: vision of the Lord
• īśvara-darśanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—ईश्वरस्य दर्शनम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel progression: (1) yogin with controlled breath amid a subtle inner fire, (2) senses withdrawing like turtles, (3) mind fixed like a lamp in windless place, (4) luminous vision of Īśvara/Śiva appearing in the heart-lotus with Kāśī’s skyline faintly behind.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Īśvara
• Prāṇāyāma
• Pratyāhāra
• Dhāraṇā
• Dhyāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yogic limbs are presented as a moral-spiritual ladder: purification, sin-removal, mental stability, and finally God-realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within Kāśī’s sacred narrative setting; the verse itself emphasizes inner tīrtha (purification) through yoga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice of prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, and dhyāna is prescribed with distinct spiritual results.