Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अयं हि ध्यानकर्माख्यो योगो दुष्प्राप्य एव हि । ध्यानयोगं पुनर्वच्मि शृणुष्वैकाग्रमानसा

Transliteration

ayaṃ hi dhyānakarmākhyo yogo duṣprāpya eva hi | dhyānayogaṃ punarvacmi śṛṇuṣvaikāgramānasā

Translation

Diese Übung, Yoga der meditativen Praxis genannt, ist wahrlich schwer zu erlangen. Darum werde ich Dhyāna-Yoga erneut darlegen—höre mit einspitzigem, gesammeltetem Geist.

Word by Word

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-सूचक

• ध्यानकर्माख्यः: called ‘meditation-action’
• ध्यानकर्माख्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √आ-ख्या (धातु) ‘to name/call’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• योगः: yoga, discipline
• योगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दुष्प्राप्यः: difficult to attain
• दुष्प्राप्यः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + प्राप्य (कृदन्त; √प्राप् (धातु) ‘to obtain’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण, तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ ‘hard to obtain’

• एव: certainly, indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ध्यानयोगम्: the yoga of meditation
• ध्यानयोगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पुनः: again, further
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वच्मि: I speak, I declare
• वच्मि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• एकाग्रमानसा: with a one-pointed mind
• एकाग्रमानसा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher pauses mid-discourse, emphasizing the rarity of true meditation; the listener sits attentive, eyes lowered; in the background a quiet shrine and a pilgrim’s path fading into stillness, symbolizing outer-to-inner journey.

Characters & Entities

• Dhyānayoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meditation is rare and demanding, but it is teachable; sincere, focused attention is the doorway to yogic attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is instructional rather than geographical; it supports the tīrtha ideal by emphasizing inner pilgrimage through dhyāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical injunction to listen and practice with ekāgratā (one-pointed concentration) as part of dhyāna-yoga training.