Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

बहिर्मुखानि सर्वाणि कृत्वा खान्यंतराणि वै । मनस्येवेंद्रियग्रामं मनश्चात्मनि योजयेत्

Transliteration

bahirmukhāni sarvāṇi kṛtvā khānyaṃtarāṇi vai | manasyeveṃdriyagrāmaṃ manaścātmani yojayet

Translation

Turning all the ‘openings’ inward—no longer outward-facing—one should gather the entire host of senses into the mind, and then yoke the mind into the Self.

Word by Word

• बहिर्मुखानि: outward-facing
• बहिर्मुखानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहिस् (अव्यय) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter, nominative/accusative plural; adjective)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter, nominative/accusative plural; adjective)

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having made)

• खानि: the apertures (sense-openings)
• खानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन (neuter, accusative plural)

• अन्तराणि: inward (turned within)
• अन्तराणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter, accusative plural; adjective)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• मनसि: in the mind
• मनसि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (neuter, locative singular)

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Sambandha/Comparison (उपमार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-निपात (comparative particle)

• इन्द्रियग्रामम्: the collection of senses
• इन्द्रियग्रामम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (masculine, accusative singular)

• मनः: the mind
• मनः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• आत्मनि: in the Self
• आत्मनि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (masculine, locative singular)

• योजयेत्: should yoke/settle
• योजयेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd person singular, active)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Gaṅgā-ghāṭa milieu)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-seekers/ṛṣis in the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-yogin amid bustling ghats symbolically closes the ‘doors’ of the senses; the senses appear as horses being reined into the chariot of mind, which is then offered into a radiant Self within the heart-lotus.

Characters & Entities

• Indriyas
• Manas
• Ātman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yoga begins with sense-withdrawal: bring the senses under the mind, and place the mind in the Self.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Varanasi) is the scriptural setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, presenting inner yoga as the heart of Kāśī’s mokṣa-tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yogic prescription is given: inward-turning of the sense-gates (pratyāhāra) and mind’s absorption in Ātman.