Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91
प्राणायामेऽधमे घर्मः कंपो भवति मध्यमे । उत्तिष्ठेदुत्तमे देहो बद्धपद्मासनो मुहुः
prāṇāyāme'dhame gharmaḥ kaṃpo bhavati madhyame | uttiṣṭheduttame deho baddhapadmāsano muhuḥ
In prāṇāyāma, at the lower stage sweat arises; at the middle stage trembling occurs. At the highest stage, even while the lotus posture is firmly bound, the body repeatedly rises of itself.
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A yogin seated in tightly bound padmāsana on a riverbank ghat of Kāśī; subtle sweat beads, then a tremor ripple, then the body lightly lifts as if buoyed by prāṇa; distant temple spires and the Gaṅgā shimmer at dawn.
FAQs
It describes observable signs of increasing mastery in prāṇāyāma, encouraging disciplined, graded practice rather than haste.
The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on yogic practice rather than naming a particular tīrtha.
A practical yogic prescription is implied: steady prāṇāyāma while maintaining a firm padmāsana, progressing through stages.