Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

उच्छ्वासश्चैव निःश्वासो ह्यन्नपानप्रवेशनम् । आकंठाच्छीर्षसंस्थास्य प्राणकर्म प्रकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

ucchvāsaścaiva niḥśvāso hyannapānapraveśanam | ākaṃṭhācchīrṣasaṃsthāsya prāṇakarma prakīrtitam

Translation

Exhalation and inhalation, and the intake of food and drink—these are proclaimed as the functions of Prāṇa, whose seat extends from the throat up to the head.

Word by Word

• ucchvāsaḥ: inhalation/breathing in
• ucchvāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ucchvāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• niḥśvāsaḥ: exhalation/breathing out
• niḥśvāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niḥśvāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: for/indeed)

• anna-pāna-praveśanam: the entry of food and drink
• anna-pāna-praveśanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक) + pāna (प्रातिपदिक) + praveśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/तत्पुरुष (anna-pāna-प्रवेशः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ā-kaṇṭhāt: from/up to the throat
• ā-kaṇṭhāt: Apadana (Limit/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ā (उपसर्ग) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; ‘आ’ उपसर्गेण ‘पर्यन्त’ अर्थः (up to/from the throat)

• śīrṣa-saṃsthā: situated in the head
• śīrṣa-saṃsthā: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīrṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃsthā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (śīrṣe saṃsthā), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (प्राण-क्रिया/नाडी प्रति)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular pronoun)

• prāṇa-karma: the function of prāṇa
• prāṇa-karma: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (prāṇasya karma), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• prakīrtitam: is proclaimed/declared
• prakīrtitam: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kīrt (कीर्त् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘प्रकीर्तितम्/उक्तम्’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prāṇa-sthāna (ākaṇṭha–śīrṣa) inner tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvija/ṛṣi audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin with a luminous band from throat to crown; breath shown as two alternating streams (ucchvāsa/niḥśvāsa); a simple bowl of water and alms-food nearby, indicating mindful intake as part of discipline.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Breath and nourishment are sacred operations of prāṇa; mindful regulation of them supports purity and yogic steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on inner sacred physiology rather than pilgrimage geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse implicitly supports prāṇāyāma and disciplined intake as dharmic self-care.