Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

अतोऽनिलं निरुंधीत चित्तस्य स्थैर्य हेतवे । मरुन्निरोधनार्थाय षडंगं योगमभ्यसेत्

Transliteration

ato'nilaṃ niruṃdhīta cittasya sthairya hetave | marunnirodhanārthāya ṣaḍaṃgaṃ yogamabhyaset

Translation

C’est pourquoi il faut contenir le vent, c’est-à-dire le souffle, afin d’établir la stabilité de l’esprit. Pour maîtriser le prāṇa, qu’on pratique le Yoga aux six membres.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: सम्बन्ध (Conclusive adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/निगमनार्थ (therefore)

• अनिलम्: wind; breath
• अनिलम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• निरुंधीत: should restrain
• निरुंधीत: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रुध् (धातु) उपसर्गः नि-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चित्तस्य: of the mind
• चित्तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• स्थैर्य: steadiness
• स्थैर्य: प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थैर्य (प्रातिपदिक; स्थिर + य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/Acc), एकवचन

• हेतवे: for the sake/cause
• हेतवे: सम्प्रदान (Dative purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• मरुत्: of the wind/breath
• मरुत्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive in compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूप)

• निरोधनार्थाय: for the purpose of restraint
• निरोधनार्थाय: सम्प्रदान (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरोध (प्रातिपदिक; नि-√रुध् + घञ्) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (निरोधस्य अर्थः)

• षडंगम्: six-limbed
• षडंगम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (षड् अङ्गानि यस्य/षडङ्गम्)

• योगम्: yoga
• योगम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Acc), एकवचन

• अभ्यसेत्: should practice
• अभ्यसेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु) उपसर्गः अभि-
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (inner-yoga emphasis)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: seekers/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin practicing prāṇāyāma on a quiet ghat or in a small shrine courtyard; visible breath as subtle white stream being ‘reined in’; mind depicted as a lamp flame becoming steady.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇa (breath)
• Ṣaḍaṅga Yoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Control of breath supports control of mind; six-limbed yoga is recommended as the method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśīkhaṇḍa, linking Kāśī’s mokṣa-glory with practical yogic discipline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear practice is prescribed: restrain prāṇa (breath) and cultivate ṣaḍaṅga-yoga.