Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

आसनानीह तावंति यावंत्यो जीवयो नयः । सिद्धासनमिदं प्रोक्तं योगिनो योगसिद्धिदम्

Transliteration

āsanānīha tāvaṃti yāvaṃtyo jīvayo nayaḥ | siddhāsanamidaṃ proktaṃ yogino yogasiddhidam

Translation

Ici, les postures sont aussi nombreuses que les modes et les mouvements des êtres vivants. Pourtant, ce « Siddhāsana » est proclamé : il confère au yogin l’accomplissement du yoga.

Word by Word

• आसनानि: postures
• आसनानि: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: अधिकरण (Locative adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• तावन्ति: so many
• तावन्ति: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक

• यावन्त्यः: as many as
• यावन्त्यः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• जीवयोः: of the living beings / in living beings (dual form)
• जीवयोः: सम्बन्ध/अधिकरण (Genitive/Locative relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी (6th/7th Gen/Loc), द्विवचन

• नयः: methods/ways
• नयः: कर्ता (Predicate/measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• सिद्धासनम्: the ‘Siddha’ posture
• सिद्धासनम्: कर्ता/कर्म (Topic/that which is described)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/Acc), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सिद्धं आसनम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: कर्ता/कर्म (Deictic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/Acc), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रोक्तम्: is said/has been declared
• प्रोक्तम्: क्रिया (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु) उपसर्गः प्र-; कृदन्तः क्त (past passive participle)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/Acc), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), कर्मणि प्रयोगभाव

• योगिनः: of a yogin
• योगिनः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• योगसिद्धिदम्: giving success in yoga
• योगसिद्धिदम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) से ‘द’/ददाति-समर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/Acc), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (योगस्य सिद्धिं ददाति इति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (yoga-sādhanā within kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: seekers/ṛṣis (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin in Siddhāsana, heels set, spine erect, hands in jñāna-mudrā; around him faint silhouettes of animals/birds in varied postures to symbolize innumerable āsanas; the yogin remains the still center.

Characters & Entities

• Siddhāsana
• Yogin
• Yoga-siddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among countless postures, Siddhāsana is singled out as especially effective for attaining yogic steadiness and success.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, Kāśī is the broader sacred setting where such yogic means are taught toward mokṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical prescription is given: adopt Siddhāsana as a posture conducive to yoga-siddhi.