Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

चलेऽनिले चलं सर्वं निश्चले तत्र निश्चलम् । स्थाणुत्वमाप्नुयाद्योगी ततोऽनिलनिरुंधनात्

Transliteration

cale'nile calaṃ sarvaṃ niścale tatra niścalam | sthāṇutvamāpnuyādyogī tato'nilaniruṃdhanāt

Translation

Quand le souffle s’agite, tout devient instable; quand il est rendu immobile, tout s’immobilise. Ainsi, en retenant le souffle, le yogin obtient la fermeté, tel un pilier inébranlable.

Word by Word

• चले: when (it is) moving
• चले: Adhikarana (Locative—condition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (अनिले) विशेषणम्

• अनिले: in the wind/breath
• अनिले: Adhikarana (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• चलम्: moving
• चलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of sarvam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (सर्वम्) विशेषणम्

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• निश्चले: when (it is) still
• निश्चले: Adhikarana (Locative—condition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (अनिले) विशेषणम्

• तत्र: then/there
• तत्र: Adverbial (location/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there/then)

• निश्चलम्: still
• निश्चलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of implied sarvam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (सर्वम्) विशेषणम्

• स्थाणुत्वम्: immobility/steadfastness
• स्थाणुत्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थाणु (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (state of being a pillar/immobility)

• आप्नुयात्: would attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• योगी: the yogin
• योगी: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ततः: therefore/from that
• ततः: Causal/Sequential marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (therefore/from that)

• अनिलनिरुंधनात्: from restraining the breath
• अनिलनिरुंधनात्: Apadana (Cause/Source—ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक) + निरुन्धन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नि + रुध् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अनिलस्य निरुन्धनम्); ‘निरुंधन’ = रोकण/निरोध

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin like a stone pillar—upright, unmoving—while stylized winds swirl outside; inside the body, breath is depicted as a quiet, coiled current becoming still.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mind and life-force are linked: stilling the breath supports stillness of the inner world and steadiness in yoga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated within Kāśīkhaṇḍa, aligning yogic discipline with the liberating sanctity of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Breath restraint (anila-niruṁdhana) as a yogic method to cultivate immobility and concentration.