Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

प्राणोदेहगतोवायुरायामस्तन्निबंधनम् । एकश्वासमयी मात्रा प्राणायामो निरुच्यते

Transliteration

prāṇodehagatovāyurāyāmastannibaṃdhanam | ekaśvāsamayī mātrā prāṇāyāmo nirucyate

Translation

Le prāṇa est le souffle-vent qui se meut dans le corps ; ‘āyāma’ en est la règle et la retenue. La mesure d’un seul souffle est proclamée prāṇāyāma.

Word by Word

• प्राणः: prāṇa
• प्राणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• देह-गतः: situated in the body
• देह-गतः: Karta-visheshana (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; समासः ‘देहे गतः’

• वायुः: wind, vital air
• वायुः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• आयामः: restraint/extension (āyāma)
• आयामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• तत्-निबन्धनम्: its binding/constraint
• तत्-निबन्धनम्: Karta (Predicate-noun/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + निबन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nom./Acc. singular; समासः ‘तस्य निबन्धनम्’

• एक-श्वास-मयी: consisting of one breath
• एक-श्वास-मयी: Karta-visheshana (Qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + श्वास (प्रातिपदिक) + मयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; समासः ‘एकश्वासेन मयी’

• मात्रा: measure, unit
• मात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• प्राणायामः: prāṇāyāma (breath regulation)
• प्राणायामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + आयाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; समासः ‘प्राणस्य आयामः’

• निरुच्यते: is declared/defined
• निरुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present passive/ātmanepada 3rd sg ‘is defined/said’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-sage explaining prāṇāyāma to a seated disciple: diagram-like depiction of breath cycle as a single mātrā; subtle wind (vāyu) motifs within the body; calm instructional setting in Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇa
• Vāyu
• Prāṇāyāma
• Mātrā (measure)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prāṇāyāma is disciplined regulation of the life-wind; spiritual progress begins with measured, conscious breath.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the broader sacred context of the chapter, presenting yogic discipline as a dharmic path within the city’s māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It gives a definition and measure: prāṇāyāma is the restraint of prāṇa, counted in units of a single breath.