Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

भवेदीश्वरसंगत्यै ध्यानं द्वादशधारणम् । ध्यानद्वादशकेनैव समाधिरभिधीयते

Transliteration

bhavedīśvarasaṃgatyai dhyānaṃ dvādaśadhāraṇam | dhyānadvādaśakenaiva samādhirabhidhīyate

Translation

Pour la communion avec le Seigneur, le dhyāna est dit composé de douze dhāraṇās ; et par douze dhyānas seuls, on définit le samādhi.

Word by Word

• bhavet: should be/becomes
• bhavet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• īśvara-saṃgatyai: for union/association with the Lord
• īśvara-saṃgatyai: Sampradāna (Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃgati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—ईश्वरस्य संगतिः; प्रयोजनार्थ (for the sake of)

• dhyānam: meditation
• dhyānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• dvādaśa-dhāraṇam: twelve dhāraṇās
• dvādaśa-dhāraṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + dhāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः—द्वादश धारणाः (twelve concentrations)

• dhyāna-dvādaśakena: by a set of twelve meditations
• dhyāna-dvādaśakena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + dvādaśaka (प्रातिपदिक; द्वादश+क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—ध्यानानां द्वादशकम् तेन

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• samādhiḥ: samādhi
• samādhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samādhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• abhidhīyate: is called/denoted
• abhidhīyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-dhā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin’s mind-stream shown as twelve concentric rings: dhāraṇā units forming a continuous dhyāna river, culminating in a still ocean labeled samādhi; at the center, Śiva/Īśvara radiant, with Kāśī’s Viśvanātha spire as a subtle backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Īśvara
• Dhyāna
• Dhāraṇā
• Samādhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Union with Īśvara is approached step-by-step: concentrated attention matures into meditation, which culminates in samādhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Kāśī’s Purāṇic frame; the verse highlights inner realization rather than a named pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A counted discipline is given: twelve dhāraṇās constitute dhyāna; twelve dhyānas constitute samādhi.