Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76
मंदो द्वादशमात्रस्तु मात्रा लघ्वक्षरा मता । मध्यमो द्विगुणः पूर्वादुत्तमस्त्रिगुणस्ततः
maṃdo dvādaśamātrastu mātrā laghvakṣarā matā | madhyamo dviguṇaḥ pūrvāduttamastriguṇastataḥ
മന്ദ (ആരംഭ) പ്രാണായാമം ദ്വാദശമാത്രകളുള്ളത്; ‘മാത്ര’ ലഘു അക്ഷരത്തിന്റെ കാലമെന്നു കരുതുന്നു. മധ്യമം അതിന്റെ ഇരട്ടിയും, ഉത്തമം പിന്നെ ത്രട്ടിയും ആകുന്നു.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A seated yogin in Kāśī, near a quiet ghat, counting mātrās with a rosary while regulating breath; subtle aura of restraint and measure.
FAQs
Yogic growth is gradual and measurable; prāṇāyāma is taught with precise timing to ensure safe progress.
The instruction belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered dharma of liberation; no specific tīrtha is named here.
A graded timing rule: manda = 12 mātrās; madhyama = 2×; uttama = 3×, with mātrā defined by a short syllable’s duration.