Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

इत्थं मासत्रयाभ्यासादुभयायामसेवनात् । शुद्धनाडीगणो योगी सिद्धप्राणोभिधीयते

Transliteration

itthaṃ māsatrayābhyāsādubhayāyāmasevanāt | śuddhanāḍīgaṇo yogī siddhaprāṇobhidhīyate

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ മൂന്ന് മാസം അഭ്യാസം ചെയ്ത്, ഇരുവിധ പ്രാണായാമങ്ങളും അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചതാൽ, നാഡിസമൂഹം ശുദ്ധമായ യോഗി ‘സിദ്ധപ്രാണൻ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• इत्थम्: thus
• इत्थम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इत्थम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक — adverb of manner

• मास-त्रय-अभ्यासात्: from practice for three months
• मास-त्रय-अभ्यासात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Ablative singular; द्विगुसमासः ‘त्रयो मासाः’ (मासत्रय) ततः ‘मासत्रयस्य अभ्यासः’

• उभय-आयाम-सेवनात्: from practising both prāṇāyāmas
• उभय-आयाम-सेवनात्: Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभय (प्रातिपदिक) + आयाम (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन — Ablative singular; समासः ‘उभयोः आयामयोः सेवनम्’

• शुद्ध-नाडी-गणः: one whose group of nāḍīs is purified / purified nāḍī-system
• शुद्ध-नाडी-गणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + नाडी (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; समासः ‘शुद्धाः नाड्यः यस्य गणः’

• योगी: the yogin
• योगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• सिद्ध-प्राणः: having perfected prāṇa
• सिद्ध-प्राणः: Karta-visheshana (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; समासः ‘सिद्धः प्राणः यस्य’

• अभिधीयते: is called/said to be
• अभिधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि√धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present passive/ātmanepada 3rd sg ‘is called’

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 triptych-like depiction of three lunar months: the yogin practicing at dawn, noon, and dusk; nāḍīs shown as subtle luminous channels becoming clearer; final panel shows calm radiance labeled ‘siddha-prāṇa’.

Characters & Entities

• Nāḍīs
• Prāṇāyāma
• Siddha-prāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent practice over time bears fruit; purification and mastery are attained through sustained disciplined effort.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī provides the sacred frame, presenting yoga-sādhana as part of the dharmic life honored in the city of liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice both forms of prāṇāyāma consistently for three months to purify the nāḍīs and perfect prāṇa.