Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34
तथेंद्रियवृतो दोषः प्राणायामेन दह्यते । गोशतं कापिलं दत्त्वा यत्फलं तत्फलं भवेत्
tatheṃdriyavṛto doṣaḥ prāṇāyāmena dahyate | gośataṃ kāpilaṃ dattvā yatphalaṃ tatphalaṃ bhavet
അതുപോലെ ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളാൽ മൂടപ്പെട്ട ദോഷം പ്രാണായാമംകൊണ്ട് ദഹിച്ചുനശിക്കുന്നു. നൂറ് കപിലഗോവുകൾ ദാനം ചെയ്താൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഫലം ഏതോ, അതേ ഫലം ഇതിലും ലഭിക്കുന്നു.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)
Scene: A yogin seated in padmāsana, eyes half-closed, controlling the breath; a subtle ‘fire’ of prāṇa consuming dark smoke-like impurities around the senses; in the background, a symbolic row of tawny cows indicating dāna-merit equivalence.
FAQs
Prāṇāyāma is praised as a powerful purifier of sense-bound faults and is equated in merit to major acts of charity.
No tīrtha is named; the verse glorifies the practice itself by comparing its fruit to an esteemed dāna.
Go-dāna (gift of a hundred kapilā cows) is cited as a benchmark of merit; prāṇāyāma is said to yield comparable fruit.