Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 41
प्राणायामस्त्वयं प्रोक्तः प्रत्याहारं ततः शृणु । विषयेषु प्रवृत्तस्य चेतसो विनिवर्तनम्
prāṇāyāmastvayaṃ proktaḥ pratyāhāraṃ tataḥ śṛṇu | viṣayeṣu pravṛttasya cetaso vinivartanam
പ്രാണായാമം വിശദീകരിച്ചു; ഇനി പ്രത്യാഹാരം കേൾക്കുക. വിഷയങ്ങളിലേക്കു പുറപ്പെട്ട മനസ്സിനെ പിൻവലിച്ച് അന്തർമുഖമാക്കുന്നതാണ് പ്രത്യാഹാരം.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)
Scene: A yogin seated with senses symbolized as five horses being gently reined in; the mind depicted as a bird returning to the heart-lotus; arrows labeled ‘viṣaya’ turned back.
FAQs
After regulating breath, the yogin must withdraw the mind from sense-objects—this is pratyāhāra.
None is mentioned; the focus is on the inner limb of yoga.
A sequential practice is implied: prāṇāyāma first, then pratyāhāra (mental withdrawal).