Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

प्रत्याहारं विनिर्दिष्टतस्य संयमनं हि यत् । प्रत्याहारस्त्वयं प्रोक्तो धारणालक्षणं शृणु

Transliteration

pratyāhāraṃ vinirdiṣṭatasya saṃyamanaṃ hi yat | pratyāhārastvayaṃ prokto dhāraṇālakṣaṇaṃ śṛṇu

Translation

നിർദ്ദേശിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന ആ നിയന്ത്രണമേ പ്രത്യാഹാരം. പ്രത്യാഹാരം ഉപദേശിച്ചു; ഇനി ധാരണയുടെ ലക്ഷണം കേൾക്കുക.

Word by Word

• प्रत्याहारम्: pratyāhāra
• प्रत्याहारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्याहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विनिर्दिष्टस्य: of what has been defined/indicated
• विनिर्दिष्टस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + निर् + दिश् (धातु) → विनिर्दिष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘(प्रत्याहारस्य) विनिर्दिष्टस्य’

• संयमनम्: restraint, control
• संयमनम्: Karma/Predicate-noun (Definition/कर्म-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + यम् (धातु) → संयमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थक (indeed/for)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (that which)

• प्रत्याहारः: pratyāhāra
• प्रत्याहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्याहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: now/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; विशेषार्थक

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Co-referent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तः: has been stated
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has been stated’

• धारणा-लक्षणम्: the definition/characteristic of dhāraṇā
• धारणा-लक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारणा (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धारणायाः लक्षणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic yet devotional scene: yogin with a subtle ‘ladder’ of limbs behind—prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā—each as a lotus step; the mind shown settling onto a single flame.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pratyāhāra is essentially restraint of the outward-moving faculties; from that basis one proceeds to dhāraṇā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned in this instructional verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practice-sequence is indicated: establish pratyāhāra (restraint) and then learn dhāraṇā (focused holding).