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Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

आकुंचनेनैव मूर्द्धमुन्नीय पवनं शनैः । मूर्धनि ब्रह्मरंध्रे तं प्राणं संधारयेत्कृती

ākuṃcanenaiva mūrddhamunnīya pavanaṃ śanaiḥ | mūrdhani brahmaraṃdhre taṃ prāṇaṃ saṃdhārayetkṛtī

Dengan pengecutan (ākuñcana) semata-mata, angkatlah nafas perlahan-lahan ke kepala; sang mahir hendaklah menahan prāṇa itu di ubun-ubun, pada bukaan Brahma (brahmarandhra).

ākuṃcanenaby contraction
ākuṃcanena:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootā + kuṃc (धातु) → ākuṃcana (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (sg.); भाववाचक-नाम (action-noun): ‘by contraction’
evaindeed; only
eva:
Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)
mūrddhamthe head
mūrddham:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.)
unnīyahaving raised
unnīya:
Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootud + nī (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle): ‘having raised’
pavanamthe wind; breath
pavanam:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpavana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.)
śanaiḥslowly
śanaiḥ:
Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootśanaiḥ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘slowly/gradually’
mūrdhanion/in the head
mūrdhani:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootmūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (m.), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (sg.)
brahmaraṃdhrein the brahmarandhra (crown aperture)
brahmaraṃdhre:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootbrahman + randhra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘Brahman’s aperture’ (brahmarandhra)
tamthat (it/him)
tam:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.)
prāṇamthe prāṇa; life-breath
prāṇam:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootprāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.)
saṃdhārayetshould hold; should retain
saṃdhārayet:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootsam + dhṛ (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपद; ‘should hold/retain’
kṛtīthe adept; the skilled one
kṛtī:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkṛtin (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (sg.)

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Listener: Pārtha

Scene: A yogin with a thin column of light rising to the crown; at the top, a radiant aperture (brahmarandhra) like a small sun-lotus; the body remains motionless, breath subtle.

B
Brahmarandhra

FAQs

The adept refines breath-control into concentration by gently lifting prāṇa to the crown and holding it at the brahmarandhra.

No outer tīrtha is named; the verse sanctifies the brahmarandhra as an inner ‘summit’ for yogic holding.

A concrete yogic procedure is prescribed: raise the breath slowly by ākuñcana and retain it at the brahmarandhra.