Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

रविणा प्राणमाकृष्य पूरयेदौदरीं दरीम् । कुंभयित्वा शनैः पश्चाद्योगी चंद्रेण रेचयेत्

Transliteration

raviṇā prāṇamākṛṣya pūrayedaudarīṃ darīm | kuṃbhayitvā śanaiḥ paścādyogī caṃdreṇa recayet

Translation

ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟନାଡୀ ଦ୍ୱାରା ପ୍ରାଣକୁ ଆକର୍ଷି ଉଦର-ଗୁହାକୁ ପୂରଣ କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ପରେ କୁମ୍ଭକ କରି, ଯୋଗୀ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ରନାଡୀ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଧୀରେ ଧୀରେ ରେଚନ କରୁ।

Word by Word

• रविणा: by/with the sun (solar channel)
• रविणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• प्राणम्: the breath (prāṇa)
• प्राणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आकृष्य: having drawn in
• आकृष्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√कृष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकाल — Absolutive ‘having drawn/pulled in’

• पूरयेत्: should fill
• पूरयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative 3rd sg

• औदरीम्: abdominal, of the belly
• औदरीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औदरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• दरीम्: cavity (hollow)
• दरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• कुम्भयित्वा: having held/retained (the breath)
• कुम्भयित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कुम्भय् (नामधातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — Absolutive ‘having retained (kumbhaka)’

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — adverb

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक — temporal adverb

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक — conjunction

• चन्द्रेण: by/with the moon (lunar channel)
• चन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• रेचयेत्: should exhale/empty
• रेचयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √रिच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative 3rd sg

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 seated yogin in Kāśī, spine erect, right nostril inhalation (sūrya), abdomen subtly expanding, then still kumbhaka, followed by slow left-nostril exhalation (candra); background hints of Gaṅgā ghāṭs and a distant Viśvanātha śikhara.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (solar channel)
• Candra (lunar channel)
• Kumbhaka
• Prāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Balanced regulation—draw in, retain, and release with steadiness—turns breath into a disciplined vehicle for inner mastery.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the overarching sacred context; the verse teaches a specific technique rather than a pilgrimage act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Inhale via the solar channel, retain in kumbhaka, and exhale slowly via the lunar channel.