Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

प्राणापाननिरोधश्च प्राणायामः प्रकीर्तितः । लघुमध्योत्तरीयाख्यः स च धीरैस्त्रिधोदितः

Transliteration

prāṇāpānanirodhaśca prāṇāyāmaḥ prakīrtitaḥ | laghumadhyottarīyākhyaḥ sa ca dhīraistridhoditaḥ

Translation

ପ୍ରାଣ ଓ ଅପାନର ନିରୋଧକୁ ପ୍ରାଣାୟାମ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ। ଧୀରମନା ଲୋକେ ଏହାକୁ ତ୍ରିବିଧ କହନ୍ତି—ଲଘୁ, ମଧ୍ୟମ ଓ ଉତ୍ତମ।

Word by Word

• प्राण: of/involving the inhaled breath (prāṇa)
• प्राण: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासपूर्वपद (genitive-relation prior member), एकवचन-प्रातिपदिक (stem form in compound)

• अपान: of/involving the exhaled breath (apāna)
• अपान: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासमध्यपद (genitive-relation middle member), एकवचन-प्रातिपदिक (stem form in compound)

• निरोधः: restraint, cessation
• निरोधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

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

• प्राणायामः: prāṇāyāma (breath-control)
• प्राणायामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण + आयाम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (prāṇasya āyāmaḥ)

• प्रकीर्तितः: is declared/has been proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तितः: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मणि-प्रयोगे)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• लघु: light/short
• लघु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक (adjectival stem) समासपूर्वपद; एकवचन-प्रातिपदिक (stem form in compound)

• मध्य: middle/medium
• मध्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक समासमध्यपद; एकवचन-प्रातिपदिक (stem form in compound)

• उत्तरीय: upper/superior
• उत्तरीय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तरीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक समासपूर्वपद; एकवचन-प्रातिपदिक (stem form in compound)

• आख्यः: named/called
• आख्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—लघु-मध्य-उत्तरीय-आख्य (having the name ‘laghu/madhya/uttarīya’)

• सः: it/that (prāṇāyāma)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

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

• धीरैः: by the wise
• धीरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• त्रिधा: in three ways
• त्रिधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner: ‘in three ways’)

• उदितः: is stated/has been taught
• उदितः: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मणि-प्रयोगे)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + इ (धातु) → उदित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm yogin seated in meditative stillness, subtle streams of prāṇa and apāna depicted as two currents being gently restrained and harmonized; three graded halos or bands indicate the threefold prāṇāyāma.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇa
• Apāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual discipline begins with mastery over vital currents; prāṇāyāma is structured and progressive, moving from lighter to higher practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced; the focus is yogic method within Purāṇic dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practice prescribed is prāṇāpāna-nirodha (restraint of prāṇa and apāna), taught in three graded intensities.