Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

लघुर्द्वादशमात्रस्तु मात्रा निमिष उन्मिषः । द्विगुणो मध्यमश्चोक्तस्त्रिगुणश्चोत्तमः स्मृतः

Transliteration

laghurdvādaśamātrastu mātrā nimiṣa unmiṣaḥ | dviguṇo madhyamaścoktastriguṇaścottamaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

ଲଘୁ ପ୍ରାଣାୟାମ ଦ୍ୱାଦଶ ମାତ୍ରାର; ‘ମାତ୍ରା’ ହେଉଛି ନିମିଷ-ଉନ୍ମିଷ (ପଲକ ପକାଇବା ଓ ଖୋଲିବା) ମାପ। ମଧ୍ୟମ ତାହାର ଦ୍ୱିଗୁଣ, ଉତ୍ତମ ତ୍ରିଗୁଣ ବୋଲି ସ୍ମୃତ।

Word by Word

• लघुः: the ‘laghu’ (short) [measure]
• लघुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (here: ‘laghu’ type)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (numeral adjective) समासपूर्वपद; एकवचन-प्रातिपदिक (stem form in compound)

• मात्रः: having twelve mātrās (units)
• मात्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (द्वादश + मात्रा)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• मात्रा: a mātrā (unit of time)
• मात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निमिषः: a blink (closing)
• निमिषः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उन्मिषः: an opening of the eyes
• उन्मिषः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उन्मिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्विगुणः: twofold/double
• द्विगुणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (twofold)

• मध्यमः: the medium (madhyama) [measure]
• मध्यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (the ‘medium’ type)

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

• उक्तः: is said/called
• उक्तः: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मणि-प्रयोगे)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रिगुणः: threefold/triple
• त्रिगुणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (threefold)

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

• उत्तमः: the superior (uttama) [measure]
• उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (the ‘best/superior’ type)

• स्मृतः: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतः: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मणि-प्रयोगे)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin counting mātrās with a subtle finger movement or rosary-like gesture, eyelids half-closed; a visual motif of an eye blinking to indicate the mātrā unit; three stacked measures labeled 12/24/36.

Characters & Entities

• Mātrā
• Nimiṣa
• Unmiṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yogic discipline is systematic; breath control is graded and measured to ensure steadiness rather than strain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse gives technical guidance for practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A timing rule: laghu = 12 mātrās; madhyama = 24; uttama = 36, using nimiṣa/unmiṣa as the measure.