Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

संयोगस्त्वात्ममनसोर्योग इत्युच्यते बुधैः । प्राणापानसमायोगो योग इत्यपि कैश्चन

Transliteration

saṃyogastvātmamanasoryoga ityucyate budhaiḥ | prāṇāpānasamāyogo yoga ityapi kaiścana

Translation

ਬੁੱਧਿਮਾਨ ਕਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿ ਆਤਮਾ ਅਤੇ ਮਨ ਦਾ ਮਿਲਾਪ ਹੀ ‘ਯੋਗ’ ਹੈ; ਕੁਝ ਹੋਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਅਤੇ ਅਪਾਨ ਦਾ ਸਮਤੋਲ ਸੰਯੋਗ ਵੀ ‘ਯੋਗ’ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• संयोगः: union, conjunction
• संयोगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular masculine)

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

• आत्ममनसोः: of the self and the mind
• आत्ममनसोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्ममनस् (प्रातिपदिक; आत्मन् + मनस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन (genitive dual; ‘of self and mind’)

• योगः: yoga
• योगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular masculine)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• उच्यते: is called/said
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: ‘is said’)

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (instrumental plural masculine)

• प्राणापानसमायोगः: the proper union of prāṇa and apāna
• प्राणापानसमायोगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणापानसमायोग (प्रातिपदिक; प्राण + अपान + समा + योग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular masculine)

• योगः: yoga
• योगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (particle: ‘also/even’)

• कैश्चन: by some (people)
• कैश्चन: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite pronoun; instrumental plural: ‘by some’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-sage in Kāśī instructs a disciple: one panel shows meditation (mind merging into inner light), another shows subtle breath channels with prāṇa and apāna meeting at the navel/heart.

Characters & Entities

• Ātman
• Manas
• Prāṇa
• Apāna
• Yoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yoga is defined as inner integration—either mind absorbed in the Self or prāṇic balance supporting that absorption.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

As part of Kāśīkhaṇḍa, the teaching supports Kāśī’s identity as a mokṣa-kṣetra where yoga and knowledge converge.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied practice is prāṇic regulation (prāṇa–apāna harmony), though no step-by-step rite is specified.