Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

अथवा ह्यासने यस्मिन्सुखमस्योपजायते । स्वस्तिकादौ तदध्यास्य योगं युंजीत योगवित्

Transliteration

athavā hyāsane yasminsukhamasyopajāyate | svastikādau tadadhyāsya yogaṃ yuṃjīta yogavit

Translation

ਜਾਂ ਜਿਸ ਆਸਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਭਾਵਿਕ ਸੁਖ ਉਪਜੇ—ਜਿਵੇਂ ਸਵਸਤਿਕਾਸਨ ਆਦਿ—ਉਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੈਠ ਕੇ ਯੋਗ ਦੇ ਜਾਣਕਾਰ ਯੋਗ ਦਾ ਅਭਿਆਸ ਕਰਨ।

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive: or)

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• आसने: in a posture/seat
• आसने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यस्मिन्: in which
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रयोग (relative pronoun)

• सुखम्: ease; comfort
• सुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• अस्य: of him/for him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• उपजायते: arises; is produced
• उपजायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; धातु: जन् (to be born/arise) उपसर्ग: उप-

• स्वस्तिकादौ: in (postures) such as svastika, etc.
• स्वस्तिकादौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वस्तिक (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्तिकः आदिः यस्य/यत्र) = ‘in (postures) beginning with svastika’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (referring to that posture)

• अध्यास्य: having assumed (it); having sat in it
• अध्यास्य: Kriya-visheshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि + आस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); धातु: आस् (to sit) उपसर्ग: अधि-; अर्थ: ‘उपविश्य/आसीत्वा’ (having sat upon/assumed)

• योगम्: yoga; discipline
• योगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• युञ्जीत: should practice; should apply (himself)
• युञ्जीत: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• योगवित्: knower of yoga
• योगवित्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (योगं वेत्ति इति)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher indicates alternative seated postures; a practitioner sits in Svastikāsana with relaxed shoulders, steady gaze, and quiet breath, suggesting adaptability.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Svastikāsana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Choose steadiness with ease—comfort supports sustained concentration and sincere practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred landscape; this verse focuses on practical yoga method within that dharmic frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Adopt a comfortable posture (e.g., Svastikāsana) and then proceed to yogic practice.