Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

प्राणायामा दश द्वौ च धारणैषा प्रकीर्त्यते । दशैता धारणाः स्थाप्य प्राप्नोत्यक्षरसाम्यताम्

Transliteration

prāṇāyāmā daśa dvau ca dhāraṇaiṣā prakīrtyate | daśaitā dhāraṇāḥ sthāpya prāpnotyakṣarasāmyatām

Translation

Diz-se que esta dhāraṇā consiste em doze prāṇāyāmas. Tendo estabelecido estas dez dhāraṇās, alcança-se a igualdade com o Imperecível (Akṣara).

Word by Word

• prāṇāyāmāḥ: prāṇāyāmas (breath-controls)
• prāṇāyāmāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa + āyāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (pl.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘extension/control of prāṇa’

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या (numeral), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनार्थे (used as ‘ten’)

• dvau: two
• dvau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (dual) (numeral ‘two’)

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

• dhāraṇā: (this) dhāraṇā (concentration/retention)
• dhāraṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (sg.)

• eṣā: this
• eṣā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (sg.)

• prakīrtyate: is proclaimed
• prakīrtyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + kīrt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.), आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): ‘is proclaimed’

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या (numeral) used adjectivally: ‘ten’

• etāḥ: these
• etāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• dhāraṇāḥ: dhāraṇās
• dhāraṇāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• sthāpya: having established
• sthāpya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthāpya
• Form: क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष (gerundive/absolutive sense), ल्यप्/क्त्वार्थक अव्ययभाव: ‘having established/placing’

• prāpnoti: attains
• prāpnoti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + āp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपद

• akṣara-sāmyatām: equality with the Imperishable
• akṣara-sāmyatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣara + sāmyatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.); तत्पुरुष: ‘equality with the imperishable (akṣara)’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin with a rosary-like counting motif beside him; breath visualized as twelve measured waves; above, the word ‘Akṣara’ symbolized as an unchanging crystal or steady star.

Characters & Entities

• Akṣara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Measured breath-discipline supports dhāraṇā, and stable dhāraṇās culminate in realization aligned with the Imperishable (Akṣara).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse emphasizes liberation-oriented yoga rather than place-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A numeric discipline is given: dhāraṇā is measured by twelve prāṇāyāmas, and one should establish the set of ten dhāraṇās.