Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

व्यानो हृदि स्थितो नित्यं तथा देहचरोपि च । धातुवृद्धिप्रदः स्वेदलालोन्मेषनिमेषकृत्

Transliteration

vyāno hṛdi sthito nityaṃ tathā dehacaropi ca | dhātuvṛddhipradaḥ svedalālonmeṣanimeṣakṛt

Translation

వ్యాన వాయువు నిత్యం హృదయంలో స్థితమై ఉండి, అయినా దేహమంతటా సంచరిస్తుంది; ఇది ధాతువృద్ధిని కలిగించి, చెమట, లాలాజలం, కళ్ల తెరుచుట-మూసుటలను కలిగిస్తుంది।

Word by Word

• vyānaḥ: vyāna (vital air)
• vyānaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्राणवायु-विशेषः

• hṛdi: in the heart
• hṛdi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• sthitaḥ: situated
• sthitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “situated”

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययवत्; “always” (adverbial accusative)

• tathā: and also
• tathā: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थ

• deha-caraḥ: moving through the body
• deha-caraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक) + cara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: “moving in the body”

• api: also
• api: Emphasis/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• dhātu-vṛddhi-pradaḥ: causing increase of dhātus
• dhātu-vṛddhi-pradaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhātu (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: “giver of increase of bodily constituents”

• sveda-lālā-unmeṣa-nimeṣa-kṛt: producing sweat, saliva, blinking/opening and closing
• sveda-lālā-unmeṣa-nimeṣa-kṛt: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sveda (प्रातिपदिक) + lālā (प्रातिपदिक) + unmeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + nimeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛt (कृत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: “producer of sweat, saliva, opening (of eyes), and closing (of eyes)”

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous heart-lotus at center with vyāna radiating as fine silver threads throughout limbs; small motifs for sweat droplets, saliva at lips, and eyelids opening/closing—symbolic, not clinical.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine order pervades the whole body through vyāna; reverence for life includes caring for health as a support for sādhana.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; this is a teaching on the pervading life-wind.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; it aligns with yogic observances that steady the heart and balance the life-force.