Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

सन्नियम्येंद्रियग्रामं नातिनीचोच्छ्रितासनः । मध्यमं चोत्तमं चाथ प्राणायाममुपक्रमेत्

Transliteration

sanniyamyeṃdriyagrāmaṃ nātinīcocchritāsanaḥ | madhyamaṃ cottamaṃ cātha prāṇāyāmamupakramet

Translation

เมื่อสำรวมหมู่อินทรีย์ทั้งหลายให้ดี และนั่งอาสนะไม่ต่ำเกินไปไม่สูงเกินไปแล้ว พึงเริ่มปฏิบัติปราณายามะ—เริ่มจากระดับปานกลาง แล้วค่อยก้าวสู่วิธีอันประณีตยิ่ง

Word by Word

• सन्नियम्य: having fully restrained
• सन्नियम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier of main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + नि + यम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावेन प्रयोगः; धातु: यम्, उपसर्ग: सम्-नि-; अर्थः: having restrained

• इन्द्रियग्रामम्: the group of senses
• इन्द्रियग्रामम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (इन्द्रियाणां ग्रामः)

• न: not
• न: Negation (of following qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अतिनीच: too low
• अतिनीच: Visheshana (Qualifier of āsanaḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + नीच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद-प्रयोगः; ‘अतिशयेन नीचः’

• उच्छ्रितासनः: (one) with a raised seat
• उच्छ्रितासनः: Visheshana (Qualifier of implied practitioner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छ्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √श्रि/श्रय्/श्रि-उत्) + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (उच्छ्रितम् आसनम् यस्य)

• मध्यमम्: the middle (grade)
• मध्यमम्: Karma (Object—type/grade)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (प्राणायामम्/प्रकारम्) विशेषयति

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उत्तमम्: the highest (grade)
• उत्तमम्: Karma (Object—type/grade)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (प्राणायामम्/प्रकारम्) विशेषयति

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• प्राणायामम्: breath-control (prāṇāyāma)
• प्राणायामम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + आयाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणस्य आयामः)

• उपक्रमेत्: should begin
• उपक्रमेत्: Kriya (Main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; धातु: क्रम्, उपसर्ग: उप-

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated in a balanced posture on a simple mat near a Kāśī ghat, senses withdrawn, beginning measured breath-control; distant silhouettes of temple spires and the Gaṅgā.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True prāṇāyāma begins with self-restraint and balanced posture, then proceeds step-by-step toward higher discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa framework, implicitly grounded in Kāśī (Varanasi) as the sanctified setting for liberation-oriented practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A yogic prescription: restrain the senses, sit properly (neither too low nor too high), and begin prāṇāyāma in graded stages (moderate to superior).