Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 84

Devanagari script

दृढासनो यथाशक्ति प्राणं चंद्रेण पूरयेत् । रेचयेदथ सूर्येण प्राणायामोयमुच्यते

Transliteration

dṛḍhāsano yathāśakti prāṇaṃ caṃdreṇa pūrayet | recayedatha sūryeṇa prāṇāyāmoyamucyate

Translation

مضبوط آسن میں، اپنی طاقت کے مطابق، چَندر نادی سے پران کو بھرے (پورک کرے)؛ پھر سُوریہ نادی سے رَیچن کرے۔ اسی کو پرانایام کہا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• दृढासनः: one with a firm posture
• दृढासनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक) + आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथाशक्ति: according to (one's) capacity
• यथाशक्ति: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास, अव्ययवत् (indeclinable adverb)

• प्राणम्: prāṇa
• प्राणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• चन्द्रेण: through the moon-channel
• चन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूरयेत्: should fill (inhale)
• पूरयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• रेचयेत्: should empty (exhale)
• रेचयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रिच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/next)

• सूर्येण: through the sun-channel
• सूर्येण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राणायामः: prāṇāyāma (breath regulation)
• प्राणायामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + आयाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin seated immovably; left nostril shown with cool moonlight stream entering, right nostril with warm sunlight stream leaving; subtle moon and sun emblems near shoulders.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇāyāma
• Candra-nāḍī (iḍā)
• Sūrya-nāḍī (piṅgalā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Breath-discipline is dharmic when done steadily, within capacity, and with balance of lunar and solar currents.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the sacred frame of the teaching; the verse itself is a practical yogic definition rather than a site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Inhale through the ‘moon’ channel and exhale through the ‘sun’ channel while seated firmly—this is prescribed as prāṇāyāma.