Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

रविणा प्राणमाकृष्य पूरयेदौदरीं दरीम् । कुंभयित्वा शनैः पश्चाद्योगी चंद्रेण रेचयेत्

Transliteration

raviṇā prāṇamākṛṣya pūrayedaudarīṃ darīm | kuṃbhayitvā śanaiḥ paścādyogī caṃdreṇa recayet

Translation

سورَی نادی سے پران کو کھینچ کر پیٹ کی گہا کو بھرے۔ پھر کُمبھک میں روک کر، یوگی چَندر نادی سے آہستہ آہستہ رَیچن (سانس خارج) کرے۔

Word by Word

• रविणा: by/with the sun (solar channel)
• रविणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• प्राणम्: the breath (prāṇa)
• प्राणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आकृष्य: having drawn in
• आकृष्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√कृष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकाल — Absolutive ‘having drawn/pulled in’

• पूरयेत्: should fill
• पूरयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Optative 3rd sg

• औदरीम्: abdominal, of the belly
• औदरीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औदरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• दरीम्: cavity (hollow)
• दरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• कुम्भयित्वा: having held/retained (the breath)
• कुम्भयित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कुम्भय् (नामधातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund) — Absolutive ‘having retained (kumbhaka)’

• शनैः: slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — adverb

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक — temporal adverb

• योगी: the yogin
• योगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

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

• चन्द्रेण: by/with the moon (lunar channel)
• चन्द्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण) विभक्ति, एकवचन — Instrumental singular

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated yogin in Kāśī, spine erect, right nostril inhalation (sūrya), abdomen subtly expanding, then still kumbhaka, followed by slow left-nostril exhalation (candra); background hints of Gaṅgā ghāṭs and a distant Viśvanātha śikhara.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (solar channel)
• Candra (lunar channel)
• Kumbhaka
• Prāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Balanced regulation—draw in, retain, and release with steadiness—turns breath into a disciplined vehicle for inner mastery.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the overarching sacred context; the verse teaches a specific technique rather than a pilgrimage act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Inhale via the solar channel, retain in kumbhaka, and exhale slowly via the lunar channel.