Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

प्राणायामैर्दहेद्दोषान्प्रत्याहारेण पातकम् । मनोधैर्यं धारणया ध्यानेनेश्वरदर्शनम्

Transliteration

prāṇāyāmairdaheddoṣānpratyāhāreṇa pātakam | manodhairyaṃ dhāraṇayā dhyāneneśvaradarśanam

Translation

پرाणایام سے جسم کے دَوش جل جاتے ہیں، پرتیاہار سے پاپ کا نाश ہوتا ہے۔ دھارنا سے من کو استقامت ملتی ہے، اور دھیان سے پرمیشور کے درشن حاصل ہوتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• prāṇāyāmaiḥ: by prāṇāyāmas
• prāṇāyāmaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇāyāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः प्राण+आयाम

• dahet: should burn away
• dahet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dah (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• doṣān: faults, impurities
• doṣān: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• pratyāhāreṇa: by pratyāhāra (withdrawal)
• pratyāhāreṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyāhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• pātakam: sin
• pātakam: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• mano-dhairyam: steadiness of mind
• mano-dhairyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक) + dhairya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—मनसः धैर्यम्

• dhāraṇayā: by dhāraṇā (concentration)
• dhāraṇayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• dhyānena: by meditation
• dhyānena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• īśvara-darśanam: vision of the Lord
• īśvara-darśanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—ईश्वरस्य दर्शनम्

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A four-panel progression: (1) yogin with controlled breath amid a subtle inner fire, (2) senses withdrawing like turtles, (3) mind fixed like a lamp in windless place, (4) luminous vision of Īśvara/Śiva appearing in the heart-lotus with Kāśī’s skyline faintly behind.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Īśvara
• Prāṇāyāma
• Pratyāhāra
• Dhāraṇā
• Dhyāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yogic limbs are presented as a moral-spiritual ladder: purification, sin-removal, mental stability, and finally God-realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within Kāśī’s sacred narrative setting; the verse itself emphasizes inner tīrtha (purification) through yoga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice of prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, and dhyāna is prescribed with distinct spiritual results.