Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

प्राणायामद्विषट्केन प्रत्याहार उदाहृतः । प्रत्याहारैर्द्वादशभिर्धारणा परिकीर्तिता

Transliteration

prāṇāyāmadviṣaṭkena pratyāhāra udāhṛtaḥ | pratyāhārairdvādaśabhirdhāraṇā parikīrtitā

Translation

پرाणایام کے بارہ مجموعوں سے پرتیاہار حاصل ہوتا ہے، ایسا کہا گیا ہے۔ اور پرتیاہار کے بارہ مرتبہ سے دھارنا حاصل ہوتی ہے، یوں بیان کیا گیا ہے۔

Word by Word

• prāṇāyāma-dviṣaṭkena: by twelve prāṇāyāmas
• prāṇāyāma-dviṣaṭkena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇāyāma (प्रातिपदिक) + dviṣaṭka (प्रातिपदिक; द्वि+षट्क)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—प्राणायामस्य द्विषट्कम् (द्वे षट्के = 12) तेन

• pratyāhāraḥ: pratyāhāra
• pratyāhāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyāhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• udāhṛtaḥ: is stated/declared
• udāhṛtaḥ: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-ā-hṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (Past Passive Participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘उदाहृतः’ = declared

• pratyāhāraiḥ: by pratyāhāras
• pratyāhāraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratyāhāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• dvādaśabhiḥ: with twelve
• dvādaśabhiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (pratyāhāraiḥ इत्यस्य)

• dhāraṇā: dhāraṇā
• dhāraṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• parikīrtitā: is proclaimed
• parikīrtitā: Kriyā (Predicative/क्रिया-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-kīrt (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (Past Passive Participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘परिकीर्तिता’ = proclaimed

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-yogi in Kāśī instructs disciples with a rosary and hand gestures, marking counts; behind them, a diagram-like mandala shows steps: prāṇāyāma → pratyāhāra → dhāraṇā with the number 12 repeated as petals.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Prāṇāyāma
• Pratyāhāra
• Dhāraṇā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual mastery is framed as cumulative: repeated disciplined units of practice mature into higher limbs of yoga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the sacred setting; the verse itself is a technical yogic guideline rather than a site-panegyric.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A numerical regimen is prescribed: twelve prāṇāyāma-units for pratyāhāra, and twelve pratyāhāras for dhāraṇā.