Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यमश्च नियमश्चैव प्राणायामस्तृतीयकः । प्रत्याहारो धारणा च ध्येयं ध्यानं च सप्तमम्

Transliteration

yamaśca niyamaścaiva prāṇāyāmastṛtīyakaḥ | pratyāhāro dhāraṇā ca dhyeyaṃ dhyānaṃ ca saptamam

Translation

یَم اور نِیَم ہی پہلے ہیں؛ پرانایام تیسرا ہے۔ پھر پرتیاہار اور دھارنا؛ اور دھیَیَہ (مراقبے کا منتخب موضوع) اور دھیان ساتواں ہیں۔

Word by Word

• यमः: restraint (yama)
• यमः: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• नियमः: observance (niyama)
• नियमः: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Particle), अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• प्राणायामः: breath-control (prāṇāyāma)
• प्राणायामः: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + आयाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तृतीयकः: the third
• तृतीयकः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीयक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• प्रत्याहारः: withdrawal (of senses)
• प्रत्याहारः: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रति-आ-हृ (धातु) → प्रत्याहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• धारणा: concentration; holding
• धारणा: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• ध्येयम्: the object to be meditated upon
• ध्येयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्येय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta (कर्ता/Item in enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Conjunction)

• सप्तमम्: the seventh
• सप्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sequential tableau of yogic limbs: ethical living, breath control, withdrawal, concentration on a sacred icon, and deep meditation.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Yoga
• Yama
• Niyama
• Prāṇāyāma
• Pratyāhāra
• Dhāraṇā
• Dhyeya
• Dhyāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yoga progresses in an ordered way—from ethical foundations to breath, sense-control, concentration, and meditation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this verse enumerates yogic limbs rather than praising a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A structured yogic regimen is prescribed: yama, niyama, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyeya, and dhyāna.