Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

प्राणायामा दश द्वौ च धारणैषा प्रकीर्त्यते । दशैता धारणाः स्थाप्य प्राप्नोत्यक्षरसाम्यताम्

Transliteration

prāṇāyāmā daśa dvau ca dhāraṇaiṣā prakīrtyate | daśaitā dhāraṇāḥ sthāpya prāpnotyakṣarasāmyatām

Translation

یہ دھارنا بارہ پرانایاموں پر مشتمل کہی گئی ہے۔ ان دس دھارناؤں کو قائم کر کے انسان اَکشَر (لازوال) کے ساتھ برابری حاصل کرتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• prāṇāyāmāḥ: prāṇāyāmas (breath-controls)
• prāṇāyāmāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa + āyāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (pl.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘extension/control of prāṇa’

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या (numeral), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनार्थे (used as ‘ten’)

• dvau: two
• dvau: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (dual) (numeral ‘two’)

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

• dhāraṇā: (this) dhāraṇā (concentration/retention)
• dhāraṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (sg.)

• eṣā: this
• eṣā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (sg.)

• prakīrtyate: is proclaimed
• prakīrtyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + kīrt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.), आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): ‘is proclaimed’

• daśa: ten
• daśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्या (numeral) used adjectivally: ‘ten’

• etāḥ: these
• etāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• dhāraṇāḥ: dhāraṇās
• dhāraṇāḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhāraṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (pl.)

• sthāpya: having established
• sthāpya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthāpya
• Form: क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष (gerundive/absolutive sense), ल्यप्/क्त्वार्थक अव्ययभाव: ‘having established/placing’

• prāpnoti: attains
• prāpnoti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + āp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपद

• akṣara-sāmyatām: equality with the Imperishable
• akṣara-sāmyatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣara + sāmyatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.); तत्पुरुष: ‘equality with the imperishable (akṣara)’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yogin with a rosary-like counting motif beside him; breath visualized as twelve measured waves; above, the word ‘Akṣara’ symbolized as an unchanging crystal or steady star.

Characters & Entities

• Akṣara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Measured breath-discipline supports dhāraṇā, and stable dhāraṇās culminate in realization aligned with the Imperishable (Akṣara).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse emphasizes liberation-oriented yoga rather than place-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A numeric discipline is given: dhāraṇā is measured by twelve prāṇāyāmas, and one should establish the set of ten dhāraṇās.