Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

सव्याहृतिप्रणवकाः प्राणायामास्तु षोडश । अपि भ्रूणहनं मासात्पुनंत्यहरहः कृताः

Transliteration

savyāhṛtipraṇavakāḥ prāṇāyāmāstu ṣoḍaśa | api bhrūṇahanaṃ māsātpunaṃtyaharahaḥ kṛtāḥ

Translation

以三界真言（vyāhṛti）与圣音唵（praṇava，Oṃ）相应而行十六次调息；即便如此，若日日修持，亦能于一月之内净除乃至杀胎之罪。

Word by Word

• sa-vyāhṛti-praṇavakāḥ: accompanied by the vyāhṛtis and praṇava
• sa-vyāhṛti-praṇavakāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/सह) + vyāhṛti (प्रातिपदिक) + praṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘व्याहृतिभिः प्रणवेन च सहिताः’ (endowed with vyāhṛtis and praṇava)

• prāṇāyāmāḥ: prāṇāyāmas
• prāṇāyāmāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇāyāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• tu: indeed / but
• tu: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (emphatic/contrastive particle)

• ṣoḍaśa: sixteen
• ṣoḍaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣoḍaśan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्राणायामान् विशेषयति (sixteen in number)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• bhrūṇa-hanaṃ: (the sin of) embryo-killing
• bhrūṇa-hanaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrūṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + han (धातु) + a (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘भ्रूणस्य हननम्’ (act of killing an embryo)

• māsāt: within a month / from a month
• māsāt: Apādāna/Avadhi (Ablative/limit)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; अपादान/काल-सीमा (from/within a month)

• punanti: purify
• punanti: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘पुनन्ति’ = they purify

• ahar-ahaḥ: daily
• ahar-ahaḥ: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ahar (प्रातिपदिक) + ahaḥ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणम् (day by day / daily)

• kṛtāḥ: (when) performed
• kṛtāḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Condition/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘कृताः’ = when performed

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa narrative voice; instructional passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king) implied by the surrounding address in the unit

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined practitioner at sunrise performing counted prāṇāyāmas; subtle visual of syllables ‘Oṃ’ and vyāhṛtis emanating as luminous bands, symbolizing purification over time (a month cycle hinted by moon phases).

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Vyāhṛtis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-linked prāṇāyāma is presented as a powerful purifier even for very grave sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse emphasizes universal purification through sanctioned practice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform sixteen prāṇāyāmas daily, joined with the vyāhṛtis and Oṃ (praṇava).