Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

आकुंचनेनैव मूर्द्धमुन्नीय पवनं शनैः । मूर्धनि ब्रह्मरंध्रे तं प्राणं संधारयेत्कृती

Transliteration

ākuṃcanenaiva mūrddhamunnīya pavanaṃ śanaiḥ | mūrdhani brahmaraṃdhre taṃ prāṇaṃ saṃdhārayetkṛtī

Translation

唯以收摄之法（ākuñcana），徐徐将气息上举至头顶；成就者当于顶轮之上、梵孔（brahmarandhra）处摄持此普拉那。

Word by Word

• ākuṃcanena: by contraction
• ākuṃcanena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ā + kuṃc (धातु) → ākuṃcana (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (sg.); भाववाचक-नाम (action-noun): ‘by contraction’

• eva: indeed; only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• mūrddham: the head
• mūrddham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.)

• unnīya: having raised
• unnīya: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud + nī (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle): ‘having raised’

• pavanam: the wind; breath
• pavanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.)

• śanaiḥ: slowly
• śanaiḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śanaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘slowly/gradually’

• mūrdhani: on/in the head
• mūrdhani: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (sg.)

• brahmaraṃdhre: in the brahmarandhra (crown aperture)
• brahmaraṃdhre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman + randhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘Brahman’s aperture’ (brahmarandhra)

• tam: that (it/him)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.)

• prāṇam: the prāṇa; life-breath
• prāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (sg.)

• saṃdhārayet: should hold; should retain
• saṃdhārayet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (sg.), परस्मैपद; ‘should hold/retain’

• kṛtī: the adept; the skilled one
• kṛtī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛtin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (sg.)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmarandhra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The adept refines breath-control into concentration by gently lifting prāṇa to the crown and holding it at the brahmarandhra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No outer tīrtha is named; the verse sanctifies the brahmarandhra as an inner ‘summit’ for yogic holding.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A concrete yogic procedure is prescribed: raise the breath slowly by ākuñcana and retain it at the brahmarandhra.