Bhagavad Gita -Srila Prabhupada 214

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita As It Is -Shri Shrimad A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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Transcendental Knowledge
Chapter 4: Verse-29

apäne juhvati pränam
präne ’pänam tathäpare
pränäpäna-gati ruddhvä
pränäyäma-paräyanäh
apare niyatähäräh
pranan pränesu juhvati[1]

TRANSLATION

Still others, who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, practice by offering the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing. Others, curtailing the eating process, offer the outgoing breath into itself as a sacrifice.


PURPORT

This system of yoga for controlling the breathing process is called pränäyäma, and in the beginning it is practiced in the hatha-yoga system through different sitting postures. All of these processes are recommended for controlling the senses and for advancement in spiritual realization. This practice involves controlling the airs within the body so as to reverse the directions of their passage. The apäna air goes downward, and the präna air goes up. The pränäyäma-yogi practices breathing the opposite way until the currents are neutralized into püraka. equilibrium. Offering the exhaled breath into the inhaled breath is called recaka. When both air currents are completely stopped, one is said to be in kumbhaka-yoga. By practice of kumbhaka-yoga. one can increase the duration of life for perfection in spiritual realization.

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References

  1. apäne=in the air which acts downward; juhvati=offer; pränam=the air which acts outward; präne=in the air going outward; apänam=the air going downward; tathä=as also; apare=others; präna=of the air going outward; apäna=and the air going downward; gati=the movement; ruddhvä=checking; präna-äyäma=trance induced by stopping all breathing; paräyanäh=so inclined; apare=others; niyata=having controlled; ähäräh=eating; pranan=the outgoing air; pränesu=in the outgoing air; juhvati=sacrifice.

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