अविद्याबहुलो मूढः स्वप्नशीलो विचेतनः। दृर्हृपीकस्तमोध्यस्तः सक्रोधस्तामसोऽलसः
One dominated by tamas is full of ignorance, confused, prone to sleep, lacking awareness, stubborn, angry, and lazy.
सुवृत्तवाक्यो मन्त्री च यो नराग्र्योऽनमूयकः। विवित्समानो विप्रर्षे स्तब्धो मानी स राजसः
He who is well-spoken, a counselor, foremost among men, not envious, eager to know, but proud and unyielding—he is rajasika.
प्रकाशबहुलो धीरो निर्विवित्सोऽनसूयकः। अक्रोधनो नरो धीमान्दान्तश्चैवस सात्विकः
He who is full of clarity, steadfast, free from envy, patient, intelligent, self-controlled—he is sattvika.
सात्विकस्त्वथ संबुद्धो लोकवृत्तैर्न लिप्यते। यदा बुध्यति बोध्धव्यं लोकवृत्तं जुगुप्सते
The sattvika, being awakened, is not tainted by worldly conduct; when he understands what should be known, he finds fault with worldly ways.
वैराग्यस् च रूपं तु पूर्वमेव प्रवर्तते। मृदुर्भवत्यहंकारः प्रसीदत्यार्जवं च यत्
For him, detachment arises first; his ego becomes gentle, and sincerity prevails.
ततोऽस् सर्वद्वन्द्वानि प्रशाम्यन्ति परस्परम्। न चास्यासंयमो नाम क्वचिद्भवति कश्चन
Then all dualities are mutually calmed; and for him, there is never any lack of self-restraint anywhere.
शूद्रयोनौ हि जातस्य सद्गुणानुपतिष्ठतः। वैश्यत्वं भवति ब्रह्मन्क्षत्रियत्वं तथैव च
Indeed, when one born in a Shudra family possesses good qualities, he attains the status of a Vaishya or even a Kshatriya, O Brahmin.
आर्जवे वर्तमानस्य ब्राह्मण्यमभिजायते। गुणास्ते कीर्तिताः सर्वे किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
When one acts with sincerity, he attains Brahminhood; all these qualities have been described—what more do you wish to hear?
पार्थिवं धातुमासाद्य शारीरोऽग्निः कथं भवेत्। अवकाशविशेषेण कथं वर्तयतेऽनिलः
How does the bodily fire arise from the earthly element? How does the wind move according to particular spaces?
प्रश्नमेतं समुद्दिष्टं ब्राह्मणेन युधिष्ठिर। व्याधस्तु कथयामास ब्राह्मणाय महात्मने
This question was posed by the Brahmin, O Yudhishthira, and the butcher then explained it to the great-souled Brahmin.
मूर्धानमाश्रितो वह्निः शरीरं परिपालयन्। प्राणो मूर्धनि चाग्नौ च वर्तमानो विचेष्टते
The fire, residing in the head, preserves the body; the vital breath, abiding in the head and in the fire, moves about.
भूं भव्यं भविष्यं च सर्वं प्राणे प्रतिष्ठितम्। श्रेष्ठं तदेव भूतानां ब्रह्मज्योतिरुपास्महे
All that is past, present, and future is established in the vital breath; that alone is the highest among beings—we worship that divine light of Brahman.
स जन्तुः सर्वभूतात्मा पुरुषः स सनातनः। मनोबुद्धिरहंकारो भूतानां विषयश्च सः
That being, the soul of all creatures, is the eternal person; he is mind, intellect, ego, and the objects of the senses for all beings.
अव्यक्तं सस्वसंज्ञं च जीवः कालः स चैव हि। प्रकृतिः पुरुषश्चैव प्राण एव द्विजोत्तम
He is the unmanifest, the self-aware, the living soul, and time itself; he is also nature and spirit, and indeed, the vital breath, O best of the twice-born.
जागर्ति स्वप्नकाले च स्वप्ने स्वप्नायते च सः। जाग्रत्सु बलमाधत्ते चेष्टत्सु चेष्टयत्यपि
He is awake in the waking state and dreams in the dream state; among those awake, he bestows strength, and among those active, he acts as well.
तस्मिन्निरुद्दे विप्रेन्द्र मृत इत्यभिधीयते। त्यक्त्वा शरीरं भूतात्मा पुनरन्यत्प्रपद्यते
When that is restrained, O foremost of Brahmins, it is called death; abandoning the body, the soul of beings attains another once more.
एष त्वग्निरपानन प्राणेन परिपाल्यते। पृष्ठतस्तु समानन स्वांस्वां गतिमुपाश्रितः
This fire, called apāna, is maintained by the prāṇa; from behind, samāna, each following its own course, is established.
वस्तुमूले गुदे चैव पावकं समुपाश्रितः। वहन्मूत्रं पुरीषंवाऽप्यपानः परिवर्तते
At the root of the organ and in the anus, apāna is established, bearing the fire; apāna circulates, carrying urine or feces.
प्रयत्ने कर्मणि बले य एकस्त्रिषु वर्तते। उदान इति तं प्राहुरध्यात्मविदुषो जनाः
The one that operates in effort, action, and strength, and moves in three ways, is called udāna by those who know the self.
सन्धौसन्धौ संनिविष्टः सर्वेष्वपि तथाऽनिलः। शरीरेषु मनुष्याणां व्यान इत्युपदिश्ते
The air that is situated at every junction in all parts of the body is called vyāna in the bodies of men.
धातुष्वग्निस्तु विततः स तु वायुसमीरितः। रसान्धातूंश्च दोषांश्च वर्तयन्परिधावति
The fire is spread throughout the bodily elements, stirred by the wind; moving about, it circulates the fluids, elements, and humors.
प्राणानां संनिपातात्तु सन्निपातः प्रजायते। सोष्मा सोग्निरितिज्ञेयो योऽन्नं पचतिदेहिनां
From the combination of the vital airs arises the combination (sannipāta); that heat, known as fire, is what digests food in embodied beings.
अपानोदानयोर्मध्ये प्राणन्यानौ समाहितौ। समन्वितस्त्वधिष्ठानं सम्यक्पचति पावकः
Between apāna and udāna, prāṇa and vyāna are established; united, the fire properly digests, being based there.
अस्यापि पायुपर्यन्तस्तथा स्याद्गुदसंज्ञितः। स्रोतांशि तस्माज्जायन्ते सर्वप्राणेषु देहिनाम्
Its extent reaches up to the anus, called the rectum; from it arise the channels in all the vital airs of embodied beings.
अग्निवेगवहः प्राणो गुदान्ते प्रतिहन्यते। स ऊर्ध्वमागम्य पुनः समुत्क्षिपति पावकम्
The prāṇa, bearing the force of fire, is checked at the end of the rectum; ascending upward again, it lifts the fire.
पक्वाशयस्त्वधोनाभ्या ऊर्ध्वमामाशयः स्थितः। नाभिमध्ये शरीरस्य प्राणाः सर्वे प्रतिष्ठिताः
The large intestine is situated below the navel, and the stomach above; in the middle of the navel, all the vital airs are established in the body.
प्रवृत्ता हृदयात्सर्वे तिर्यगूर्ध्वमधस्तथा। वहन्त्यन्नरसान्नाड्यो दशप्राणप्रचोदिताः
All the channels, impelled by the ten vital airs, proceed from the heart, moving sideways, upward, and downward, carrying the essence of food.
योगिनामेष मार्गस्तु येन गच्छन्ति तत्परम्। जितक्लमासनो धीरो मूर्धन्यात्मानमादत्
This is the path of the yogis, by which they reach that supreme state; the steadfast one, seated with fatigue conquered, draws the self to the crown of the head.
एवं सर्वेषु विततौ प्राणापानौ हि देहिषु। `तौ तावदग्निसहितौ विद्धि वै प्राणमात्मनि
Thus, prāṇa and apāna are diffused throughout all embodied beings; know that these two, together with fire, are indeed the vital principle within the self.
एकादशविकारात्मा कलासंभारसंभृतः। मूर्तिमन्तं हि तं विद्धि नित्यं योगजितात्मकम्। तस्मिन्यः संस्थितो ह्यग्निर्नित्यं स्थाल्यामिवाहितः
Endowed with eleven modifications, composed of a collection of energies, know that embodied being as having form, ever mastered by yoga; the fire established in him abides constantly, as in a vessel.