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.
आत्मानं तं विजानीहि नित्यं त्यागजितात्मकं
Know that self as eternal, whose nature is mastery through renunciation.
देवो यः संस्थितस्तस्मिन्नब्बिन्दुरिव पुष्करे। क्षेत्रज्ञं तं विजानीहि नित्यं त्यागजितात्मकं
The god who abides in that (self), like a drop in a lotus, know him as the knower of the field, ever self-mastered through renunciation.
जीवात्मकं विजानीहि रजः सत्वं तमस्तथा। जीवमात्मगुणं विद्धि तथाऽऽत्मानं परात्मकं
Understand the living self as consisting of rajas, sattva, and likewise tamas; know the living being as a quality of the self, and the self as the supreme self.
अचेतनं जीवगुणं वदन्ति सचेष्टते चेष्टयते च सर्वम्। ततः परं क्षेत्रविदो वदन्ति प्राकल्पयद्यो भुवनानि सप्त
They say the quality of the living being is insentient, yet it acts and causes all action; beyond that, the knowers of the field speak of the One who formerly fashioned the seven worlds.
एष सर्वेषु भूतेषु भूतात्मा न प्रकाशते। दृश्यते त्वग्र्यया बुद्ध्या सूक्ष्मया ज्ञानवेदिभिः
This soul of all beings does not reveal itself; it is seen only by the keenest intellect, by those who know through subtle knowledge.
चित्तस्य हि प्रसादेन हनति कर्म शुभाशुभम्। प्रसन्नात्मात्मनि स्थित्वा सुखमनन्त्यमश्नुते
By the serenity of the mind, one destroys both good and bad deeds; having established a tranquil self in the self, one attains endless happiness.
लक्षणं तु प्रसादस्य यथा तृप्तः सुखं स्वपेत्। `सुखदुःखे हि संत्यज्य निर्द्वन्द्वो निष्परिग्रहः'। निवाते वा यथा दीपो दीप्येत्कुशलदीपितः
The sign of serenity is as when one, content, sleeps happily; having abandoned pleasure and pain, free from dualities and possessions, like a lamp burning steadily in a windless place, kindled by skill.
पूर्वरात्रेऽपरे चैव युञ्जानः सततं मनः। लध्वाहारो विशुद्धात्मा पश्यत्यात्मानमात्मनि
Practicing constantly, in the first and last part of the night, with moderate food and a purified self, one sees the self within the self.
प्रदीप्तेनेव दीपेन मनोदीपेन पश्यति। दृष्ट्वाऽऽत्मानं निरात्मानं स तदा विप्रमुच्यते
Just as by a burning lamp, so by the lamp of the mind, one sees; having seen the self as without self, then one is truly liberated.
सर्वोपायैस्तु लोभस् क्रोधस्य च विनिग्रहः। एतत्पवित्रं यञ्ज्ञानं तपो वै संक्रमो मतः
By all means, the restraint of greed and anger—this is considered the purest knowledge, the true austerity, and the highest discipline.