Agni Purana

तिस्रो मात्रास्त्रयो वेदाः लोका भूरादयो गुणाः । जाग्रत् स्वप्नः सुषुप्तिश्च ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः ।। ३७२.

Three measures, three Vedas, the worlds beginning with Bhū, and the qualities; waking, dreaming, and deep sleep; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara—

प्रद्युम्नः श्रीर्वासुदेवः सर्वमोङ्कारकः क्रमात् । अमात्रो नष्टमात्रश्च द्वैतस्यापगमः शिवः ।। ३७२.

Pradyumna, Śrī, Vāsudeva—all are sequentially associated with Om. The measureless, the vanished measure, is the dissolution of duality—Śiva.

ओङ्कारो विदितो येन स मुनिर्नेतरो मुनिः । चतुर्थी मात्रा गान्धारी प्रयुक्ता मूर्ध्निलक्ष्यते ।। ३७२.

He who knows Om is a sage; none other is a sage. The fourth measure, Gāndhārī, when applied, is perceived at the crown of the head.

तत्तुरीयं परं ब्रह्म ज्योतिर्दीपो घटे यथा । तथा हृत्पद्मनिलयं ध्यायेन्नित्यं जपेन्नरः ।। ३७२.

That fourth, the transcendent Brahman, is like a lamp's light in a pot. Thus, one should always meditate and recite upon the lotus of the heart.

प्रणवो धनुः शरो ह्यात्मा ब्रह्म तल्लक्ष्यमुच्यते । अप्रमत्तेन वेद्धव्यं शरवत्तन्मयो भवेत् ।। ३७२.

Om is the bow, the self is the arrow, and Brahman is said to be the target. One must strike it unerringly; like an arrow, one should become wholly that.

एतदेकाक्षरं ब्रह्म एतदेकाक्षरं परं । एतदेकाक्षरं ज्ञात्वा यो यदिच्छति तस्य तत् ।। ३७२.

This single syllable is Brahman; this single syllable is supreme. Knowing this single syllable, whatever one desires, that is attained.

छन्दोऽस्य देवी गायत्री अन्तर्य्यामी ऋषिः स्मृतः । देवता परमात्मास्य नियोगो भुक्तिमुक्तये ।। ३७२.

Its meter is the divine Gāyatrī; the seer is remembered as the indwelling sage. The deity is the Supreme Self; its purpose is for enjoyment and liberation.

भूरगन्यात्मने हृदयं भुवः प्राजापत्यात्मने । शिरः स्वः सूर्य्यात्मने च शिखा कवचमुच्यते ।। ३७२.

For the soul associated with Bhū, the heart; for the soul associated with Bhuvaḥ, the head; for the soul associated with Svaḥ, the crest; these are called the armor.

ओंभूर्भुवः स्वः कवचं सत्यात्मने ततोऽस्त्रकं । विन्यस्य पूजयेद्विष्णुं जपेद्वै भुक्तिमुक्तये ।। ३७२.

Om Bhūḥ Bhuvaḥ Svaḥ is the armor for the soul of truth; then the missile. Having placed these, one should worship Viṣṇu and recite for enjoyment and liberation.

जुहुयाच्च तिलाज्यादि सर्वं सम्पद्यते नरे । यस्तु द्वादशसाहस्रं जपमन्वहमाचरेत् ।। ३७२.

One should offer sesame, clarified butter, and other things; everything is accomplished for the person. Whoever performs the recitation twelve thousand times daily,

तस्य द्वादशभिर्मासैः परं ब्रह्मा प्रकाशते । अणिमादि कोटिजप्याल्लक्षात्सारस्वतादिकं ।। ३७२.

For him, in twelve months, the supreme Brahman is revealed. From millions of recitations of the powers beginning with aṇimā, the essence of Sarasvatī and others is attained.

वैदिकस्तान्त्रिको मिश्रो विष्णोर्वै त्रिविधो मखः । त्रयाणामीप्सितेनैकविधिना हरिमर्च्चयेत् ।। ३७२.

Vedic, Tantric, and mixed—these are the three types of Viṣṇu's sacrifice. With the desired method among the three, one should worship Hari.

प्रणम्य दण्डवद्भमौ नमस्कारेण योऽर्चयेत् । स याङ्गतिमवाप्नोति न तां क्रतुशतैरपि ।। ३७२.

Whoever worships, bowing with prostration on the ground, with reverence, attains that state which is not reached even by hundreds of rituals.

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिर्यथा देवे तथा गुरौ । तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः ।। ३७२.

For whom there is supreme devotion to the deity, and as to the deity, so to the teacher, for him these meanings spoken here are revealed, O great soul.

अग्निरुवाच आसनं कमलाद्युक्तं तद्‌बद्‌ध्वा चिन्तयेत्परं । शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनामात्मनः ।। ३७३.

Agni said: Having arranged a seat furnished with lotus and other things, one should contemplate the supreme. In a pure place, establish a steady seat for oneself.

नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चेलाजिनकुशोत्तरं । तत्रैकाग्रं मनः कृत्वा यतचित्तेन्द्रियक्रियः ।। ३७३.

Not too high, not too low, covered with cloth, skin, and kusa grass; there, making the mind one-pointed, controlling the actions of mind and senses.

उपविश्यासने युञ्ज्याद्योगमात्मविशुद्धये । समकायशिरग्रीवं धारयन्नचलं स्थिरः ।। ३७३.

Seated on the seat, one should practice yoga for purification of the self, holding the body, head, and neck upright, unmoving and steady.

सम्प्रेक्ष्य नासिकाग्रं स्वन्दिशश्चानवलोकयन् । पार्ष्णिभ्यां वृषणौ रक्षंस्तथा प्रजननं पुनः ।। ३७३.

Gazing at the tip of the nose, not looking in any direction, protecting the testicles with the heels, and likewise the generative organ.

उरुभ्यामुपरिस्थाप्य बाहू तिर्य्यक् प्रयत्नतः । दक्षिणं करपृष्ठञ्च न्यसेद्वामतलोपरि ।। ३७३.

Placing the arms across the thighs with effort, the back of the right hand on the left palm.

उन्नम्य शनकैर्वक्त्त्रं मुखं विष्टभ्य चाग्रतः । प्राणः स्वदेहजो वायुस्तस्यायामो निरोधनं ।। ३७३.

Raising the face slowly, holding the mouth firmly in front; the breath, the wind born in one's own body, its restraint is called control.

नासिकापुटमङ्गुल्या पीड्यैव च परेण च । औदरं रेचयेद्वायुं रेचनाद्रेचकः स्मृतः ।। ३७३.

Pressing the nostrils with the fingers and with the other hand, one should expel the breath from the abdomen; expelling is called recaka.

बाह्येन वायुना देहं दृतिवत् पूरयेद्यथा । तथा पूर्णश्च सन्तिष्ठेत् पूरणात् पूरकः स्मृतः ।। ३७३.

With external air, one should fill the body as if with firmness; thus, remaining full after filling, this is called pūraka.

. न मुञ्चति न गृह्णाति वायुमन्तर्बहिः स्थितम् । सम्पूर्णकुम्भवत्तिष्ठेदचलः स तु कुम्भकः ।। ३७३.

One neither releases nor takes in the breath, remaining inside or outside; staying unmoving like a full jar, this is called kumbhaka.

कन्यकः सकृदुद्‌घातः स वै द्वादशमात्रिकः । मध्यमश्च द्विरुद्‌घातश्चतुर्विंशतिमात्रिकः ।। ३७३.

The 'kanyaka' is performed with a single exhalation, and it measures twelve beats; the 'madhyama' is done with two exhalations, and it measures twenty-four beats.

उत्तमश्च त्रिरुद्‌घातः षट्‌त्रिंशत्तालमात्रिकः । स्वेदकम्पाभिघातानां जननश्चोत्तमोत्तमः ।। ३७३.

The 'uttama' is performed with three exhalations, measuring thirty-six beats; among the causes of sweating and trembling, the highest is generated by this.

अजितान्नारुहेद्‌भूमिं हिक्काश्वासादयस्तथा । जिते प्राणे स्वल्पदोषविण्मूत्रादि प्रजायते ।। ३७३.

If food is not conquered, one rises from the earth with hiccups, breathlessness, and similar ailments; but when breath is mastered, only minor faults of stool and urine arise.

आरोग्यं शीघ्रगामित्वमुत्साहः स्वरसौष्ठवम् । बलवर्णप्रसादश्च सर्वदोषक्षयः फलं ।। ३७३.

Health, quick movement, enthusiasm, excellence of voice, strength, clarity of complexion, and the destruction of all faults are the results.

जपध्यानं विनागर्भः स गर्भस्तत्समन्वितः । इन्द्रियाणां जयार्थाय स गर्भं धारयेत्परं ।। ३७३.

Without recitation and meditation, it is called 'garbha'; with them, it is 'garbha' accompanied; for the conquest of the senses, one should hold the supreme 'garbha'.

ज्ञानवैराग्ययुक्ताभ्यां प्राणायामवशेन च । इन्द्रियांश्च विनिर्जित्य सर्वमेव जितं भवेत् ।। ३७३.

With knowledge and detachment, and by the power of breath-control, having conquered the senses, everything is thereby conquered.