Agni Purana

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.

इन्द्रियाण्येव तत्सर्वं यत् स्वर्गनरकावुभौ । निगृहीतविसृष्टानि स्वर्गाय नरकाय च ।। ३७३.

All the senses are indeed the means by which both heaven and hell are attained; when restrained, they lead to heaven, and when released, to hell.

शरीरं रथमित्याहुरिन्द्रियाण्यस्य वाजिनः । मनश्च सारथिः प्रोक्तः प्राणायामः कशः स्मृतः ।। ३७३.

They say the body is a chariot, its senses are the horses; the mind is called the charioteer, and breath-control is remembered as the whip.

ज्ञानवैराग्यरश्मिभ्यां सायया विधृतं मनः । शनैर्निश्चलतामेति प्राणायामैकसंहितम् ।। ३७३.

The mind, held by the rays of knowledge and detachment, gradually becomes motionless, united with breath-control.

जलबिन्दुं [https://vedastudy.yolasite.com/kusha1.php कुशाग्रेण] मासे मासे पिबेत्तु यः । संवत्सरशतं साग्रं प्राणायामश्च तत्समः ।। ३७३.

He who drinks a drop of water with a blade of grass each month lives for a hundred years and more; breath-control is equal to that.

इन्द्रियाणि प्रसक्तानि प्रविश्य विषयोदधौ । आहृत्य यो निगृह्णाति प्रत्याहारः स उच्यते ।। ३७३.

When the senses, absorbed in the ocean of objects, are withdrawn and restrained, that is called 'pratyahara'.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं मज्जमानं यथाम्भसि । भोगनद्यतिवेगेन ज्ञानवृक्षं समाश्रयेत् ।। ३७३.

One should lift oneself by oneself, as from water when sinking; swept by the current of enjoyment, one should take refuge in the tree of knowledge.

अग्निरुवाच ध्यै चिन्तायां स्मृतो धातुर्विष्णुचिन्ता मुहुर्मुहुः । अनाक्षिप्तेन मनसा ध्यानमित्यभिधीयते ।। ३७४.

Agni said: Meditation is remembered as contemplation; repeated contemplation of Vishnu, with an undistracted mind, is called meditation.

आत्मनः समनस्कस्य मुक्ताशेषोपधस्य च । ब्रह्मचिन्तासमा शक्तिर्ध्यानं नाम तदुच्यते ।। ३७४.

For one whose mind is steady and free from all obstacles, the power equal to contemplation of Brahman is called meditation.

ध्येयालम्बनसंस्थस्य सदृशप्रत्ययस्य च । प्रत्ययान्तरनिर्मुक्तः प्रत्ययो ध्यानमुच्यते ।। ३७४.

For one established in the object of meditation, with a corresponding thought, when freed from other thoughts, that thought is called meditation.

ध्येयावस्थितचित्तस्य प्रदेशे यत्र कुत्रचित् । ध्यानमेतत्समुद्दिष्टं प्रत्ययस्यैकभावना ।। ३७४.

For one whose mind is fixed on the object of meditation, wherever in any place, meditation is defined as the single contemplation of that thought.