When the breath is properly restrained and brought under control, it behaves as it should; but if, like the wind, it is left unsteady and unchecked, even yogis find it difficult to subdue. Yet, with diligent practice, the breath attains steadiness, just as a wild animal—be it an elephant or a deer—though naturally unruly, can be made calm and gentle. Through the persistent force of time and repeated practice, the breath is gradually restrained with great care. As familiarity is gained, steadiness and evenness naturally arise. The yogi who thus practices yoga does not fall prey to afflictions; with disciplined practice, the sage’s vital breath—the prāṇa—is purified. Such purification serves as a shield, protecting the practitioner from faults that arise through mind, speech, and body. When prāṇāyāma, or breath-control, is properly united and performed by the wise, it safeguards the body and destroys faults. As a result, exhalation is diminished, and through prāṇāyāma, divine peace and other elevated qualities are gradually attained. These qualities unfold in a sacred order: peace comes first, followed by supreme tranquility, then radiance, and finally, clarity. Among these four, peace is declared as the foremost, O twice-born. Peace is the removal of innate and incidental sins; supreme tranquility is the complete restraint of the faculties, as remembered in tradition. Radiance is the light that shines always and everywhere, illuminating the senses and the winds within. Clarity is the brightness of all the senses, the intellect, and even the vital airs. This clarity is known as ‘prasāda,’ and within the body, it relates to the five vital airs: prāṇa, apāna, samāna, udāna, and vyāna. Additionally, there are five subsidiary winds: Nāga, Kūrma, Kṛkala, Devadatta, and Dhanaṃjaya—these are remembered as forms of clarity within the winds. Prāṇa is the wind that causes movement; apāna expels food and waste. Vyāna pervades the limbs and agitates diseases; it stirs the vital points, and this is called udāna. Samāna brings balance to the limbs. Of the subsidiary winds, Nāga causes belching, Kūrma opens the eyes, Kṛkala produces hunger, Devadatta causes yawning, and Dhanaṃjaya is the great sound that pervades all, remaining even after death. Thus, the clarity of these ten winds is accomplished by breath-control. There is also a fourth designation, O twice-born, which pertains to the four aspects of the intellect. These are Viśva, Mahān, Prajñā, Manas, Brahmā, Citi, Smṛti, Khyāti, Saṃvit, Īśvara, and Mati. These names are given to the intellect and its great aspects; the clarity of this intellect is also accomplished by breath-control. Viśva denotes universality—the eldest of all principles—while Mahān is the greatest in measure. Brahmā is so called because it is the measure and cave of knowledge, from which the mind thinks and expands. Citi is that which gathers all actions for the sake of enjoyment; Smṛti is memory, and Saṃvit is that by which all is known. Khyāti is the means by which something is made known, in many ways through knowledge. Īśvara is the lord of all principles, the knower of everything. Mati is that by which one thinks and considers; that which makes one understand the meaning is called buddhi, or intellect. The clarity of this intellect is accomplished by breath-control, and through it, all faults are restrained—this discipline is called yama. Sin is destroyed by dhāraṇā (concentration) and pratyāhāra (withdrawal of the senses); by regarding sense-objects as poison, one should meditate on qualities that are not lordly. By samādhi, the best of ascetics increases the growth of wisdom. Having attained the proper state, one should practice the eight limbs of yoga in their prescribed order. Having properly obtained the seats for the accomplishment of yoga, the knower of the self does not see the vision of yoga at the wrong time. One should not practice in unsuitable places: not by fire, nor in water, nor on heaps of dry leaves, nor in places infested with creatures, in cremation grounds, ruined cowsheds, or at crossroads; nor in places with noise or fear, heaps of ant-hills, impure places, or where wicked people gather, or where there are swarms of mosquitoes. One should avoid practicing where there is bodily distress or mental disturbance. Instead, one should seek a well-concealed, auspicious, and pleasant place—such as a cave in a mountain, a field, a delightful forest, or a most auspicious spot at home, in solitude free from creatures. The ideal place is absolutely pure, well-plastered, beautifully decorated, shining like the inside of a mirror, and fragrant with black aloe wood. It is adorned with various flowers, splendid with canopies above, rich with fruits and tender leaves at the base, furnished with sacred grass and flowers. Seated properly in such a place, one should diligently practice the limbs of yoga, first bowing to the teacher, then to Bhava, the Goddess, and Vinayaka. The knower of yoga should unite with yoga in the presence of the lords of yogis and their disciples, assuming the svastika, bound, lotus, or half-lotus posture. With both knees even, or with one knee as well, being steady and firm in posture, and having drawn both feet together, the practitioner should proceed. The mouth is closed, the eyes restrained, the chest held upright; the testicles are protected with the heels, and the generative organ is likewise safeguarded. The head is slightly raised, the teeth not touching each other, the gaze fixed at the tip of the nose, and the eyes not glancing in any direction. One should cover darkness with rajas, and rajas with sattva; then, established in sattva, one should practice meditation on Shiva. With steady concentration, one should meditate on the supreme, pure form expressed by Om, shining like the flame of a lamp, in the pericarp of the lotus.