Linga Purana

न्यायतः सेव्यमानस्तु स एवं स्वस्थतां व्रजेत् यथैव मृगराङ्नागः शरभो वापि दुर्मदः

When practiced properly, it attains steadiness, just as a wild animal, elephant, or deer, though unruly, becomes calm.

कालान्तरवशाद्योगाद् दम्यते परमादरात् तथा परिचयात्स्वास्थ्यं समत्वं चाधिगच्छति

By the force of time and practice, it is restrained with great care; thus, through familiarity, steadiness and evenness are attained.

योगादभ्यसते यस्तु व्यसनं नैव जायते एवमभ्यस्यमानस्तु मुनेः प्राणो विनिर्दहेत्

One who practices through yoga does not develop affliction; thus, when practiced, the sage's prāṇa is purified.

मनोवाक्कायजान् दोषान् कर्तुर्देहं च रक्षति संयुक्तस्य तथा सम्यक् प्राणायामेन धीमतः

It protects from faults arising from mind, speech, and body, and the body of the practitioner, when prāṇāyāma is properly united and performed by the wise.

दोषात्तस्माच्च नश्यन्ति निश्वासस्तेन जीर्यते प्राणायामेन सिध्यन्ति दिव्याः शान्त्यादयः क्रमात्

Therefore, faults are destroyed and exhalation is diminished; through prāṇāyāma, divine peace and other qualities are gradually accomplished.

शान्तिः प्रशान्तिर्दीप्तिश् च प्रसादश् च तथा क्रमात् आदौ चतुष्टयस्येह प्रोक्ता शान्तिरिह द्विजाः

Peace, supreme tranquility, radiance, and clarity are attained in order; among these four, peace is first declared here, O twice-born.

सहजागन्तुकानां च पापानां शान्तिर् उच्यते प्रशान्तिः संयमः सम्यग् वचसामिति संस्मृता

Peace is said to be the removal of innate and incidental sins; supreme tranquility is complete restraint, as is remembered in the tradition.

प्रकाशो दीप्तिरित्युक्तः सर्वतः सर्वदा द्विजाः सर्वेन्द्रियप्रसादस्तु बुद्धेर्वै मरुतामपि

Light is said to be radiance, O twice-born, always and everywhere; the clarity of all the senses is indeed the intellect’s, and even of the winds.

प्रसाद इति सम्प्रोक्तः स्वान्ते त्विह चतुष्टये प्राणो ऽपानः समानश् च उदानो व्यान एव च

This clarity is called 'prasāda', and here, in the body, there are four: prāṇa, apāna, samāna, udāna, and vyāna.

नागः कूर्मस्तु कृकलो देवदत्तो धनंजयः एतेषां यः प्रसादस्तु मरुतामिति संस्मृतः

Nāga, Kūrma, Kṛkala, Devadatta, and Dhanaṃjaya—these are remembered as the clarity of the winds.

प्रयाणं कुरुते तस्माद् वायुः प्राण इति स्मृतः अपानयत्यपानस्तु आहारादीन् क्रमेण च

Therefore, the wind that causes movement is called prāṇa; apāna expels, in sequence, food and the like.

व्यानो व्यानामयत्यङ्गं व्याध्यादीनां प्रकोपकः उद्वेजयति मर्माणि उदानो ऽयं प्रकीर्तितः

Vyāna pervades the limbs, and is the agitator of diseases and such; it stirs the vital points, and this is called udāna.

समं नयति गात्राणि समानः पञ्च वायवः उद्गारे नाग आख्यातः कूर्म उन्मीलने तु सः

Samāna brings the limbs into balance; these five winds are so named. Nāga is said to cause belching, Kūrma is for opening the eyes.

कृकलः क्षुतकायैव देवदत्तो विजृम्भणे धनंजयो महाघोषः सर्वगः स मृते ऽपि हि

Kṛkala is indeed for causing hunger, Devadatta for yawning, and Dhanaṃjaya is the great sound, pervading all, even after death.

इति यो दशवायूनां प्राणायामेन सिध्यति प्रसादो ऽस्य तुरीया तु संज्ञा विप्राश्चतुष्टये

Thus, the clarity of these ten winds is accomplished by breath-control; the fourth designation, O twice-born, is for the four.

विस्वरस्तु महान् प्रज्ञो मनो ब्रह्मा चितिः स्मृतिः ख्यातिः संवित्ततः पश्चाद् ईश्वरो मतिरेव च

Viśva, Mahān, Prajñā, Manas, Brahmā, Citi, Smṛti, Khyāti, Saṃvit, and then Īśvara and Mati—these are so known.

बुद्धेरेताः द्विजाः संज्ञा महतः परिकीर्तिताः अस्या बुद्धेः प्रसादस्तु प्राणायामेन सिध्यति

O twice-born, these are said to be the names of the intellect, of the great; the clarity of this intellect is accomplished by breath-control.

विस्वरो विस्वरीभावो द्वंद्वानां मुनिसत्तमाः अग्रजः सर्वतत्त्वानां महान्यः परिमाणतः

Viśva is the state of universality, O best of sages, the eldest of all principles, and Mahān is the greatest in measure.

यत्प्रमाणगुहा प्रज्ञा मनस्तु मनुते यतः बृहत्त्वाद् बृंहणत्वाच्च ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मविदांवराः

That which is the measure and cave of knowledge, from which the mind thinks; because of its vastness and capacity to expand, it is called Brahmā by the best knowers of Brahman.

सर्वकर्माणि भोगार्थं यच्चिनोति चितिः स्मृता स्मरते यत्स्मृतिः सर्वं संविद्वै विन्दते यतः

Citi is remembered as that which gathers all actions for the sake of enjoyment; Smṛti is that which remembers, and Saṃvit is that by which all is known.

ख्यायते यत्त्विति ख्यातिर् ज्ञानादिभिर् अनेकशः सर्वतत्त्वाधिपः सर्वं विजानाति यदीश्वरः

Khyāti is that by which something is made known, in many ways by knowledge and the like; Īśvara is the lord of all principles, who knows everything.

मनुते मन्यते यस्मान् मतिर्मतिमतांवराः अर्थं बोधयते यच्च बुध्यते बुद्धिरुच्यते

Mati is that by which one thinks and considers, O best among the wise; that which makes one understand the meaning is called buddhi, intellect.

अस्या बुद्धेः प्रसादस्तु प्राणायामेन सिध्यति दोषान्विनिर्दहेत्सर्वान् प्राणायामादसौ यमी

The clarity of this intellect is accomplished by breath-control; by breath-control, one restrains all faults—this is called yama.

पातकं धारणाभिस्तु प्रत्याहारेण निर्दहेत् विषयान्विषवद्ध्यात्वा ध्यानेनानीश्वरान् गुणान्

Sin is destroyed by dhāraṇā, and by pratyāhāra; considering the sense-objects as poison, one should meditate on the qualities that are not lordly.

समाधिना यतिश्रेष्ठाः प्रज्ञावृद्धिं विवर्धयेत् स्थानं लब्ध्वैव कुर्वीत योगाष्टाङ्गानि वै क्रमात्

By samādhi, the best of ascetics should increase the growth of wisdom; having attained the proper state, one should practice the eight limbs of yoga in order.

लब्ध्वासनानि विधिवद् योगसिद्ध्यर्थम् आत्मवित् आदेशकाले योगस्य दर्शनं हि न विद्यते

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.

अग्न्यभ्यासे जले वापि शुष्कपर्णचये तथा जन्तुव्याप्ते श्मशाने च जीर्णगोष्ठे चतुष्पथे

Whether in the practice of fire, or in water, or on a heap of dry leaves, or in a place infested with creatures, in a cremation ground, in a ruined cowshed, or at a crossroads—

सशब्दे सभये वापि चैत्यवल्मीकसंचये अशुभे दुर्जनाक्रान्ते मशकादिसमन्विते

In a place with noise or fear, in a heap of ant-hills, in an impure place, overrun by wicked people, or filled with mosquitoes and the like—

नाचरेद्देहबाधायां दौर्मनस्यादिसम्भवे सुगुप्ते तु शुभे रम्ये गुहायां पर्वतस्य तु

One should not practice where there is bodily distress or the presence of mental disturbance; but in a well-concealed, auspicious, pleasant place, such as a cave in a mountain—