Having gathered the essence from the teachings on knowledge, action, and conduct—teachings as profound as the Vedas themselves—I have now heard all that the Blessed One has spoken. Yet, a deep curiosity stirs within me. I long to understand the rare path of yoga: its preconditions, its limbs, its methods, and its ultimate purpose. If one’s life should end before yoga is perfected, is there a way for a person to attain its fruit immediately, without resorting to self-destruction? Please explain this: its causes, the times and means by which it occurs, and the various stages and distinctions, truthfully and in detail. Hearing this earnest inquiry, the Blessed One replied, “O Krishna, you have asked wisely, demonstrating a true understanding of the heart of all questions. Therefore, listen carefully as I explain all that you wish to know, step by step. “When the restless activity of the mind is stilled and the mind rests motionless in Shiva, that state—briefly put—is yoga. This yoga is known to be of five kinds. There is mantra-yoga, sparsha-yoga, bhava-yoga, and another called abhava-yoga. Among these, the highest is regarded as the great yoga. “Mantra-yoga is when, through the practice of mantra, the mind’s movements become undistracted and wholly focused on the meaning the mantra reveals. Sparsha-yoga is this same yoga, but beginning with the control of breath. When freed from both mantra and touch, it is known as bhava-yoga. When one contemplates the entire universe, with all its parts, as dissolved, that is called abhava-yoga, which pertains to the reality beyond all appearance. “But when only the essential, attribute-less nature of Shiva is contemplated and the mind’s movement becomes purely Shaiva, this is called the great yoga here. “Only one whose mind is detached from both what is seen and what is heard is qualified for yoga—no one else. This detachment arises by constantly perceiving the faults and limitations of both the objects of the senses and their qualities, as well as those of the Lord Himself. “In summary, all yoga is described as either eightfold or sixfold. The eight limbs are: yama (restraints), niyama (observances), posture (beginning with svastika and others), breath control, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation, and absorption. The sixfold path omits yama and niyama, focusing on: posture, breath restraint, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation, and absorption. “The distinct characteristics of these limbs are taught in the scriptures of Shiva, and also in other Shaiva texts, especially the Kamika and similar Agamas. Likewise, in the yoga scriptures and some Purāṇas, the five forms of yama—non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness—are praised by the virtuous. The five niyamas are: purity, contentment, austerity, recitation, and devotion, each with their own subdivisions. “There are eight postures: svastika, lotus, half-moon, hero, accomplished yoga, paryanka, and any other as desired. “As for breath control, the breath arises in one’s own body, and its regulation is called restraint. This restraint is of three kinds: exhalation (recaka), inhalation (puraka), and retention (kumbhaka). By pressing one nostril with a finger and exhaling the air from the belly through the other, one performs recaka. Then, filling the body firmly with external breath through the other nostril, after inhalation, is called puraka. When the air is neither released nor drawn in, remaining full and unmoving like a pot both within and without, that is kumbhaka. “Practice of these three—recaka, puraka, and kumbhaka—should be neither rushed nor delayed; the yogin should train gradually. This practice is preceded by purification of the channels and continues up to the limits of one’s own will, as taught in the discipline of yoga. “Restraint of breath is taught in four ways, distinguished by measure and quality, beginning with kanyaka. Kanyaka is fourfold and consists of twelve measures; madhyama is twice restrained and consists of twenty-four measures; uttama is restrained three times and consists of twenty-six measures. The highest prāṇāyāma follows, producing effects such as sweating, trembling, and more. “In the supreme yogin, joy, hair standing on end, tears flowing from the eyes, babbling, dizziness, fainting, and other states may arise. To measure the breath, one should circle the knee, neither quickly nor slowly, and snap the fingers—this is the measure. “These measures are to be understood in sequence and by the method of upward movement. After the channels are purified, one should practice prāṇāyāma properly. “Prāṇāyāma is remembered as twofold: with seed and without seed. ‘Without seed’ is without recitation or meditation; ‘with seed’ is accompanied by them. Prāṇāyāma with seed is considered more than a hundred times greater than without, so yogins practice control of breath with seed. “The vital airs are five: prāṇa, apāna, samāna, udāna, and vyāna. There are also five subsidiary winds: nāga, kūrma, kṛkala, devadatta, and dhanaṃjaya, which cause movement, and thus prāṇa is so named. “When food and the like are consumed, apāna moves downward. Vyāna spreads through all the limbs, increasing them. Udāna is the wind that agitates the vital points, and samāna brings balance to the whole body. “Nāga is known in belching, kūrma in opening the eyes, kṛkala in sneezing, devadatta in yawning, and dhanaṃjaya never departs, even from the dead, pervading all. “Thus, practiced in sequence, this prāṇāyāma is immeasurable in its effects.” In this way, the Blessed One expounded the profound path of yoga, its limbs, methods, and the subtle workings of the vital energies, revealing the sacred science for those who seek union with Shiva.