Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

नासिकापुटमंगुल्या पीड्यैकमपरेण तु औदरं रेचयेद्वायुं तथायं रेचकः स्मृतः

By pressing one nostril with a finger, and then exhaling the air from the belly through the other, this is known as recaka (exhalation).

बाह्येन मरुता देहं दृतिवत्परिपूरयेत् नासापुटेनापरेण पूरणात्पूरकं मतम्

With the external breath, one should fill the body firmly; through the other nostril, after the inhalation, what is called pūraka is accomplished.

न मुंचति न गृह्णाति वायुमंतर्बहिः स्थितम् संपूर्णं कुंभवत्तिष्ठेदचलः स तु कुंभक

He neither releases nor draws in the air, which remains within and without; staying full like a pot, unmoving—this is called kumbhaka.

रेचकाद्यं त्रयमिदं न द्रुतं न विलंबितम् तद्यतः क्रमयोगेन त्वभ्यसेद्योगसाधकः

This triad, beginning with recaka, should be neither hasty nor delayed; thus, by gradual practice, the yogin should train.

रेचकादिषु योभ्यासो नाडीशोधनपूर्वकः स्वेच्छोत्क्रमणपर्यंतः प्रोक्तो योगानुशासने

Practice in recaka and the others is preceded by purification of the channels, and continues up to the limit of one's own will, as taught in the discipline of yoga.

कन्यकादिक्रमवशात्प्राणायामनिरोधनम् तच्चतुर्धोपदिष्टं स्यान्मात्रागुणविभागतः

According to the sequence beginning with kanyaka, the restraint of breath is taught in four ways, distinguished by the measure and quality.

कन्यकस्तु चतुर्धा स्यात्स च द्वादशमात्रकः मध्यमस्तु द्विरुद्धातश्चतुर्विंशतिमात्रकः

Kanyaka is fourfold and consists of twelve measures; madhyama is twice restrained and consists of twenty-four measures.

उत्तमस्तु त्रिरुद्धातः षड्विंशन्मात्रकः परः स्वेदकंपादिजनकः प्राणायामस्तदुत्तरः

Uttama is restrained three times and consists of twenty-six measures; the highest, following that, is the prāṇāyāma which produces sweating, trembling, and other effects.

आनंदोद्भवरोमांचनेत्राश्रूणां विमोचनम् जल्पभ्रमणमूर्छाद्यं जायते योगिनः परम्

Joy, hair standing on end, release of tears from the eyes, babbling, dizziness, fainting, and other states arise in the supreme yogin.

जानुं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य न द्रुतं न विलंबितम् अंगुलीस्फोटनं कुर्यात्सा मात्रेति प्रकीर्तिता

Circling the knee, neither quickly nor slowly, one should snap the fingers; this is called the measure.

मात्राक्रमेण विज्ञेयाश्चोद्वातक्रमयोगतः नाडीविशुद्धिपूर्वं तु प्राणायामं समाचरेत्

The measures should be understood in sequence, and by the method of upward movement; after purification of the channels, one should properly practice prāṇāyāma.

अगर्भश्च सगर्भश्च प्राणायामो द्विधा स्मृतः जपं ध्यानं विनागर्भः सगर्भस्तत्समन्वयात्

Prāṇāyāma is remembered as twofold: with seed and without seed; without seed is without recitation or meditation, with seed is accompanied by them.

अगर्भाद्गर्भसंयुक्तः प्राणायामःशताधिकः तस्मात्सगर्भं कुर्वन्ति योगिनः प्राणसंयमम्

Prāṇāyāma with seed is more than a hundred times greater than without seed; therefore, yogins practice control of breath with seed.

प्राणो ऽपानः समानश्च ह्युदानो व्यान एव च

Prāṇa, apāna, samāna, udāna, and vyāna are indeed the five.

नागः कूर्मश्च कृकलो देवदत्तो धनंजयः प्रयाणं कुरुते यस्मात्तस्मात्प्राणो ऽभिधीयते

Nāga, kūrma, kṛkala, devadatta, and dhanaṃjaya—because they cause movement, prāṇa is so named.

अवाङ्नयत्यपानाख्यो यदाहारादि भुज्यते व्यानो व्यानशयत्यंगान्यशेषाणि विवर्धयन्

When food and the like are consumed, apāna, so called, moves downward; vyāna spreads through all the limbs, increasing them.

उद्वेजयति मर्माणीत्युदानो वायुरीरितः समं नयति सर्वांगं समानस्तेन गीयते

Udāna is the wind that agitates the vital points; samāna brings balance to the whole body, thus it is so named.

उद्गारे नाग आख्यातः कूर्म उन्मीलने स्थितः कृकलः क्षवथौ ज्ञेयो देवदत्तो विजृंभणे

Nāga is known in belching; kūrma is present in opening the eyes; kṛkala is recognized in sneezing; devadatta in yawning.

न जहाति मृतं चापि सर्वव्यापी धनंजयः क्रमेणाभ्यस्यमानोयं प्राणायामप्रमाणवान्

Dhanaṃjaya does not depart even from the dead and pervades all; practiced in sequence, this prāṇāyāma is immeasurable.

निर्दहत्यखिलं दोषं कर्तुर्देहं च रक्षति प्राणे तु विजिते सम्यक् तच्चिह्नान्युपलक्षयेत्

It burns away all faults and protects the body of the practitioner; when the breath is truly mastered, one should observe its marks.

विण्मूत्रश्लेष्मणां तावदल्पभावः प्रजायते बहुभोजनसामर्थ्यं चिरादुच्छ्वासनं तथा

Then there arises a reduction in feces, urine, and phlegm, the capacity to eat much, and the ability to exhale for a long time.

लघुत्वं शीघ्रगामित्वमुत्साहः स्वरसौष्ठवम् सर्वरोगक्षयश्चैव बलं तेजः सुरूपता

Lightness, swiftness, enthusiasm, excellence of voice, destruction of all diseases, strength, brilliance, and beauty arise.

धृतिर्मेधा युवत्वं च स्थिरता च प्रसन्नता तपांसि पापक्षयता यज्ञदानव्रतादयः

Steadfastness, intelligence, youthfulness, stability, clarity, the destruction of sins through austerities, and the performance of sacrifices, gifts, and vows.

प्राणायामस्य तस्यैते कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम् इन्द्रियाणि प्रसक्तानि यथास्वं विषयेष्विह

All these do not equal even a sixteenth part of that prāṇāyāma; just as the senses, absorbed in their objects here, do not.

आहत्य यन्निगृह्णाति स प्रत्याहार उच्यते नमःपूर्वाणींद्रियाणि स्वर्गं नरकमेव च

When one restrains the senses together from their objects, that is called pratyāhāra; the senses, by their previous actions, lead to heaven or hell.

निगृहीतनिसृष्टानि स्वर्गाय नरकाय च तस्मात्सुखार्थी मतिमाञ्ज्ञानवैराग्यमास्थितः

When restrained or released, they lead to heaven or hell; therefore, one who seeks happiness, endowed with wisdom and detachment, should control them.

इंद्रियाश्वान्निगृह्याशु स्वात्मनात्मानमुद्धरेत् धारणा नाम चित्तस्य स्थानबन्धस्समासतः

Quickly restraining the horses of the senses, one should uplift oneself by oneself; briefly, dhāraṇā is the fixing of the mind in a place.

स्थानं च शिव एवैको नान्यद्दोषत्रयं यतः कालं कंचावधीकृत्य स्थाने ऽवस्थापितं मनः

And that place is only Śiva, nothing else, for the three faults arise from elsewhere; fixing the mind in that place for a certain time.

न तु प्रच्यवते लक्ष्याद्धारणा स्यान्न चान्यथा मनसः प्रथमं स्थैर्यं धारणातः प्रजायते

If the mind does not waver from the object, that is dhāraṇā, not otherwise; from dhāraṇā, stability of mind first arises.