तयोर् ममानुसरतः प्राणापानाभिधानयोः । गतिं शरीरमरुतोर् आशरीरम् अरुद्धयोः
These two, called prāṇa and apāna, which I follow as mine, are the movements of the bodily winds—one with form, one without, both unrestrained.
जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तेषु सदैव समरूपयोः । सुषुप्तसंस्थितस्येव ब्रह्मन् गच्छन्ति वासराः
In waking, dream, and deep sleep, they are always of the same nature; as if established in deep sleep, the days pass by for Brahman.
सहस्रधा निकृत्ताङ्गाद् बिसतन्तुलवाद् अपि । दुर्लक्ष्या विद्यमाना च गतिस् सूक्ष्मतरा तयोः
Even if the body is cut into a thousand pieces, like fibers of a lotus stalk, their movement is subtler still—hard to perceive, yet present.
अविरतगतयोर् गतिं विदित्वा हृदि मरुतोर् अनुसृत्य चोदितां ताम् । न पुनर् इह हि जायते महात्मन् मुदितमनाः पुरुषः प्रणष्टपाशः
Knowing the movement of these ever-moving winds in the heart, and following that which is impelled by them, the great-souled person—his bonds destroyed, mind joyful—is not born here again.
जानन्न् अपि मुने सर्वं किं मां पृच्छसि लीलया । यथापृष्टम् अहं वच्मि तत्रापि शृणु मे वचः
Though you know everything, O sage, why do you question me in play? Still, as you have asked, I will speak—listen to my words on this.
प्राणो ऽयम् अनिशं ब्रह्मन् स्पन्दशक्तिस् सदागतिः । सबाह्याभ्यन्तरे देहे प्राणो ऽयम् उपरि स्थितः
This prāṇa, O Brahman, is ever the power of vibration, always moving; within and without the body, this prāṇa is established above.
अपानो ऽप्य् अनिशं ब्रह्मन् स्पन्दशक्तिस् सदागतिः । सबाह्याभ्यन्तरे देहे त्व् अपानो ऽयम् अवाक् स्थितः
O Brahman, apāna too is ever the power of movement, always active; this apāna, situated downward, operates both outside and within the body.
जाग्रतस् स्वपतश् चैव प्राणायामो ऽयम् उत्तमः । प्रवर्तते यस् तज्ज्ञस्य तं तावच् छ्रेयसे शृणु
This supreme regulation of breath occurs in both waking and sleeping; listen now to that which, when practiced by the wise, leads to the highest good.
बाह्योन्मुखत्वं प्राणानां यद् धृदम्भोजकोटरात् । स्वैरम् एवात्तयत्नानां तं धीरा रेचकं विदुः
The outward movement of the breaths, when they freely and effortlessly leave the cavity of the lotus-heart, is known by the wise as recaka, the exhalation.
द्वादशाङ्गुलपर्यन्तं बाह्यम् आक्रमतां हृदः । प्राणानाम् अङ्गसंस्पर्शो यस् स पूरक उच्यते
When the breaths, departing from the heart, extend outward up to a span of twelve finger-widths and touch the limbs, that is called pūraka, the inhalation.
बाह्यात् परापतत्य् अन्तर् अपाने यत्नवर्जितम् । यो ऽङ्गप्रपूरणे स्पर्शो विदुस् तम् अपि पूरकम्
When, without effort, the breath falls inward from outside into apāna, and there is a sensation of filling the limbs, that too is understood as pūraka by the wise.
अपाने ऽस्तङ्गते प्राणो यावन् नाभ्युदितो हृदि । तावत् सा कुम्भकावस्था योगिभिर् यानुभूयते
The state in which prāṇa has set in apāna and has not yet arisen in the heart—this is the kumbhaka state, as experienced by yogis.
पूरकः कुम्भकश् चैव रेचकश् च द्विधा स्थितः । अपानस्योदयस्थाने द्वादशान्ताभिधे बहिः
Pūraka (inhalation), kumbhaka (retention), and recaka (exhalation) are established in two ways: at the point where apāna arises, and at the outer limit called dvādaśānta.
स्वभावात् सर्वकालस्थास् सोम्या यत्नविवर्जिताः । ये प्रोक्तास् स्फारमतिभिस् तांस् त्वं शृणु महामते
Now hear, O wise one, about those expansive states which have been described by those of broad understanding as naturally present at all times and free from effort.
द्वादशाङ्गुलपर्यन्ताद् बाह्याद् अभ्युदितः प्रभो । अपानस् तस्य तत्रैव स्वभावात् पूरकादयः
O Lord, from outside up to the limit of twelve finger-breadths, apāna arises; there, by its own nature, are pūraka and the others.
मृदन्तरस्थानिष्पन्नघटवद् या स्थितिर् बहिः । व्योम्नि नित्यम् अपानस्य तं विदुः कुम्भकं बुधाः
Just as the space inside a clay pot remains outside, so too is the constant state of apāna in space; the wise know this as kumbhaka.
बाह्योन्मुखत्वं वायोर् या नासिकाग्रावधिर् गतिः । तं बाह्यपूरकं त्व् आद्यं विदुर् योगविदो जनाः
The outward movement of the breath, whose course reaches up to the tip of the nose, is known by those versed in yoga as the primary external pūraka.
नासाग्राद् अपि निर्गत्य द्वादशान्तावधिर् गतिः । या वायोस् तं विदुर् धीरा अपरं बाह्यपूरकम्
When the movement of the breath, having gone out from the tip of the nose, extends up to the limit of twelve finger-breadths, the wise know this as another kind of external pūraka.
अत्रैवास्तङ्गते प्राणे यावन् नापान उद्गतः । तावत् पूर्णां समावस्थां बहिस्स्थं कुम्भकं विदुः
When the prāṇa has set there and until apāna has not arisen, that complete state is known as the external kumbhaka by those who understand.
यत् तदन्तर्मुखत्वं स्याद् अपानस्योदयं विना । तं बाह्यरेचकं विद्याच् चिन्त्यमानं विमुक्तिदम्
That inwardness, which exists without the arising of apāna, is to be known as the external recaka, which, when contemplated, bestows liberation.
द्वादशान्ताद् यद् उत्थाय रूपपीवरता परा । अपानस्य बहिस् तत् तम् अपरं रेचकं विदुः
That which, rising from the twelve-finger limit, is the supreme fullness of form outside apāna, is known as another kind of recaka.
बाह्यान् आभ्यन्तरांश् चैतान् कुम्भकादीन् अनारतम् । प्राणापानस्वभावान् स्वान् बुद्ध्वा भूयो न जायते
Knowing these external and internal kumbhaka and others, which are the natural states of prāṇa and apāna, one is not born again.
अष्टाव् एते महाबुद्धे रात्रिन्दिवम् अनुस्मृताः । स्वभावाद् एव वायूनां कथिता मुक्तिदा मया
O great intellect, these eight (methods), when remembered day and night, or even by their very nature, have been described by me as bestowing liberation upon the winds (vital energies).
गच्छतस् तिष्ठतो वापि जाग्रतस् स्वपतो ऽपि वा । एते न रोधम् आयान्ति प्रकृत्या हि चलो ऽनिलः
Whether one is going, standing, awake, or even asleep, these (practices) are not hindered, for by nature the wind is indeed ever-moving.
यत् करोति यद् अश्नाति बुद्ध्यैतान् समनुस्मरन् । कुम्भकादीन् नरस् सो ऽन्तस् तत्र कर्ता न किञ्चन
Whatever one does or eats, if he remembers these with understanding, then, even while performing kumbhaka and other practices, he is not truly the doer of anything within.
सुव्यग्रम् अस्मिन् व्यापारे बाह्यं परिजहन् मनः । दिनैः कतिपयैर् एव पदम् आप्नोति केवलम्
If, with a mind fully engaged in this practice, one abandons external concerns, then in just a few days he attains the ultimate state.
एतद् अभ्यस्यतः पुंसो बाह्ये विषयवृत्तिषु । न बध्नाति रतिं चेतश् श्वदृतौ ब्राह्मणो यथा
For the person who practices this, the mind does not become attached to external sense-objects, just as a Brahmin feels no delight in a dog's feast.
एतां दृष्टिम् अवष्टभ्य ये स्थिताः कृतबुद्धयः । प्राप्तं प्राप्तव्यम् अखिलं तैर् अखिन्नास् त एव हि
Those who, firmly established in this vision, have made up their minds, have attained all that is to be attained, and they are never afflicted.
तिष्ठता गच्छता नित्यं जाग्रता स्वपता तथा । एषा चेत् प्रेक्ष्यते दृष्टिस् तन् न बन्धनम् आप्यते
Whether standing, walking, always awake, or even sleeping, if this vision is maintained, then no bondage arises.
प्राणापानानुसरणात् प्राप्ते बोधे निरामये । संशान्तमदमोहेन स्वस्थेनान्तर् इहोष्यते
When, by following the movement of prāṇa and apāna, pure and undisturbed awareness is attained, then, with passion and delusion pacified, one abides inwardly in one's own true nature.