Having thus acquired a thorough knowledge of the seat of the Nadis and of the Vayus with their functions, one should begin with the purification of the Nadis.
16. A person possessed of Yama and Niyama, avoiding all company, having finished his course of study, delighting in truth and virtue, having conquered (his) anger, being engaged in the service of his spiritual instructor and having been obedient to his parents and well instructed in all the religious practices and the knowledge of his order of life, should go to a sacred grove abounding in fruits, roots and water. There he should select a pleasant spot always resounding with the chanting of the Vedas, frequented by the knowers of Brahman that persevere in the duties of their orders of life and filled with fruits, roots, flowers and water. (Else) either in a temple or on the banks of a river or in a village or in a town, he should build a beautiful monastery. It should be neither too long nor too high, should have a small door, should be besmeared well with cow-dung and should have every sort of protection. There listening to the exposition of Vedanta, he should begin to practise Yoga. In the beginning having worshipped Vinayaka (Ganesha), he should salute his Ishta-Devata (tutelary deity) and sitting in any of the above-mentioned postures on a soft seat, facing either the east or the north and having conquered them, the learned man keeping his head and neck erect and fixing his gaze on the tip of his nose, should see the sphere of the moon between his eyebrows and drink the nectar
17. Pranayama is said to be the union of Prana and Apana. It is of three kinds – expiration, inspiration and cessation. They are associated with the letters of the (Sanskrit) alphabet (for the right performance of Pranayama). Therefore Pranava (OM) only is said to be Pranayama. Sitting in the Padma posture, the person should meditate that there is at the tip of his nose Gayatri, a girl of red complexion surrounded by the numberless rays of the image of the moon and mounted on a Hamsa (swan) and having a mace in her hand. She is the visible symbol of the letter ‘A’. The letter ‘U’ has as its visible symbol Savitri, a young woman of white colour having a disk in her hand and riding on a Garuda (eagle). The letter ‘M’ has as its visible symbol Sarasvati, an aged woman of black colour riding on a bull, having a trident in her hand. He should meditate that the single letter – the supreme light – the Pranava (OM) – is the origin or source of these three letters ‘A’, ‘U’ and ‘M’. Drawing up the air through Ida for the space of sixteen matras, he should meditate on the letter ‘A’ during that time; retaining the inspired air for the space of sixty-four matras, he should meditate on the letter ‘U’ during the time; he should then exhale the inspired air for the space of thirty-two matras, meditating on the letter ‘M’ during that time. He should practise this in the above order over and over again.
18. Then having become firm in the posture and preserved perfect self-control, the Yogin should, in order to clear away the impurities of the Susumna, sit in the Padmasana (Padma posture) and having inhaled the air through the left nostril, should retain it as long as he can and should exhale it through the right. Then drawing it again through the right and having retained it, he should exhale it through the left in the order that he should draw it through the same nostril by which he exhaled it before and retained it. In this context, occur (to memory) the following verses:
“In the beginning having inhaled the breath (Prana) through the left nostril, according to the rule, he should exhale it through the other; then having inhaled the air through the right nostril should retain it and exhale it through the other. To those who practise
according to these rules through the right and left nostrils, the nadis become purified within three months.
19. He should practise cessation of breath at sunrise, in the midday, at sunset and at midnight slowly till eighty (times a day) for four weeks.
20. In the early stages, perspiration is produced; in the middle stage the tremor of the body and in the last stage levitation in the air. These (results) ensure out of the repression of the breath, while sitting in the Padma posture.
21. When perspiration arises with effort, he should rub his body well. By this, the body becomes firm and light.
22. In the early course of his practice, food with milk and ghee is excellent. One sticking to this rule becomes firm in his practice and gets no Tapa (or burning sensation in the body).
23. As lions, elephants and tigers are gradually tamed, so also the breath when rightly managed (comes under control); else it kills the practitioner.
24. He should (as far as is consistent with his health and safety) properly exhale it, properly inhale it or retain it properly. Thus (only) will he attain success.
25. By thus retaining the breath in an approved manner and by the purification of the Nadis, the brightening of the (gastric) fire, the hearing distinctly of (spiritual) sounds and (good) health result.
26-30. When the nervous centres have become purified through the regular practice of Pranayama, the air easily forces its way up through the mouth of the Susumna which is in the middle. By the contraction of the muscles of the neck and by the contraction of
the one below (viz.,) Apana, the Prana (breath) goes into the Susumna which is in the middle from the west Nadi. Drawing up the Apana and forcing down the Prana from the throat, the Yogin free from old age becomes a youth of sixteen.
31. Seated in a pleasant posture and drawing up the air through the right nostril and retaining it inside from the top of the hair to the toe nails, he should exhale it through the same nostril. Through it, the brain becomes purified and the diseases in the air Nadis are
destroyed. Drawing up the air through the nostrils with noise (so as to fill the space) from the heart to the neck and having retained it (within) as long as possible, he should exhale it through the nose. Through this hunger, thirst, idleness and sleep do not arise.
Taking in the air through the mouth (wide open) and having retained it as long as possible, he should expel it through the nose. Through this, (such diseases as) Gulma; Pleeha (both being splenetic diseases), bile and fever as also hunger, etc., are destroyed.
Now we shall proceed to Kumbhaka (restraint of breath). It is of two kinds – Sahita and Kevala. That which is coupled with expiration and inspiration is called Sahita. That which is devoid of these is called Kevala (alone). Until you become perfect in Kevala, practise Sahita. To one who has mastered Kevala, there is nothing unattainable in the three worlds. By Kevala-restraint of breath, the knowledge of Kundalini arises. Then he becomes lean in body, serene in face and clear eyed, hears the (spiritual) sounds distinctly, becomes free from all diseases and conquers his (Bindu) seminal fluid, his gastric fire being increased.
Centring one’s mind on an inward object whilst his eyes are looking outside without shutting and opening of his eyelids, has been called Vaishnavi-mudra. This is kept hidden in all the Tantric works.
32. With his mind and breath absorbed in an internal object, the Yogin, though he does not really see the objects outside and under him, still (appears to) see them with eyes in which the pupils are motionless. This is called Khechari-mudra. It has as its sphere of extension one object and is very beneficial. (Then) the real seat of Vishnu, which is void and non-void, dawns on him.
33. With eyes half closed and with a firm mind, fixing his eyes on the tip of his nose and becoming absorbed in the sun and moon, he after remaining thus unshaken (becomes conscious of) the thing which is resplendent, which is the supreme truth and which is beyond. O Sandilya, know this to be Tat (That).
34. Merging the sound in the light and elevating the brows a little, this is of the way of (or is a part of) the former practice. This brings about the state of Unmani which causes the destruction of the mind.
35. Therefore he should practise the Khechari-mudra. Then he attains to the state of Unmani and falls into the Yoga sleep (trance). To one who obtains this Yoga sleep, time does not exist. Placing the mind in the midst of Sakti and Sakti in the midst of the mind
and looking on the mind with the mind, O Sandilya be happy.
36. Place the Atman in the midst of Akasa and Akasa in the midst of Atman and having reduced everything to Akasa, do not think of anything else.
37. You should not (then) entertain thoughts, either external or internal. Abandoning all thoughts, become abstract thought itself.
38. As camphor in fire and salt in water become absorbed, so also the mind becomes absorbed in the Tattva (Truth).
39. What is termed Manas (mind) is the knowledge of everything that is known and its clear apprehension. When the knowledge and the object cognised are lost alike, there is no second path (or that is the only path).
40. By its giving up all cognition of objects, it (the mind) is absorbed and when the mind is absorbed, Kaivalya (isolation) alone remains.
41. For the destruction of the Chitta, there are two ways – Yoga and Jnana. O prince of sages, Yoga is the (forcible) repression of the modifications of the mind and Jnana is the thorough inquiry into them.
42-45. When the modifications of the mind are repressed, it (the mind) verily obtains peace. Just as the actions of the people cease with the stopping of the fluctuations of the sun (viz., with sunset), so when the fluctuations of the mind cease, this cycle of births and deaths comes to an end. (Then) the fluctuations of Prana are prevented, when one has no longing for this mundane existence or when he has gratified his desires therein – through the study of religious books, the company of good men, indifference (to enjoyments), practice and Yoga or long contemplation with intentness on any desired (higher) object or through practising one truth firmly.
46. By the repression of the breath through inhalation, etc., by continual practice therein which does not cause fatigue and by meditating in a secluded place, the fluctuations of the mind are arrested. Through the right realisation of the true nature of the sound which is at the extreme end of the pronunciation of the syllable OM (viz., Ardhamatra) and when Sushupti (dreamless sleeping state) is rightly cognised through consciousness, the fluctuations of Prana are repressed.
47. When the passage at the root of the palate which is like the bell, viz., Uvula, is closed by the tongue with effort and when the breath goes up through (the upper hole), then the fluctuations of Prana are stopped.
48-50. When the consciousness (Samvit) is merged in Prana and when through practice the Prana goes through the upper hole into the Dvadasanta (the twelfth centre) above the palate, then the fluctuations of Prana are stopped. When the eye of consciousness (viz., the spiritual or third eye) becomes calm and clear so as to be able to distinctly see in the transparent Akasa at a distance of twelve digits from the tip of his nose, then the fluctuations of Prana are stopped. When the thoughts arising in the mind are bound up in the calm contemplation of the world of Taraka (star or eye) between one’s eyebrows and are (thus) destroyed, then the fluctuations cease.
