ucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya
śucau deśe pratiṣṭhāpya
vijitāsana āsanam
tasmin svasti samāsīna
ṛju-kāyaḥ samabhyaset
Mastering the āsanas, he should establish his seat in a clean place and sitting in svastikāsana, keeping the body straight, he should practice controlling the breath.
The āsana and other features are described. The āsana should be kuśa and deer skin, covered with cloth. On that he should sit in svasti position: placing the foot of one leg on the thigh of the other. He should sit and practice controlling the breath.
|| 3.28.9 ||
prāṇasya śodhayen mārgaṁ
pūra-kumbhaka-recakaiḥ
pratikūlena vā cittaṁ
yathā sthiram acañcalam
One should purify the passage for prāṇa by inhaling, holding and exhaling the breath or reversing the process, so that the unsteady mind becomes steady.
Inhaling through the left nostril is called pūraka. Holding the breath is called kumbhaka. Exhaling through the right nostril is called recaka. Reversing the process means to exhale, hold the breath and then inhale. By this means the unsteady mind becomes steady.
|| 3.28.10 ||
mano 'cirāt syād virajaṁ
jita-śvāsasya yoginaḥ
vāyv-agnibhyāṁ yathā lohaṁ
dhmātaṁ tyajati vai malam
Very soon the mind of the yogī who controls his breath will become pure, just as heated gold gives up impurities by air and fire.
Loham means gold. Dhmātam means heated.
|| 3.28.11 ||
prāṇāyāmair dahed doṣān
dhāraṇābhiś ca kilbiṣān
pratyāhāreṇa saṁsargān
dhyānenānīśvarān guṇān
By controlling the breath, one burns up the faults in the doṣas of the body. By dhāranā one destroys sins. By pratyāhāra one destroys association with sense objects. By meditation one destroys uncontrollable qualities such as attraction and repulsion.
The effects of these practices are described. Doṣān means vāta, sleṣma and pitta, humours of the body. Kilbiṣāni means sins. Saṁsargān “means association with sense objects.” Anīśvarān means attraction, hatred etc.
|| 3.28.12 ||
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