CHAPTER XXV.
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
On Samádhi.
Argument.—On the Breathings of Inspiration, Respiration and Expiration, and their rise and fall from and in the spirit of Brahma the origin and end of all.
VASISHTHA said:—Hear Ráma, when the bird had said so far, I interrupted him and said, tell me, O ancient seer, how and what is the nature of the course of vital airs.
2. Bhusunda replied:—How is it, O sage! that you who know everything, should propose this question to me as if it were in jest, but as you ask this of me, I must tell you all I know about it.
3. The vital breath, O Brahman! is a moving force by its nature, and is always suo motu in its own motion, and pervades both in the inside and outside of bodies which its animates.
4. The apána or the emitting air also is a self motive power, and in its incessant motion; and is both within and without the living body, in its downward or receding direction.
5. It is good for livings being to restrain these vitals breaths both in their waking and sleeping states, and now hear me tell you, O learned sage, how it is to be effected for their best gain.
6. The internal vital air (prána), extends from the lotus-like heart to the crevice in the cranium, its effort to come out (by the mouth and nostrils), is termed by the wise as rechaka or exhaled air. (The expiration coming out of the heart, and reaching the cerebrum is called the rechaka breath).
7. The meeting of breaths at the distance of twelve inches from and below the nostrils, is called the puraka or inhaling-breath. (This is termed the [Sanskrit: váhyapúraka] or external inspiration).
8. It is also called Puraka, when the breath passes from without, and enters within the inner apána without any effort, and fills the inside from the heart to the cerebrum.
9. When the apána air has subsided in the heart, and prána breath does not circulate in the breast, it is called the Kumbhaka state, and is known to the yogis only.
10. All these three sorts of breaths, are perceived at the place from where the apána takes its rise, and this is at the distance of twelve inches below on the outside of the tip of the nose.
11. Hear now, O great minded sage! what the clear minded adepts have said, respecting the natures of the ever continuative and effortless. (i.e. self respiring) breathings.
12. Know sir, that the air which is inhaled from the distance of twelve inches on the out side of the tip of the nose, the same receives of its own nature the name of puraka or that of another.
13. As the outer part of a pot planted in the earth appears to sight, so the apána breath stretching to the distance of twelve inches just opposite to the tip of the nose in the air on the out side, is perceptible to the yogi, and is called Kumbhaka by the learned.
14. The exhaling air which rises from the heart, and extends to the tip of the nose, is styled the primary and external puraka breath ([Sanskrit: ádyah váhyapúrakam]) by the adepts in Yoga practice.
15. There is another (or secondary) external puraka air known to the wise, which takes its rise from the tip of the nose, and extends to the distance of twelve inches out-side of it.
16. After the prána breath sets out-side the nostrils, and before the apána breath has yet its rise, this interval of the entire abeyance of both, is known as the state of perfect equalization, and termed the external Kumbhaka.
17. The air which breathes out in the heart or pulsates within it, and without the rising of the apána breath; is styled the external rechaka in the Yoga system; and its reflection confers perfect liberation to man.
18. And this rising at the distance of twelve inches, in another kind of it and called the strong rechaka.
19. There is another kind of puraka, which is on the outside of the apána; and when it stretches to the inside of the navel within, it is known under the names of Kumbhaka &c.
20. The intelligent man who meditates by day and night on the octuple nature, and course of the prána and apána or the inhaling and exhaling airs, is not doomed to be reborn any more in this miserable earth.
21. I have thus related to you the various courses of the bodily airs, a restraint of which in the waking and sleeping states of man, as also in his states of sitting and waking, is productive of his liberation.
22. Though these are very fleeting in their natures, yet they are restrained by the good understanding of man, even when he is employed in his work or is in his act of eating.
23. The man that practises the Kumbhaka or suppression of his breathing within himself, cannot be employed in any action; but must remain calmly in this act of suppression, by giving all external thoughts and actions. (i.e., as in a state of torpidity).
24. A few days practice of this Yoga, by abnegation of all outward objects from the mind, enables a man to attain to the state of his solity, or his unity with the sole entity of the Deity.
25. Intelligent men have no fondness for worldly things, but bear an aversion to them as a holy Brahmán has against the sweet milk contained in a flask of skin. They remain regardless of visible objects, with his eyes closed against them, as a blind man takes no heed of out-ward appearances.
26. They are in possession of all, which is the sum total (tout ensemble) of what is to be had as the best gain; and whether when they are awake or asleep or walking or sitting, they never lose sight of that true light which leads them to the other world.
27. Those who have obtained the knowledge of the course of his breathings, have got rid of all delusion and rest in quiet within themselves (i.e. In watching their inspirations and over-looking the external phenomena).
28. And whether the intelligent people are employed in busy life, or sit inactive at home; they are always quiet and at rest by following the course of their respiration (neither breathing hard or being out breath).
29. I know, O Brahman! the exhaling breath, to rise from its source of the lotus like heart, and stretch to the distance of twelve inches out of it, where it sets or stops. (As is mixed up with the current air).
30. The apána or inhaling breath is taking in from the same distance of twelve inches, and is deposited in the cup of the lotus situated in the human heart.
31. As the prána respiration is exhaled out in the air, to the distance of twelve inches from the heart, so the inhaled air of apána is taken into the breast, from the same distance of the open sky.
32. The prána or exhaling breath runs towards the open air, in the form of a flame of fire, and the inhaled breath turns inward to the region of the heart, and goes downward like a current of water.
33. The apána or inhaled breath is like the cooling moon light, and refreshes the body from without; while prána respiration resembling the sunshine or a flame of fire, warms the inside of the body.
34. The prána breath warms every moment the region of the heart, as the sunshine inflames the region of the sky; and then it torrifies the atmosphere before it, by the exhalation of breath through the mouth.
35. The apána air is as the moonlight before the moon, and being inhaled inward, it washes the sphere of the heart as by a deluge; then it refreshes the whole inside in a moment.
36. When the last digit of the moon-like apána or inhaling breath, is swallowed by the sun of the prána or exhaling breath; it meets with the sight of supreme spirit, and has no more any cause of affliction.
37. So also when the last portion of the sunlike prána or exhaling breath, is swallowed by the moon-like apána or inhaling breath; then there ensues the same visitation of Brahmá in the inside, and the soul is emancipated from further transmigration in this world. (The meeting of the two is a yoga or junction of the human and Divine spirits).
38. The prána or exhaling breath assumes the nature of the solar heat, both in the inside and outside of the body; and afterwards it becomes and remains as the cooling moonlight. (It is the one and same breath of air, that takes the two names, according to its two different natures of inspiration and expiration. gloss).