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The 34th Sutra has some more prescriptions. In fact, one of the powerful prescriptions which are quite common and very well known. The prescription is 34th Sutra
प्र॒च्छर्दनवि॒धा॒र॒णा॒भ्यां वा॑ प्राण॒स्य ॥ १.३४॥
Pracchardana-vidhāraṇābhyāṃ vā prāṇasya ॥ 1.34 ॥
Pracchardana is an intensive exhalation, forceful exhalation, Pracchardana it is. Pracchardana - forceful exhalation. Vidhāraṇā - it is Vi plus dhāraṇā. It is controlled inhalation. So forceful exhalation, controlled inhalation of prāṇasya, of prāṇa. Very simple. Or vā means either the earlier mentioned in the 33 sutra vā is there here. Pracchardana-vidhāraṇābhyāṃ vā, vā means or forceful exhalation and controlled inhalation of prāṇa. The citta-prasādanam can be achieved by forceful exhalation and controlled inhalation of prāṇa.
The word first time Patanjali is introducing the word prāṇa. Prāṇa is generally interpreted, understood as respiration, breathing. Even here when Maharishi Patanjali used the words pracchardana, forceful exhalation - prakarṣeṇa chardanam viśeṣa-dhāraṇam, vidhāraṇam of prāṇa. So is the hint the suggestion is the peace of mind or citta-prasādanam can be attained by exhaling forcefully and with a controlled inhalation. Many people, many commentators interpret vidhāraṇam because the word dhāraṇā is there they interpret as a holding of the breath kumbhaka but you should remember Maharishi Patanjali if he has said if dhāraṇam is interpreted as kumbhaka, holding the breath he has not talked of inhalation in this he talked of only exhalation. If we say that we should hold the breath after exhalation if we say that then what about inhalation. So giving a meaning of holding the breath or kumbhaka to vidhāraṇā has an internal problem finds a default with itself that's why vidhāraṇā is controlled inhalation. Actually dhāraṇam has many meanings adhi-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhi the word of dhāraṇā is there, holding is there. But dhāraṇā is also another meaning yajñopavīta-dhāraṇam. You take or put on yajñopavītam, sacred thread. So you take, you accept means here it is you inhale a controlled inhalation. Why controlled inhalation because pracchardana was told, forceful exhalation was given so pracchardana-vidhāraṇābhyāṃ vā prāṇasya - a slow inhalation and forceful exhalation. Does it mean Maharshi Patanjali is suggesting a type of kapālabhāti as we see in haṭhapradīpikā? No, it's not, because practice of kapālabhāti has a different dimension, this is not kapālabhāti, we should not have that confusion. He is simply saying citta-prasādanam can be achieved by forcefully exhaling and controlled inhalation. If you practice this really wonder whenever the mind is disturbed, whenever we feel agitated, whenever we feel disturbed, whenever we feel, terribly anxious, whenever we feel the mind is dull, lethargic and we are in a state of heaviness, disturbance, anxiety, tension, speed, when the mind is aprasādanam state, just practice this very easy practice, a simple practice, a forceful exhalation and a controlled inhalation that gives it, that is a wonderful suggestion given by Maharshi Patanjali.
And about the prāṇa we should be very clear it is not just breathing and it's not just breath or breathing because in the Praśna Upaniṣad there is a beautiful description of prāṇa,
प्राणस्येदं वशे सर्वं त्रिदिवे यत् प्रतिष्ठितम्।
मातेव पुत्रान् रक्षस्व श्रीश्च प्रज्ञां च विधेहि न इति ॥
Prāṇasyedaṃ vaśe sarvaṃ tridive yat pratiṣṭhitam |
Māteva putrān rakṣasva śrīś ca prajñāṃ ca vidhehi na iti ||
In which the mantra, the beautiful mantra, in which prāṇa has been defined. And the attribute of prāṇa is prāṇasīdam vaśe sarvam trideve yat pratiṣṭhitam, there is no place without prāṇa. Trideve yat pratiṣṭhitam in three worlds, three states, of consciousness - svapna, jāgrat and suṣupti-avasthās everywhere the prāṇa is filled, everywhere prāṇa is vibrating, it is an energy. Vivekananda describes beautifully, it is not respiration, it is the power behind respiration, it is an energy to breathe. This is Vivekananda's interpretation of the word prāṇa, one of the interpretations. So prāṇa is not to be understood just like breathing, we shall see it in our future sessions how Maharshi Patanjali describes it about the prāṇa.
So for this sutra, this much is sufficient to understand that citta-prasādanam can be achieved by forceful exhalation and controlled inhalation of prāṇa - pracchardana-vidhāraṇābhyāṃ vā prāṇasya.
Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ||
To Be Continued.. ----------------------------------------
These are transcription of session delivered by Vice-President of Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Vivekananda Kendra, Sri M. Hanumantha Rao Ji.
Audio Link - https://youtu.be/5OOH3tpQ56c?si=aQzyP2ID61CP18WORead n Get Articles, Magazines, Books @ http://prakashan.vivekanandakendra.org
मुक्तसंग्ङोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित:।
सिद्धयसिद्धयोर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥१८.२६॥
Freed from attachment, non-egoistic, endowed with courage and enthusiasm and unperturbed by success or failure, the worker is known as a pure (Sattvika) one. Four outstanding and essential qualities of a worker. - Bhagwad Gita : XVIII-26
