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After the yama, niyama and āsana, Maharishi Patanjali's sādhanapāda of the yoga darśana, we shall try to understand prāṇāyāma. Like āsanas, prāṇāyāma also there are combined sūtras, which are very very important sūtras, that is from the 49 to 53. These 5 sūtras are concerned with the prāṇāyāma.
At the beginning itself we shall understand that there are no names of prāṇāyāma techniques mentioned by Patanjali. And also we should be clear that all the types and varieties and techniques of prāṇāyāmas, which we regularly teach, learn, practice in various schools of prāṇāyāma, these are all mostly, almost all are drawn or connected with the non-Patanjali concepts, mostly with the haṭha yoga schools. These points are to be clear before we try to understand these 5 sūtras regarding prāṇāyāma. So the 49th sūtra is the beginning of the series of 5. 49th sūtra is
त॒स्मिन्सति श्वा॒सप्र॒श्वा॒स॒योर्ग॒ति॒वि॒च्छेदः प्रा॑णाया॒मः ॥ २.४९॥
Tasmin sati śvāsa praśvāsayorgativicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ.
Tasmin - in that tasminsati in that posture, in that āsana, tasmin sati, Gati is movement and it is the speed, vicchedaḥ is break, cessation, prāṇāyāmaḥ - prāṇa is the force of life, life force, āyāma is the elongation or process of expansion. So tasmin sati śvāsapraśvāsayor gativicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ. Śvāsa is inhalation, praśvāsa is exhalation. So tasmin sati signifies, symbolizes, reiterates in that āsana, tasmin sati, śvāsa praśvāsa, inhalation and exhalation, gati vicchedaḥ, break in speed, gati vicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ, elongation, expansion of the pranic force. Now the sūtra is very very important as the understanding of sūtra with the correct meaning gives what exactly prāṇāyāma means, the foundation of prāṇāyāma, the cornerstones of prāṇāyāma, the real perfected correct understanding and the meaning of prāṇāyāma. Keeping this sūtra's background we should be able to judge all the techniques and methods of all the practices available and the various schools and various directions and dimensions of the prāṇāyāma techniques.
So let us see the in-depth meaning of it. Tasmin sati, that is the in that, while being, means what? Tasmin is in that, sati is while being, that is in that āsana, being in that āsana, being in that posture. We have already seen what is āsana and the prāṇāyāma sūtra begins by reiterating, emphasizing tasmin sati means prāṇāyāma has to be practiced only in sitting posture. Let us be very clear in this. Prāṇāyāma has to be practiced only in the sitting posture. So all the types of prāṇāyāmas which we may be practicing, we may be teaching by standing, by walking, by any other postures is not strictly speaking as per the yoga darśana of the Maharshi Patanjali. Tasmin sati emphasizes, reiterates, prefixes that prāṇāyāma has to be practiced, has to be done only in the sitting posture.
Then other word śvāsa is inhalation, praśvāsa is exhalation. There are lot of grammatical interpretations about śvāsa and praśvāsa. But considering all interpretations and grammatical dimension of the various commentaries it is to be concluded and taken it as śvāsa is inhalation, praśvāsa is exhalation. And gati vicchedaḥ, this is very important word. In fact this is the word which defines, lays foundation of the entire prāṇāyāma understanding. Gati is the movement. Vicchedaḥ is the breaking, stopping. In fact cessation. So gati vicchedaḥ of śvāsa, gati vicchedaḥ of praśvāsa and gati vicchedaḥ of both śvāsa and praśvāsa. Gati vicchedaḥ after śvāsa, gati vicchedaḥ after praśvāsa and gati vicchedaḥ during śvāsa, praśvāsa. See the various dimensions. And this defines what is prāṇāyāma. And gati is the movement. Movement means it has a speed. There cannot be a movement without dimension of speed. Speed is inbuilt, implied in gati. This is a very important understanding. Otherwise, as it is propagated, as it is understood, as it is interpreted, that gati vicchedaḥ means stopping the movement of inhalation. This is how it is interpreted. And stopping the movement of exhalation. Gati vicchedaḥ of inhalation. If gati is taken as movement and vicchedaḥ is taken as stopping, breaking, cessation. So breaking the movement of inhalation, stopping the movement of exhalation. So that is prāṇāyāma. This is how the interpretations have been taken.
But we should be very clear. Because the following sūtras, considering them, gati is not movement. The gati is the implied or contented part of this movement. That is speed. It implies speed. Because gati vicchedaḥ means stopping, cessation, reducing the speed of inhalation, reducing the speed of exhalation. Why this interpretation should be taken? Because the word is prāṇa āyāma - āyāma is elongating. Āyāma is expanding. Āyāma is stretching. So stretching, elongating, expanding śvāsa. Elongating, stretching, expanding praśvāsa. So elongating, stretching, expanding inhalation, what does it mean? It means reducing the speed of inhalation, reducing the speed of exhalation. And we should also remember that Maharishi Patanjali has not used the word pūraka or recaka, which are quite popular, well known. Normally in our regular practices we use the word pūraka and recaka. Patanjali has not used that word. He used the word as we saw in the sūtra, śvāsa and praśvāsa. And śvāsa praśvāsa of the prāṇa means it is normal, regular, uninterrupted, natural flow of respiration. So the respiration has a natural flow, a normal speed, a regular movement. And that regular movement, the natural flow of the prāṇa, inhalation and exhalation, it is altered, it is changed, it is regulated because gati vicchedaḥ is there. So gati vicchedaḥ actually means as a compound, combined word, introducing a change in the normal flow of inhalation and exhalation. Gati vicchedaḥ is altering, changing, bringing a change in the speed of flow of prāṇa while inhaling and exhaling. This settles many things. And as just we referred that there is no pūraka or recaka mentioned by Maharishi Patanjali because words in sūtra are very important. And the word kumbhaka also is not used but people interpret. So vicchedaḥ of gati and not vicchedaḥ of śvāsa, not vicchedaḥ of praśvāsa, should be carefully understood. It is not cessation, stopping or breaking which are general meanings given for the word vicchedaḥ. But this vicchedaḥ is not for śvāsa. Vicchedaḥ is not of praśvāsa but vicchedaḥ is for and of gati, the speed, the movement, movement of inhalation, movement of exhalation but not inhalation itself, not exhalation itself. This makes a vast difference and most critical difference and most important difference in understanding of prāṇāyāma. Because as we see, normally, generally, everywhere kumbhaka is taught and ascribing that Patanjali has prescribed but Patanjali has not prescribed.
So gati vicchedaḥ is to be taken as slowing down, prolonging the speed of inhalation and speed of exhalation. So it is alteration, it is a modification of normal breathing that is very important. And you also should know that prāṇa is not just a breath, it is not just air. Prāṇa is the basic force and it is the energy.
Praśnopaniṣad beautifully summarizes what is prāṇa.
prāṇasyedaṁ vaśe sarvaṁ tridive yat pratiṣṭhitam |
māteva putrān rakṣasva śrīś ca prajñāṁ ca videhi naḥ ||
Prāṇa is prāṇa is prāṇasyedaṁ vaśe sarvaṁ. There is no place, there is no corner, there is no atom, there is no molecule where prāṇa is not there. It is there everywhere. It exists everywhere - prāṇasyedaṁ vaśe sarvaṁ. Tridive yat pratiṣṭhitam - It is established, it is there in all the three worlds jāgrat, svapna, suṣupti of all beings. Even if a stone is in the suṣupti avasthā, prāṇa is there. Metal's prāṇa is there. Then what is the difference? The difference is in its expression, in its manifestation. In fact, in entire creation, the progress is defined as an expression of prāṇa. Māteva putrān rakṣasva śrīś ca prajñāṁ ca videhi naḥ - It is a prayer to the prāṇa to protect, to nourish and nurture as the mother. And give brilliance, bright intelligence. And we should also remember in the earlier chapter, Maharshi Patanjali has used the word pracchardana vidhāraṇābhyāṁ and here he has used the word śvāsa and praśvāsa but not pūraka and recaka. But in generally, it has become very popular, normal, common understanding that haṭha yoga techniques, the prescriptions of the breathing practices are ascribed to the Maharshi Patanjali. In fact, in haṭha pradīpikā, prāṇāyāma word is not used. It was kumbhaka was used. The eight kumbhakas which are there, they are used as kumbhakas and not prāṇāyāma. Sūrya bheda, bhrāmarī, śītalī, sītkārī, they are not termed as prāṇāyāma, they are termed as under kumbhaka.
So Maharshi Patanjali is very clear in this particular sūtra tasmin sati śvāsa praśvāsayor gati vicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ means prāṇāyāma means slowing down, lengthening, expanding, elongating the process of inhalation and exhalation Gati vicchedaḥ. Let us see the other sūtras connected to the prāṇāyāma.
Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ.
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/kvvNDw2IJL4?si=yGG0baRK5K09pCBr
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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
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