Shloka 31

Adhyaya 39 — Yoga Discipline: Posture, Breath Control, Sense Withdrawal, and Signs of Attainment

Sanskrit

सम्पश्यन् नासिकाग्रं स्वं दिशश्चानवलोकयन् । रजसा तमसो वृत्तिं सत्त्वेन रजसस्तथा ॥

Transliteration

sampaśyan nāsikāgraṃ svaṃ diśaś cānavalokayan | rajasā tamaso vṛttiṃ sattvena rajasas tathā ||

Translation

Indem man auf die Spitze der eigenen Nase blickt und nicht in die Himmelsrichtungen starrt, soll man die Regung des Tamas durch Rajas überwinden und ebenso die Regung des Rajas durch Sattva.

Word by Word

• sampaśyan: looking at
• sampaśyan: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘looking/seeing’

• nāsikā-agram: the tip of the nose
• nāsikā-agram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāsikā + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः (nāsikāyāḥ agraṃ)

• svam: one’s own
• svam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; pronominal adjective qualifying nāsikāgram

• diśaḥ: directions
• diśaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Plural (also form can coincide with Gen. sg.; here with anavalokayan → object, hence Acc. pl.)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• anavalokayan: not looking at
• anavalokayan: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: an + ava + lok (लोक् धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; negative: ‘not looking (around)’

• rajasā: by rajas (passion)
• rajasā: Karaṇa (करण/instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• tamasaḥ: of tamas (darkness)
• tamasaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th), Singular

• vṛttim: activity/operation
• vṛttim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• sattvena: by sattva (clarity)
• sattvena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• rajasaḥ: of rajas
• rajasaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th), Singular

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb ‘likewise/so’

Speakers

• Father–son dialogue (specific names not provided in the input)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Yoga
• Pratyāhāra (incipient)
• Guṇa theory (sattva-rajas-tamas)
• Concentration

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Inner progress is staged: one first rouses oneself from tamas (inertia) through disciplined activity (rajas), then refines activity into clarity (sattva).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A sāṃkhya-yoga teaching embedded in the Purāṇa; not directly sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita.

What is the esoteric significance?

Nose-tip gaze reduces sensory dispersion; the guṇa sequence encodes an inner alchemy—transforming heaviness into workable energy, then into lucid stillness suitable for meditation.