Shloka 40
An exposition on the fruits of charity and on entry into a body
Garbhotpatti, Piṇḍa-śarīra, and Antya-kāla-kriyā
आकुञ्चनं धावनञ्च लङ्घनञ्च प्रसारणम् / निरोधः पञ्चमः प्रोक्तो वायोः पञ्च गुणाः स्मृताः
ākuñcanaṃ dhāvanañca laṅghanañca prasāraṇam / nirodhaḥ pañcamaḥ prokto vāyoḥ pañca guṇāḥ smṛtāḥ
Contraction, swift running, leaping, and expansion—restraint is declared as the fifth. These are remembered as the five qualities of vāyu (the vital wind).
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Dosha: Vata
Concept: Vāyu manifests as various motions; liberation-oriented practice culminates in nirodha—governing movement rather than being driven by it.
Vedantic Theme: Citta-vṛtti-nirodha as a gateway to recognizing the witness; regulation of prāṇa supports steadiness of mind.
Application: Observe bodily/mental ‘expansion-contraction’ cycles; practice prāṇāyāma and mindful pauses to cultivate nirodha (restraint) in speech, action, and breath.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.32.39 (vāyu-born qualities); Garuda Purana 2.32.41-42 (ākāśa qualities; indriyas)
FAQs
This verse highlights vāyu as a functional power of the subtle body, defined by five observable capacities—contracting, moving swiftly, leaping, expanding, and restraining—showing how life-force governs motion and control.
In Preta-kāṇḍa contexts, the soul’s post-death experience is mediated through subtle-body functions; the described qualities of vāyu indicate the mechanisms by which movement, propulsion, and restraint operate in that subtle mode of existence.
Cultivating nirodha (restraint) and mindful regulation of breath and impulses supports steadiness of prāṇa, aiding mental discipline and ethical self-control in daily life.