Shloka 4

Adhyāya 48: Brahmopadeśa on Prāṇāyāma, Sāttvika Vṛtti, and the Sattva–Kṣetrajña Question

Devanagari script

प्राणायामैरथ प्राणान्‌ संयम्य स पुनः पुनः । दशद्वादशभिर्वापि चतुर्विशात्‌ परं तत:,दस अथवा बारह प्राणायामोंके द्वारा पुनः-पुनः प्राणोंका संयम करनेवाला पुरुष भी चौबीस तत्त्वोंसे परे पचीसवें तत्त्व परमात्माको प्राप्त होता है

Transliteration

prāṇāyāmair atha prāṇān saṁyamya sa punaḥ punaḥ | daśadvādaśabhir vāpi caturviṁśāt paraṁ tataḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu-deva said: By repeatedly restraining the vital breaths through the disciplines of prāṇāyāma—whether by ten or by twelve such breath-controls—a practitioner goes beyond the twenty-four principles and attains the twenty-fifth principle, the Supreme Self (Paramātman).

Word by Word

प्राणायामैःby breath-restraints (prāṇāyāmas)

अथthen/and

प्राणान्the vital breaths

संयम्यhaving restrained

सःhe

पुनःagain

दशby ten

द्वादशभिःby twelve

वाor

अपिalso/even

चतुर्विंशात्from twenty-four

परम्beyond/superior (to)

ततःthereafter/from that

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu-deva (Wind-god)

prāṇa (vital breath)

prāṇāyāma (breath-control)

caturviṁśati-tattva (twenty-four principles)

pañcaviṁśa-tattva / Paramātman (twenty-fifth principle; Supreme Self)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Repeated prāṇāyāma and restraint of prāṇa lead the practitioner beyond the twenty-four material principles (tattvas) to realization of the twenty-fifth principle, the Supreme Self (Paramātman/Puruṣa).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is instructing a listener on yogic practice and metaphysical ascent, explaining how disciplined breath-control functions as a method for transcending the constituents of nature and reaching the highest spiritual principle.