Kshurika Upanishad: Verse 4
वेदतत्त्वार्थविहितं यथोक्तं हि स्वयंभुवा ।
निःशब्दं देशमास्थाय तत्रासनमवस्थितः ॥
कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव संहृत्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च ।
मात्राद्वादशयोगेन प्रणवेन शनैः शनैः ॥
पूरयेत्सर्वमात्मानं सर्वद्वारं निरुध्य च ।
उरोमुखकटिग्रीवं किञ्चिद्भूदयमुन्नतम् ॥
प्राणान्सन्धारयेत्तस्मिन्नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणः ।
भूत्वा तत्र गतः प्राणः शनैरथ समुत्सृजेत् ॥
वेद-तत्त्व-अर्थ-विहितम् । यथा-उक्तम् । हि । स्वयं-भुवा ।
नि:शब्दम् । देशम् । आस्थाय । तत्र । आसनम् । अवस्थितः ॥
कूर्मः । अङ्गानि-इव । संहृत्य । मनः । हृदि । निरुध्य । च ॥
मात्रा-द्वादश-योगेन । प्रणवेन । शनैः-शनैः ॥
पूरयेत् । सर्वम् । आत्मानम् । सर्व-द्वारम् । निरुध्य । च ॥
उरः-मुख-कटि-ग्रीवम् । किञ्चित् । भृ-उदयम् । उन्नतम् ॥
प्राणान् । सन्धारयेत् । तस्मिन् । नासा-अभ्यन्तर-चारिणः ॥
भूत्वा । तत्र । गतः । प्राणः । शनैः । अथ । समुत्सृजेत् ॥
veda-tattvārtha-vihitaṃ yathoktaṃ hi svayaṃbhuvā |
niḥśabdaṃ deśam āsthāya tatrāsanam avasthitaḥ ||
kūrmo ’ṅgānīva saṃhṛtya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca |
mātrā-dvādaśa-yogena praṇavena śanaiḥ śanaiḥ ||
pūrayet sarvam ātmānaṃ sarva-dvāraṃ nirudhya ca |
uro-mukha-kaṭi-grīvaṃ kiñcid bhūdayam unnatam ||
prāṇān sandhārayet tasmin nāsābhyantara-cāriṇaḥ |
bhūtvā tatra gataḥ prāṇaḥ śanair atha samutsṛjet ||
ब्रह्मा ने बताया था, वेद के हिसाब से यह करना है। शांत जगह पे जाओ, वहाँ बैठ जाओ। हाथ-पाँव अंदर खींचो जैसे कछुआ करता है। मन को दिल में बंद कर दो। ॐ शब्द को बारह मात्रा के साथ धीरे-धीरे जोड़ो। अपने आप को पूरा भर लो, सारे दरवाज़े बंद करके। छाती, चेहरा, कमर और गर्दन सीधा रखना, नाभि थोड़ा ऊपर उठा के। साँस को नाक के अंदर रोक के रखना। जब साँस वहाँ सेट हो जाए, तो धीरे-धीरे छोड़ना।
As enjoined—according to the meaning of the Vedic principles—by the Self-born (Creator), having resorted to a soundless place and having taken his seat there, he should draw in the limbs like a tortoise and restrain the mind in the heart. With the practice of the twelve mātrās, with the praṇava (Oṃ), slowly, slowly, he should fill the whole self, having closed all the doors (sense-openings). Keeping chest, face, waist, and neck aligned, with the region of the navel slightly raised, he should hold the breaths there, moving within the interior of the nose; and when the breath has gone there and become steady, then he should gradually release (it).
- kūrmo ’ṅgānīva = kūrmaḥ + aṅgāni + iva (visarga-lopa before vowel; ’ indicates avagraha)
- tatrāsanam = tatra + āsanam (vowel sandhi a+a→ā)
- prāṇān sandhārayet = prāṇān + sandhārayet (anusvāra/na-sandhi in continuous recitation)
- nāsābhyantara-cāriṇaḥ = nāsā + abhyantara + cāriṇaḥ (ā + a → ā; compound)
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Mokṣa through prāṇava-upāsanā and prāṇa-nirodha (inner withdrawal leading toward ātma-jñāna)
- The mahavakyas
- Indirect: supports the contemplative discipline (upāsanā/yoga) that prepares for realization of mahāvākyas such as ‘tat tvam asi’ and ‘ahaṃ brahmāsmi’; not itself a mahāvākya statement.
- Veda
- Krishna Yajurveda
- Shakha
- Taittirīya (commonly affiliated in Yoga Upaniṣad catalogues; manuscript traditions vary)
- Chandas
- Mixed/Upaniṣadic yoga-verse (not strictly Vedic chandas; predominantly anuṣṭubh-like pādas in later metrical Sanskrit)
Yoga and practice
Pratyāhāra (sense-withdrawal), dhāraṇā on the heart, praṇava-japa with mātrā-counting (twelve-mātrā Oṃ practice), regulated kumbhaka (retention) and recaka (release), posture alignment and subtle-bandha-like engagement around the navel; emphasizes gradualness (śanaiḥ śanaiḥ).
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Upanishads in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
