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 bersabda: Dengan berulang kali mengekang napas-hayat melalui disiplin prāṇāyāma—baik sepuluh maupun dua belas pengendalian napas—seorang pelaku melampaui dua puluh empat prinsip dan mencapai prinsip kedua puluh lima, Sang Diri Tertinggi (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

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.