Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 37
Īśvara-Gītā (continued): Twofold Yoga, Aṣṭāṅga Discipline, Pāśupata Meditation, and the Unity of Nārāyaṇa–Maheśvara
रेचको ऽजस्त्रनिश्वासात् पूरकस्तन्निरोधतः / साम्येन संस्थितिर्या सा कुम्भकः परिगीयते
recako 'jastraniśvāsāt pūrakastannirodhataḥ / sāmyena saṃsthitiryā sā kumbhakaḥ parigīyate
絶えず外へ流れ出る息より起こる吐息をレーチャカといい、その流れを制して生ずる吸息をプーラカという。均衡のうちに確立された揺るがぬ静住が、クンバカと称えられる。
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna in the Ishvara Gita teachings
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By defining kumbhaka as equilibrium (sāmya) and steady abiding (saṃsthiti), the verse points toward inner stillness where the mind becomes fit to recognize the stable, witnessing Self beyond the fluctuations of breath and thought.
It teaches pranayama’s three movements—recaka (exhalation), pūraka (inhalation), and kumbhaka (retention)—and emphasizes kumbhaka as a balanced, steady state, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita path of disciplined breath-control leading toward meditative absorption.
Within the Ishvara Gita’s synthesis, Vishnu (as Kurma) teaches a yogic discipline commonly associated with Shaiva/Pashupata practice, reflecting the Purana’s non-sectarian unity where the same supreme Ishvara is approached through shared Yoga-shastra methods.