Shloka 31

Adhyaya 39 — Yoga Discipline: Posture, Breath Control, Sense Withdrawal, and Signs of Attainment

Sanskrit

सम्पश्यन् नासिकाग्रं स्वं दिशश्चानवलोकयन् । रजसा तमसो वृत्तिं सत्त्वेन रजसस्तथा ॥

Transliteration

sampaśyan nāsikāgraṃ svaṃ diśaś cānavalokayan | rajasā tamaso vṛttiṃ sattvena rajasas tathā ||

Translation

自らの鼻端を観じ、方角へと視線を散らさず、タマスの働きをラジャスによって覆い、またラジャスの働きをサットヴァによって覆うべし。

Word by Word

• sampaśyan: looking at
• sampaśyan: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + paś (पश् धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘looking/seeing’

• nāsikā-agram: the tip of the nose
• nāsikā-agram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāsikā + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः (nāsikāyāḥ agraṃ)

• svam: one’s own
• svam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; pronominal adjective qualifying nāsikāgram

• diśaḥ: directions
• diśaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Plural (also form can coincide with Gen. sg.; here with anavalokayan → object, hence Acc. pl.)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• anavalokayan: not looking at
• anavalokayan: Kartṛ-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: an + ava + lok (लोक् धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; negative: ‘not looking (around)’

• rajasā: by rajas (passion)
• rajasā: Karaṇa (करण/instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• tamasaḥ: of tamas (darkness)
• tamasaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th), Singular

• vṛttim: activity/operation
• vṛttim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• sattvena: by sattva (clarity)
• sattvena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• rajasaḥ: of rajas
• rajasaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th), Singular

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb ‘likewise/so’

Speakers

• Father–son dialogue (specific names not provided in the input)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Yoga
• Pratyāhāra (incipient)
• Guṇa theory (sattva-rajas-tamas)
• Concentration

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Inner progress is staged: one first rouses oneself from tamas (inertia) through disciplined activity (rajas), then refines activity into clarity (sattva).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A sāṃkhya-yoga teaching embedded in the Purāṇa; not directly sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita.

What is the esoteric significance?

Nose-tip gaze reduces sensory dispersion; the guṇa sequence encodes an inner alchemy—transforming heaviness into workable energy, then into lucid stillness suitable for meditation.