Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 126
Mokṣopāya: Bhakti-rooted Jñāna and the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Viṣṇu-Meditation
न गृह्णाति न त्यजति वायुमंतर्बहिः स्थितम् । विद्धि तच्छून्यकं नाम प्राणायामं यथास्थितम् ॥ २६ ॥
na gṛhṇāti na tyajati vāyumaṃtarbahiḥ sthitam | viddhi tacchūnyakaṃ nāma prāṇāyāmaṃ yathāsthitam || 26 ||
അകത്തും പുറത്തും നിലകൊള്ളുന്ന വായുവിനെ neither ഉൾക്കൊള്ളാതെയും neither വിട്ടുകളയാതെയും സ്ഥിരമായി നിൽക്കുമ്പോൾ, ആ അവസ്ഥയെ ‘ശൂന്യക’ എന്ന പ്രാണായാമമായി അറിയുക.
Sanatkumāra (in instruction to Nārada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It defines Śūnyaka prāṇāyāma as a poised stillness where neither inhalation nor exhalation is pursued, pointing to a yogic interior quietude supportive of meditation and liberation-oriented practice.
While primarily yogic, the verse supports bhakti indirectly by cultivating steadiness and mental silence, which help a devotee sustain single-pointed remembrance (smaraṇa) of the Lord without distraction.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught here; the practical takeaway is yogic technique—recognizing a named prāṇāyāma state (Śūnyaka) defined by suspension of both taking and releasing the breath.