Shloka 10
नारद–शुक संवादः (Nārada–Śuka Dialogue): Tyāga, Saṃyama, and Vyakta–Avyakta Viveka
प्राणायामो हि सगुणो निर्गुणं धारयेन्मन: । यद्यदृश्यति मुज्चन् वै प्राणान् मैथिलसत्तम । वाताधिकयं भवत्येव तस्मात् तं न समाचरेत्
yājñavalkya uvāca | prāṇāyāmo hi saguṇo nirguṇaṃ dhārayen manaḥ | yadyadṛśyati muñcan vai prāṇān maithilasattama | vātādhikyaṃ bhavaty eva tasmāt taṃ na samācaret |
याज्ञवल्क्य म्हणाले— सगुण प्राणायाम, म्हणजे निश्चित ध्येय-देवता/तत्त्वाच्या आधाराने केलेला प्राणायाम, मनाला निर्गुण (वृत्तिशून्य) अवस्थेत स्थिर करण्यास सहाय्य करतो. पण हे मैथिलश्रेष्ठा! पूरक इत्यादी काळी नियत देवतेचे ध्यान-आंतरदर्शन न करता जर कोणी प्राणांचे रेचन करील, तर देहात वातदोष वाढतो; म्हणून ध्यानरहित प्राणायाम करू नये.
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Breath-discipline should be joined to focused contemplation (saguṇa support) so that the mind can become steady in the attributeless (nirguṇa) state; doing prāṇāyāma mechanically, without meditative ‘vision’ or proper inner focus, is discouraged because it can cause imbalance (vāta aggravation) and fails to serve its spiritual purpose.
In a didactic exchange within Śānti Parva, the sage Yājñavalkya instructs a Maithila interlocutor on correct yogic method: prāṇāyāma is presented as a means to stabilize the mind, but only when integrated with meditation; otherwise it is portrayed as potentially harmful and spiritually unproductive.