Shloka 10

नारद–शुक संवादः (Nārada–Śuka Dialogue): Tyāga, Saṃyama, and Vyakta–Avyakta Viveka

Devanagari script

प्राणायामो हि सगुणो निर्गुणं धारयेन्मन: । यद्यदृश्यति मुज्चन्‌ वै प्राणान्‌ मैथिलसत्तम । वाताधिकयं भवत्येव तस्मात्‌ तं न समाचरेत्‌

Transliteration

yājñavalkya uvāca | prāṇāyāmo hi saguṇo nirguṇaṃ dhārayen manaḥ | yadyadṛśyati muñcan vai prāṇān maithilasattama | vātādhikyaṃ bhavaty eva tasmāt taṃ na samācaret |

Translation

ଯାଜ୍ଞବଲ୍କ୍ୟ କହିଲେ— ସଗୁଣ ପ୍ରାଣାୟାମ, ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଧିଷ୍ଟ ଧ୍ୟାନ-ଆଶ୍ରୟ ସହିତ କରାଯାଇଥିବା ପ୍ରାଣାୟାମ, ମନକୁ ନିର୍ଗୁଣ (ବୃତ୍ତିଶୂନ୍ୟ) ଅବସ୍ଥାରେ ସ୍ଥିର କରିବାରେ ସାହାଯ୍ୟ କରେ। କିନ୍ତୁ ହେ ମୈଥିଲଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ପୂରକ ଆଦି ସମୟରେ ନିୟତ ଦେବତା/ତତ୍ତ୍ୱର ଧ୍ୟାନ-ଅନ୍ତର୍ଦର୍ଶନ ବିନା ଯଦି କେହି ପ୍ରାଣବାୟୁର ରେଚନ କରେ, ତେବେ ଦେହରେ ବାତର ପ୍ରକୋପ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ବଢ଼େ; ତେଣୁ ଧ୍ୟାନରହିତ ପ୍ରାଣାୟାମ କରିବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ।

Word by Word

• प्राणायामः: breath-control (prāṇāyāma)
• प्राणायामः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणायाम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• सगुणः: with qualities; with (object of) meditation
• सगुणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सगुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निर्गुणम्: quality-less; without modifications
• निर्गुणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्गुण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धारयेत्: should hold/steady
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यत्: whatever (that which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृश्यति: is seen/appears
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• मुञ्चन्: releasing/letting go
• मुञ्चन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: Present active participle (Parasmaipada), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• प्राणान्: breaths/vital airs
• प्राणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मैथिलसत्तम: O best of the Mithilā-people
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथिलसत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वाताधिक्यम्: excess of wind (vāta)
• वाताधिक्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाताधिक्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भवति: arises/becomes
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एव: certainly/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• तम्: that (practice)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• समाचरेत्: should practice/undertake
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yājñavalkya
• Maithila (addressed person; ‘best of the Maithilas’)
• prāṇa (vital breath)
• vāta (wind-humor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.