Shloka 58

Adhyāya 283: Varṇa-vṛtti, Nyāya-ārjana, and the Decline-and-Restoration of Dharma (वर्णवृत्तिः न्यायार्जनं च)

Devanagari script

प्राणापानौ संनिरुध्य वक्त्रस्थानेन यत्नतः । विचार्य सर्वतो दृष्टिं बहुदृष्टिरमित्रजित्‌

Transliteration

prāṇāpānau saṃnirudhya vaktrasthānena yatnataḥ | vicārya sarvato dṛṣṭiṃ bahudṛṣṭir amitrajit ||

Translation

प्राणापानौ संनिरुध्य वक्त्रस्थानेन यत्नतः । विचार्य सर्वतो दृष्टिं बहुदृष्टिरमित्रजित् ॥

Word by Word

प्राणापानौthe in-breath and out-breath

संनिरुध्यhaving restrained

वक्त्रस्थानेनby/with the place in the mouth (oral region)

यत्नतःcarefully, with effort

विचार्यhaving directed/considered

सर्वतःon all sides, everywhere

दृष्टिम्the gaze, sight

बहुदृष्टिःone whose gaze is manifold / who looks in many ways

अमित्रजित्conqueror of foes (epithet)

Speaker

वीरभद्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vīrabhadra

amitrajit (foe-conqueror, epithet of the described person)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights yogic discipline: by restraining prāṇa and apāna and fixing attention at a specific bodily locus, one stabilizes the mind and expands awareness. Ethical strength is implied—mastery over oneself becomes the basis for mastery over external challenges.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vīrabhadra describes a practitioner (praised as a ‘foe-conqueror’) engaging in breath restraint and focused attention, then surveying vision in all directions—symbolizing heightened vigilance and broadened perception arising from concentration.