Shloka 45

Adhyaya 8: Yogasthanas, Ashtanga Yoga, Pranayama-Siddhi, and Shiva-Dhyana leading to Samadhi

Devanagari script

प्राणः स्वदेहजो वायुर् यमस्तस्य निरोधनम् त्रिधा द्विजैर्यमः प्रोक्तो मन्दो मध्योत्तमस् तथा

Transliteration

prāṇaḥ svadehajo vāyur yamastasya nirodhanam tridhā dvijairyamaḥ prokto mando madhyottamas tathā

Translation

பிராணன் என்பது தன் உடலிலே தோன்றும் உயிர்வாயு; அதனை அடக்குதல் ‘யமம்’. இருபிறப்பினர் இதனை மூவகை எனக் கூறினர்—மந்தம், மத்திமம், உத்தமம்.

Word by Word

• प्राणः (prāṇaḥ): vital breath, life-force

• स्वदेहजः (svadehajaḥ): born from one’s own body, arising within

• वायुः (vāyuḥ): wind, vital air

• यमः (yamaḥ): restraint, disciplined control

• तस्य (tasya): of that (prāṇa)

• निरोधनम् (nirodhanam): checking, restraining, cessation

• त्रिधा (tridhā): threefold

• द्विजैः (dvijaiḥ): by the twice-born (learned Brahmins)

• यमः (yamaḥ): yama/discipline

• प्रोक्तः (proktaḥ): declared, taught

• मन्दः (mandaḥ): mild, gentle

• मध्यः (madhyaḥ): middle, moderate

• उत्तमः (uttamaḥ): highest, excellent

• तथा (tathā): thus, in that manner

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating yogic discipline as transmitted in the Purāṇic teaching stream)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It links outer Śiva-pūjā to inner worship: restraint of prāṇa (yama) purifies the pashu (individual soul), making the mind fit to contemplate Pati (Śiva) and to worship the Liṅga with steadiness.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

By implying that mastery over prāṇa supports entry into stillness, it points to Śiva-tattva as the supreme, unbound Pati—realized when the pashu’s movements (vṛttis) are restrained and bondage (pāśa) is weakened.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Prāṇa-nirodha (restraint of the life-breath) as yama, taught in three intensities—mild, moderate, and supreme—indicating graded Pāśupata-style yogic discipline aligned with one’s adhikāra (fitness).