Shloka 40

अविद्याबीज-निरूपणं, योगस्वरूप-उपदेशः, मूर्तहरिधारणा-समाधि, जनकवंशीय-राजर्षिसंवादः

Devanagari script

प्राणाख्यम् अनिलं वश्यम् अभ्यासात् कुरुते तु यत् प्राणायामः स विज्ञेयः सबीजो ऽबीज एव च

Transliteration

prāṇākhyam anilaṃ vaśyam abhyāsāt kurute tu yat prāṇāyāmaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ sabījo 'bīja eva ca

Translation

วินัยที่ด้วยการฝึกอย่างต่อเนื่องทำให้ลมที่เรียกว่า ‘ปราณะ’ อยู่ใต้อำนาจ เรียกว่า ปราณายามะ; และสอนไว้เป็นสองแบบ คือ ‘มีพืช’ และ ‘ไร้พืช’

Word by Word

प्राणाख्यम्called prāṇa

अनिलम्wind; vital air

वश्यम्to be controlled; controllable

अभ्यासात्from practice; by repeated practice

कुरुतेmakes (it)

तुindeed/but

यत्which/that

प्राणायामःbreath-control (prāṇāyāma)

सःthat/it

विज्ञेयःis to be known/understood

सबीजःwith seed (supported)

अबीजःseedless (unsupported)

एवindeed/just

चand

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

Prāṇa

Anila (Vāyu as breath)

FAQs

What is the significance of prāṇāyāma in the Vishnu Purana?

Here prāṇāyāma is defined as the disciplined mastery of the life-breath through sustained practice, presented as a core yogic means within the Moksha section that steadies the mind for higher realization.

How does Sage Parāśara explain sabīja and abīja practice?

He frames prāṇāyāma as having two forms: sabīja, supported by a “seed” (an object, intention, or focal support), and abīja, in which practice becomes supportless—subtler and more interior, oriented toward stillness.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this yogic context?

Even when the verse speaks in yogic terms, it belongs to the Purana’s liberation-teaching where inner control and clarity ultimately serve devotion and realization of Vishnu as the Supreme Reality guiding cosmic order and the soul’s release.