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

Vīrabhadra nói: “Với nỗ lực cẩn trọng, kìm giữ hơi thở vào và hơi thở ra, đặt chúng nơi vùng miệng; rồi xét kỹ ánh nhìn về mọi phương. Bấy giờ, kẻ chiến thắng quân thù trở thành ‘đa nhãn’—tỉnh giác trọn vẹn, tri giác bao quát.”

Word by Word

• प्राणापानौ: the in-breath and out-breath
• प्राणापानौ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण + अपान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• संनिरुध्य: having restrained
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नि-रुध्
• Form: Lyap (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• वक्त्रस्थानेन: by/with the place in the mouth (oral region)
• वक्त्रस्थानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्त्रस्थान
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• यत्नतः: carefully, with effort
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न

• विचार्य: having directed/considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर्
• Form: Lyap (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• सर्वतः: on all sides, everywhere
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व

• दृष्टिम्: the gaze, sight
• दृष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• बहुदृष्टिः: one whose gaze is manifold / who looks in many ways
• बहुदृष्टिः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुदृष्टि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अमित्रजित्: conqueror of foes (epithet)
• अमित्रजित्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमित्रजित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वीरभद्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

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

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.