Verse-29-30
Chapter 4 — Gyan Karma Sannayasa Yoga
Verse 29-30
🕉 Original Sanskrit Shloka
apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ prāṇe'pānaṁ tathāpare
prāṇāpānagatī ruddhvā prāṇāyāmaparāyaṇāḥ
apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇānprāṇeṣu juhvati
sarve'pyete yajñavido yajñakṣapitakalmaṣāḥ
🕉 English Translation
Havan prana ka karte apaan mein,
Vaise hee apaan ka prana mein.
Pranayam ka karte yagya hai kayee,
Gati rok lete hai veh prana ki.
Kayee doosre niyamit ahaar se,
Kare havan prano ka hee prana mein.
Jiske bhasm paap yagya se huae,
Sabhi janene wale hain yagya veh.
📜 Translation
English
Several other yogis sacrifice the outgoing breath (prana) into the incoming (apana) otherwise, other yogis offer their incoming breath as sacrifice to outgoing breath.
Still others who having regulated and controlled their diet, devoted to control of breath (pranayam) restraining the flow of outgoing and incoming breath, offer the life breath (prana) as sacrifice to the life breath. All these seekers through sacrifice destroy their sins and are the knowers of sacrifice.
The control of breath (pranayam) is the splendour of the Indian vedic eternal yogic tradition. This contributes to the cleansing of the nerves and improvement of health. All natural physical tendencies commence due to the imbalance between the outgoing and incoming breath. The control of breath balances the vital air which is circulating in the nerves and blood vessels. Only when the body is healthy can one devote oneself to spirituality-'sharir madhyam khalu dharma sadhanam'.
The intake of the breath through the left nostril is called 'purak pranayam', retaining the breath inside is called 'kumbhak pranayam' and exhaling through the right nostril is called 'rechak pranayam'. Here, mention is made only of these three types of pranayam. The inhaling of breath from outside is sacrificing prana into apana and again holding it and then exhaling breath from inside outward is sacrifice of apana into prana. To those devoted to the control of breath, a regulated diet is also considered as sacrifice. Diet should be regulated, disciplined and pure (sattvic). It is necessary. The irregularity in diet that is due to overeating or starving oneself both are hindrances in yoga.
That by the performance of sacrificial actions all actions meet with their end. With this inspiration (4/23) from the 24th verse onwards this topic of sacrifice was begun by the Lord and here in its conclusion, it attained culmination and once again the description of the result which is-'yajna shapit kalmasha'-through sacrifice all the sins are destroyed-but whose sins-'yajna vido'-those who know the sacrifice in its true sense implying that they perform sacrifice as a means of spiritual discipline by performing them selflessly. Any sacrifice performed for worldly attainment will definitely give the desired result but that will be worldly. The extinguishing of sins and destruction of bondage of actions through them is not possible.