Lesson 34: Online Education in Yoga by Sri Prashant S Iyengar recorded 8-16-20

Pranayama — Nostrils Respond to Nama Kriya

We need to continue on pranayama. In the last session I was telling you about how the nostrils are so important in pranayama.

I also stated that rather than going to digital pranayama — using the fingers on the nostrils — for a classical student, there is a lot to explore, get educated, qualified and empowered before embarking upon the pranayamas — Surya Bhedhana, Chandra Bhedhana, Nadi Shodhana, Anuloma and Pratiloma, that use the… fingers of the right hand on the nostrils.

I wanted you to experience how the nostril is a very high-tech organ. The last lesson I told you to go through the 335 to 340 sound forms, and see how the nostrils act, respond, participate, and work differently.[1]

The [nostril]…, like a veteran actor who can depict many emotions on the face…, has so many profiles. You can experience them using prana kriyas and nama kriyas.

I made a passing reference in the last session [about] inhaling or exhaling using namas.[2] [While silently chanting] “Rama, Rama, Rama,” when you inhale and exhale, watch your nostrils. Sense [them]. Understand their participation, profile, and configuration.

Then “Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna. Hari, Hari, Hari, Hari.” So that’s the famous nama called Taraka Nama: Rama Krishna Hari or Rama Krishna Hari Govinda.

So, you can also do “Govinda, Govinda, Govinda” with the breath.

There are so many names such as Achyuta, Ananda Govinda, Keshava, Narayana, Madhava, Mukunda, Rishikesha, Damodara, Shankarshana, Aniruddha, Vasudeva, Panduranga, then Narasimha, and Parshurama. There are so many names of Lord Narayana…, Lord Shiva…, and Shakti.

Each deity, which the Indian mind worships has countless namas. The breath goes through different processes with each nama. The in-breath and out-breath go through different processes by merely… silently uttering these namas. Not orally, not by vaikhari (audible speech), but by madhyama vani (thought behind speech located at the throat),[3] the silent utterance of the namas, we’ll see that the nostrils have different gestures and profiles. They will change for each nama. That is a marvel that… a curious student, must attempt [to] understand….

We have so many kinds of in-breaths and out-breaths because of nama, because of svara-varana (sacred vowels), which is why it is called pranayama. It will be quite revealing if you do a Rama inhalation, Krishna inhalation, Rama exhalation, Krishna exhalation, Rama inhalation, Hari exhalation, Rama exhalation, Hari exhalation, Krishna inhalation, Hari exhalation.

Compare both in-breath and out-breath “Rama Krishna, Rama Hari, Krishna Hari.” You can then assume that the stambhana, or retention, also will be changing….[4]

In pranayama, we must take recourse to svara-varanas (sacred vowels), vyanjaras (consonants)…, or namas. It becomes a mantra. Some names are mantras themselves. They are called taraka mantra. Rama is a taraka (liberating) mantra. Ram-Krishna-Hari is a taraka mantra. Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jai Jai Ram has become a taraka mantra. Achyutananda Govinda has become a taraka mantra. Pranayama can become samantraka (with mantra) pranayama or amantraka (without mantra) pranayama by taking recourse to prana kriyas.

It is worth trying to understand, the nose, nasal proximity, and nasal vicinity when using these prana kriyas — svara-varanas, namas, and mantras. It must be experienced. Then we will become familiar with the marvelous nasal organ, which has so many processes for our in-breath and out-breath, and, of course, retentions. That will also qualify… and empower us… for pranayama.

Pranayama — Fingers Play the Nostrils +07.10

I… [stated] in the last session that you must [first] try to understand the nose before using the fingers on the nose… and nostrils.

[Just as] we don’t place the fingers… on the frets or strings of a musical instrument. We play the instrument with those fingers. In pranayama, we need to play the nasal part that we contact with the tips of our fingers. We need to play pranayama. Understand this verb [to play].

If you are using fingers on your nostrils, you are not supposed to do Surya Bhedhana, Chandra Bhedhana, Nadi Shodhana, Anuloma and Pratiloma pranayama. You have to play your nostrils with the fingers. It’s not just placing the fingers — which is a mockery today — to block one nostril and inhale from the other nostril, then block the nostril and exhale, etc. It is mockery. It’s not… merely placing the fingers, not just blocking the nostril by placing the fingers….

Digital pranayama is really played on the nostrils. The fingers have to be placed differently…. If Rama is one kind of in-breath and Krishna is another kind of in-breath, you can’t use the fingers identically.

Pranayama — Adapt Finger Placement to Nama Kriya Breath Changes +08.55

The in-breath and out-breath are going to change for every nama, such as Rama, Krishna, Hari, Govinda, Achyuta, Ananta, Keshava, Madhva, Rishikesha, Vamana, Padmanabha, Narasimha, Parshurama, then Pradyumna, Shankarshana, Aniruddha. These are all the names of Narayana. [There are] so many names of Shiva…, and Shakti.

[With] every name, the breath is going to change…. You can’t place the fingers identically for every name. The placement of the fingers differ for every name, because the nasal position, participation, and involvement changes for every prana kriya.

[It requires]… skill and deftness in the fingers to play melodious music on an instrument…. You just can’t place your fingers like you do on a keyboard. A lot of preparations are [required] before you take your right-hand fingers on the nostrils classically….

Today, [digital pranayama] is [mistakenly] taught immediately after few sessions, or, perhaps right from beginning. They say, “Inhale from the right, exhale from the left…. They just have to block the nostrils, plug the nostrils…, and deviate the septum. Disfigure the nose.

The nostril is such a tender organ. The skin of the nose is also tender. Your fingertips need to be tender. It is playing the fingers on the nasal membrane (inner wall of outer nostril), the outer nostrils. We don’t insert the fingers in the nostrils for a digital pranayama. We keep them outside. So, there must be tenderness and deftness for such pranayama.

I want to emphasize to not hasten to do the digital pranayamas. There’s a long way to go with open nostril breathing. And before you go for that, what I instructed in the last lesson, which today I also said, just watch how your nostril is a wonderful actor, a versatile actor, for each kind of in-breath and out-breath of prana kriya.

Prana & Tattva Kriya Change Expression of Nostrils +11.50

Last time I told you about the prthvi (earth) tattva, ap (water) tattva, tejas (fire) tattva, vayu (air) tattva, akasha (space) tattva.[5] Lam, vam, ram, yam, ham (bija sound forms for the respective tattvas)… change the expressions of the nostrils. Like an expression of an actor.

Therefore…, study the nose in various prana kriyas. Study the nose from a to ksha (commensurate with ‘a to z’) prana kriyas. Study the nose in those countless nama kriyas. Then you will know how versatile the nostril is as an organ. It has so many origins, courses…, and mouths of countless rivers.

A lot of observation has to take place of the nostrils, unlike where in fashionable pranayama today, they just go on watching the chest. They [short-sightedly] want to watch the chest because the chest responds well to in-breath and out-breath, dilating, opening, and relaxing. It comes up and goes down, and, therefore, a neophyte can watch the chest breathing. That is perfectly right.

Then you have to watch the abdomen for breathing. You have to watch the back… and face for breathing. You have to watch the brain for breathing.

And you have to watch the nostrils for breathing, while [doing] prana kriya. There are so many prana kriyas available. Nasal study has to take place without fingers being used on the nose. That’s what I want to convey to you.

Pranayama For More than Serenity and Clarity +13.50

Pranayama [has become] a consumer process. Why do we do pranayama? We want to feel relaxed…, fine…, and have clarity of mind. We want to have a sober, sedate, placid, mind. That’s why we do pranayama.

That is not why pranayama is mentioned in the texts. In the classical approach, if the yogis, saints, and seers did pranayama, they were not doing it to have a placid psychological mind; quiet, serene, psychological mind; or relaxed psychological mind.

Yoga in the classical sense [wasn’t done] for such states of minds, which we seek in our consumeristic era. We are becoming more and more consumeristic, [asking] “What is good for me?” [It must be] tangibly good to be able to sense the goodness. Wherever I can sense goodness, I will say that it is very good. If I don’t sense the goodness, I will be a little apprehensive when admitting that it is good.

We are making pranayama very sensory, sensual. Sensually, we want to feel quiet, relaxed, serene, sublime, sedate, quiet, and passive. But that is not why pranayama is mentioned [by Patanjali]…. As a popular mind practice in yoga, we will never have a clue why pranayama is really prescribed in the scheme of yoga.

Whereas Patanjali says that pranayama…. What is the effect of pranayama? Try to have this inquiry.

Asana Insulates Mind from Affliction, Not For Mitigating Disease +16.00

About asana we saw that [Patanjali stated]

| tatah dvandvah anabhighatah |
From that (tatah) arises immunity (anabhighata: cessation of disturbance) to the pairs of opposites (dvandva). [PYS II.48]

The non-dual state of mind, unafflicted state of mind, unafflicted state of dualities, insulated from dualities is the outcome of asanas in the classical sense. [It is] not physical fitness, physical wellbeing, overcoming some symptom or symptomatic problem, or overcoming some disease.

Today yoga has become so remedial. The yoga propounders today are promising every kind of solution to your health problem. But that is not why asanas are there. If you look into Patanjali’s scheme of things, nowhere does he say that by asana there is

roga vritti nirodha[6]

cessation of disease (roga) vrttis [not traced]

[whereby] you mitigate diseased conditions of the body. Nowhere does he say that.

So [Patanjali does state]

| tatah dvandvah anabhighatah |
From that (tatah) arises immunity (anabhighata: cessation of disturbance) to the pairs of opposites (dvandva). [PYS II.48]

| prayatna-shaithilya-ananta-samapattibhyam |
Perfection in asana is achieved when the effort (prayatna) to perform it becomes effortless (shaithilya: relaxation) and the infinite being (ananta) within is reached (samapattibhyam: assuming original form). [PYS II.47]

Asanas fructify by samapatti (transformational) conditions, an absorption… kind of condition to the extent of infinite absorption — infinitude! So, the asanas are really done when you have such a state of mind, or you must approach such a state of mind through the asanas.

Pranayama Reveals Inner Light of Atman +17.40

Then, what about pranayama?

| tatha kshiyate prakasha avaranam |
Pranayama removes (kshiyate) the veil covering (avaranam) the light (prakasha) of knowledge, and heralds the dawn of wisdom. [PYS II.52]

Prakasha means inner light, the atma jyoti (light of the atman), What covers the atma jyoti? Which clouds the atma jyoti? Why is it that we don’t have a spiritual luminosity? Why don’t you experience spiritual luminosity?

It is because it’s overcast with thick clouds of rajasic and tamasic gunas, kleshas (causes of suffering), and vasanas (tendencies). These are enveloping that [light].

[When] a lot of carbon collects on the glass of a lantern, you don’t get good light. You clean that glass to get bright light. Otherwise the carbon [builds up] in… a kerosene lantern.

Similarly, [there are] a lot of coatings of vasanas: the tendencies, propensities, desires, passions. [They include] the shad-ripus (six enemies): desire (kama), anger (krodha), greed (lobha), delusion (moha), arrogance (mada) and jealousy (matsarya) (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.1.17); and the kleshas (afflictions): avidya (spiritual ignorance), asmita (egoism), raga (attachment to pleasure), dvesha (aversion from pain), abhinivesa (fear of death) (PYS II.3).

The karma vasanas and klesha vasanas envelop that. That is why we are not getting the inner light and depend upon external light. That is the prakasha avaranam (covering of the light). That is reduced by pranayama.

Pranayama does not give you good biological and psychological health; good physical, physiological, and organic health; good cellular metabolic health; psychological and mental health; cerebral, temporal, and empirical mind health. That is not being offered. Understand where pranayama is working….

Popular yoga [differs]. For quite a while you feel wonderful, you feel in seventh heaven after a good pranayama session. But again, you are back to square one.

Pranayama — Corridor to Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi +20.05

But pranayama is going to work in greater depth:

| dharanasu cha yogyata manasah |
The mind (manasah) also becomes fit for concentration (dharana). [PYS II.53]

The pranayama will render your mind fit for dharana, and onward practices. That is the… antaranga sadhana (internal limbs of practice) of yoga. There is the bahiranga sadhana (external limbs of practice) of yoga, which includes the five from yama to pratyahara, including pranayama. Then, onwards, there is antaranga (internal limbs) sadhana, which is dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.[7]

So, pranayama opens out the portal for dharana, etc., processes. That is why by pranayama the yogi is going to get those faculties operative — the antaranga yoga, which includes dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Which is samadhi yoga.

Pranayama is a qualifier. If pranayama leads to dharana, the onward processes — dharana, dhyana to samadhi, the three together called samyama[8] — will come together in yoga.

Mere dharana, will not terminate without a passage into dhyana; without passage of dhyana into samadhi, dhyana will not be accomplished. Dharana, dhyana, and samadhi are integral processes.

Pranayama is a corridor. It lays a [path] to dharana. Therefore,

| dharanasu cha yogyata manasah |
The mind (manasah) also becomes fit (yogyata) for concentration (dharana). [PYS II.53]

Dharana yogyatvam (suitability) is the qualification for dharana, etc., [established] by pranayama. Pranayama is a straight corridor towards the antaranga (internal) yoga, which is dharana, dhyana, samadhi.

The function of pranayama has an altogether different purpose, than what we commoners deem the effect. We want some temporary goodness of the mind, a temporary relaxed condition of the mind.

Like [when] we want to have a good sleep, and then wake up in the morning and do the same nonsense of life. Every night you want good sleep, sound sleep, and why? To get up and continue the nonsense of our business activity of life.

Similarly, in the case of popular yoga, you want to have… that tangible wellness so that you can continue the nonsense of life, the business activity of life.

But yoga is a parama-artha sadhana (highest spiritual truth practice). Therefore, [pranayama] is a corridor. It lays a corridor….

Pranayama to Samadhi Is Single Continuous Process +23.15

It’s a continuous process, by implication, from pranayama to samadhi itself. Pranayama to samadhi is a continuous process.

[If there is] any interruption you have to come [back] to the starting point. You can’t commence onwards. You’ll have to come back, again, to pranayama. And then, by pranayama, go for culturing the senses. Give the senses a touchstone; [put] pratyahara in place. Without pratyahara, you can’t expect dharana, dhyana, and samadhi to take place…. It implies that from pranayama you get pratyahara.

Then Patanjali says from pranayama you get qualified for dharana. Why does he say you get qualified for dharana? That means it implies you get pratyahara.

So, through pranayama we must try to understand how the pranayama… will constitute pratyahara. In some of the previous sessions I told you about pratyahara.[9] The senses must be drawn in. The senses must be taken for a higher purpose, a spiritual purpose, spiritual function. Pratyahara is the outcome of pranayama. Pranayama will give you pratyahara.

It doesn’t mean that your pranayama has ended and pratyahara is still continuing. As long as pranayama is there, pratyahara will be on. If the pranayama gets revoked then the pratyahara will get revoked.

If you ask why your pranayama got revoked, you will see the answer is pratyahara got revoked. So pranayama revoked means pratyahara revoked.

Therefore, pranayama implies a continuum [from pranayama] to pratyahara to dharana to dhyana to samadhi. It is one continuous process, without interruption, without division. It is not that sometimes pranayama has ended and pratyahara comes, so pranayama has ended. And then dharana comes and then pratyahara ends. Dhyana comes and dharana ends. And then samadhi comes. That is not the way it happens.

Pranayama… opens out the portal for the subsequent journey in yoga. You can’t get into pratyahara without taking recourse to pranayama. You can’t embark upon dharana-dhyana-samadhi without taking recourse to pranayama. That’s the first gate, and you get use of the corridor for the onward processes.

Pranayama Leads Towards Yogic Meditativity +26.35

This is what we have to understand: pranayama is going to lead us towards pratyahara and the meditativity of yoga. Now you should understand.

I had told you that I would not to tell you about the third kind of dhyana which Patanjali has mentioned. I [only spoke of] the two kinds of dhyana, which Patanjali had mentioned.[10] I said I would not tell you about the third kind of dhyana, which is the seventh limb of yoga. I reserved [it for later] because I wanted to orient you [with]… basic information about pranayama so you [could] understand how there is a continuum from pranayama to the onward processes of yoga, which are pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

Understand the threshold condition of pranayama. From pranayama onwards, the further inward journey will take place. All meditative practices of yoga of the nature of the seventh limb of yoga, dhyana, the quintessential dhyana of yoga, will always, invariably, be launched from some form or another of pranayama.

You can’t say that you will practice pranayama in the morning, and then straight away go for dhyana in the evening. You can’t have such a division. If you re-embark on meditative practices, it must be launched from pranayama. That is without exception, without exception at any [level] — underline this: [yogic dhyana] will always commence with pranayama….

Pranayama — AUM Nama Launches Samadhi +28.45

Let’s try to have a gross understanding, an overview of this process. It starts with gross pranayama. Gross pranayama means breath regulated, pranic breath regulated, etc., or regulated breath with the prana kriya. That’s the grosser pranayama, which has been explained in an earlier session — desha paridrshtata (regulation by place), kala paridrshtata (regulation by duration), samkhya paridrshtata (regulation by count).[11]

Such pranayama should lead you towards the subtler pranayama. In subtler pranayama, one will take recourse to AUM. This is important in essential pranayama. Many of you will only think that there is no pranayama without the in-breath, out-breath, and retention. It will never occur to you that AUM is so important… for it to become subtle pranayama, which [leads] to pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.

Incorporation of the AUM…, nama…, and the eka-akshara mantra (single-letter mantra) is so important. That is why, if you have a little understanding of the mantra shastra (texts), in all the mantras of the deities, there’s always an AUM before the name of the deity, or before that ashta-akshara mantra (eight-letter mantra), dasha-akshara (ten-letter) mantra, pancha-akshara (five-letter), dvadasha-akshara (twelve-letter) and different mantras like OM Namah Shivayah, Om Namoh Narayana, Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaya.

Whether it is Ganesha, Dattatreya, Shakti, or Laxmi, AUM will invariably be there. Once you understand the AUM at a greater depth of its purport, then you will understand that… every deity takes pride in attaching AUM to its name. That is why there is OM Namah Shivaya…, OM Namo Namah Narayana…, Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaya, Om Namo Krshnaya. and Om Namo Dattatreyayah.

The AUM comes with any deity — Ganesha, Narasimha, or any personal deity. Every deity proudly attaches AUM to that name, be that Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Laxmi, Saraswati, or Devi.

That will open out the realm of subtle pranayama. That subtle pranayama will cast the spell of pratyahara. The sublimation process will be exalted by the nama, by the mantra and by the AUM.

Many of you might be familiar with that concept of soham sadhana….[12] What is that soham? S comes for in-breath. Then comes O, and then comes Ha for out-breath, and then comes Ma of AUM. So, sa-o-ha-ma is soham sadhana: Sa inhalation, [o] post inhalation, ha exhalation, m post exhalation retention. So, that is soham sadhana. So, AUM is there.

The in-breath, out- breath, and pranic component are there. Subtle pranayama will commence with AUM. The name of the personal deity, and that AUM, is actually the master key of all samadhis. When you will hear about samadhi, AUM is a master key. All samadhis — there are several: vitarka anugata, vichara anugata, ananda anugata, asmita anugata, and asamprajnata samadhi — are launched by AUM [PYS I.17]. That’s the master key. That is why AUM is called eka (single-letter) -akshara mantra, maha (great) mantra, and maha bija (great seed) mantra. That will open up the realm of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Then pranayama will smoothly transform into those.

Pranayama to Samadhi Continuous Like Cars on Same Train +34.50

Pranayama transforms the… yogi into the pratyaharic state…, the dharana state…, the dhyana state, and then… the samadhi state. This is a continual process. There is continuity. These are the unbroken, undivided stages: sthula (gross) pranayama, sukshma (subtle) pranayama, Omkara pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi.

[Although] a train has many bogies (cars), every bogie has come from one origin and is going to the same destination. Whether it is the first, or last, bogie of the train, each is going to reach the same destination, by the same route. There’s no change of route for [the first] couple of bogies. [There is] no route for the middle couple of bogies, and another route for the last couple of bogies. It is one and the same route from origin to terminal station. It’s a continual process. There is continuity from engine to guard at the end. It’s one train, it’s a flow.

Similarly, there is a train of sthula (gross) pranayama, sukshma (subtle) pranayama, Omkara pranayama, pratyahara pranayama, then the dharana phase, dhyana phase, and samadhi phase. So, the pranayama is for that samadhi wisdom.

Pranayama Burns the Defects Obstructing Samadhi +37.00

The pranayama of yoga is not just to relax the mind. It is not just a cosmetic treatment of the mind. Pranayama results in jnana, adhyatma jnana (pursuit of the knowledge of atman) that burns out all the doshas (defects), which obstruct the samadhi process:

pranayama dahair doshan.
pranayama burns the defects.

You can see this verse in the Mundaka Upanishad and Markandeya Purana:

pranayama dahair doshan.
pranayama burns the defects. [not traced]

What are these doshas? As I just told you, vasanas (tendencies), kleshas (afflictions), karmas (actions): [the shad-ripus (six enemies) of] desire (kama), anger (krodha), greed (lobha), delusion (moha), arrogance (mada) and jealousy (matsarya); and [the kleshas (afflictions) of] avidya (spiritual ignorance), asmita (egoism), raga (attachment to pleasure), dvesha (aversion from pain), and abhinivesa (fear of death) [PYS II.3]. These are the defects which are burnt out.

That is why Patanjali rightfully said that effect of pranayama is

kshiyate prakasha avaranam
Pranayama removes (kshiyate) the veil covering (avaranam) the light (prakasha) of knowledge, and heralds the dawn of wisdom. [PYS II.52]

Prakasha avaranam (covering the light) is jnana avaranam (obstruction of knowledge), the covering or clouding of spiritual jnana (knowledge). That is driven away by pranayama. So, pranayama gives jnana: adhyatmic jnana (knowledge of atman), parama-arthic jnana (highest spiritual truth knowledge). [It is] not a cosmetic state of relaxed, quiet, fresh, blissful mind that can again engage in doing all the nonsense of business of life.

You will have byproducts, which, again, the shastra has I mentioned…. So many things are going to happen because the effect is so inclusive, so comprehensive. Therefore, there are various quotations which come in the texts.

The Skanda Purana says:

yoginaha siddhim apannah, samyak prana niyantranata.
The yogi attains (apannah) all those siddhis (powers) by proper (samyak) prana niyantrana (restraint of prana). [not traced]

Pranayama is so important in the spiritual pursuit. Don’t come under the influence of neo cults — neo-jnana, neo-Vedanta, neo-bhakti — where they don’t identify the contribution of the breath, shvasa, and prana. The bhakta thinks that it is just by devotion; the jnani thinks it is just by jnana. That is neo-jnana yoga, neo-karma yoga, neo-bhakti yoga, neo-any yoga. There are so many fruits which come from this great fruit given by pranayama. It’s more pervasive, [more] effective.

If you get 100 rupees. You can’t say, “I’m deprived of one or two rupees…,” because a hundred rupees includes 1 to… 99 rupees…. You can’t say I have a hundred, but I don’t have one. That 100 includes one. So, the more pervasive the fruit, the more inclusive it is.

Pranayama Leads to Spiritual Knowledge, Health is By-product +41.00

Therefore, all pranayamas give that ultimate, or spiritual, knowledge. Naturally so many fruits will come. Therefore, the shastras (texts) have also mentioned that the prana is so important in spiritual process. Breath is so important.

You will identify the importance of this in Upanishadic vidya (knowledge), and not neo-Vedantic vidya. Neo-Vedanta is [about] having good thought, good [memorization] of the Upanishads. Good memorization of the Brahma Sutra Siddhanta (ca. 450 C.E. foundational text of Vedanta expounded on by Shankara). It’s all intellectual processes, cerebral process. So, neo-jnana, new Vedanta, is very, very cerebral. But actual Vedanta, practical Vedanta, will never look down upon prana, pranayama, and the pranayamic processes.

So,

yoginam siddhim apannaha, samyak prana niyantranat,
The yogi attains (apannah) all those siddhis (powers) by proper (samyak) prana niyantrana (restraint of prana). [not traced]

says the Skanda Purana.

The Agni Purana [cites]

arogyam shilagha-avidvam utsaha svara-sausthigam
lack of disease, firm-skill, enthusiasm, good voice. [not traced]

Svara-sausthigam means good voice. Good voice is a by-product. That doesn’t mean pranayama is done for a good voice, but you get a good voice by pranayama.

So also, arogyam (lack of disease). The pranayama is not for arogyam, but arogyam [comes from] pranayama. You should not seek arogyam by pranayama. Arogyam will be attained by pranayama. It’s a by-product.

So also utsaha, that spiritedness, enthusiasm, and spirited mind.

So also

balavarna prasadach sarva dosha-kshaya phalam
the fruit (phalam) is strong appearance (balavarna), beauty (prasadaka), diminution (kshaya) of all the defects (dosha). [not traced]

Pranayama gives all these avantara phalas (intermediate fruits). It implies that you should not do pranayama for avantara phalas. Avantara phalas come by pranayama.

Then, the Vayu Purana says

pranayamena yuktasya, viparatsya niyatatmah, sarve dosha pranashyati, sattvastha shevayate.
By means of suitable (yuktasya) pranayama, of repeated (viparatsya) self-restraint (niyatatmah) cause all (sarve) defects (dosha) to disappear (pranashyati), serving (shevayate) firmness in sattva.[13] [not traced]

You become sattvastha (firm in sattva). So this is an essential fruit. Sarva dosha pranashyati (all defects disappear), this is essential fruit. Pranayamena yuktasya, viparatsya niyatatmah (self-restraint by means of repeated pranayama) — as a byproduct the person becomes more regulated. You should understand the byproducts and essential effects of pranayama. So also, the byproducts and essential effects of yoga.

Then, the Amrtanada Upanishad has a quotation

yatah parvatah tunam doshan dheyate dhaman atmana tatendhyata dosha dheyante prana nigrahat.
Because (yatah) the mountain (parvata) of defects (doshas) that bind (nigrahat)…[14]

We have mountainous defects (parvatah doshan) within: the shadripus, kleshas, vasanas. These are the mountainous defects in us that are all countered by pranayama:

pranayamena chittam shuddham bhavati
By means of pranayama, the chitta becomes (bhavati) purified (shuddham). [Darshana Upanishad] [not traced]

The shastras, have mentioned so many effects of pranayama. You should identify the contingent effect, resultant effect, and targeted effect.

Pranayama Purifies Chitta, Bestows Samadhi +45.00

If you have understood, pranayama can even bestow samadhi. Pranayama can [turn out] samadhi. Therefore [also] dhyana, dharana, pratyahara, [due to] the scope of pranayama in the classical sense of the term. Classical pranayama mentions all that.

This pranayama is not for the purification of the corporeal body, or cerebral mind. It is for chitta shuddhi (purification of chitta). It goes far beyond, in the realm of even the esoteric aspects of our embodiment. Therefore, pranayama is a great sadhana (spiritual practice). And pranayama is really a very great portal for essential yoga, quintessential yoga.

So, for more detailed studies, we’ll have to, again, understand what puraka (inhalation), rechaka (exhalation), and kumbhaka (retention) are, and the difference between shvasa (normal inhalation) and puraka, prashvasa (normal exhalation) and rechaka. There are so many things that we need to study….

I went through all these pancha koshas and long delineation of pranayama to merely tell you that pranayama is the source of all dhyana.[15] There is going to be a unique kind of dhyana which is the ashtanga dhyana, the yogic dhyana. The [other dhyanas] so far considered, were not necessarily yogic dhyanas. This is the yogic dhyana, or the dhyana that comes as the seventh limb of ashtanga yoga.

Pranayama Types — Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi +47.05

How does yogic dhyana happen? It is through pranayama. Pranayama is the gateway. Pranayama is the outer gate. Various layers of pranayama are the corridors. There is a pranayamic corridor up [to] that dhyana. If your dhyana is revoked, your pranayama is revoked. If your pranayama is revoked, your dhyana is revoked. There is concomitance of pranayama of a particular nature while it is dhyana. So, dhyana is a kind of pranayama….

| tatra pratyaya ekatanata dhyanam |
The uninterrupted flow (eka-tanata) of attention directed towards (pratyaya) the same point or region is dhyana (meditation). [PYS III.2]

is the definition of that seventh limb of dhyana. It is a kind of pranayama.

Dharana is a kind of pranayama:

| desha bandhah cha chittasya dharana |
Fixing (bandha) the chitta on one point or region (desha) is dharana (concentration). [PYS III.1]

is the definition. it is a kind of pranayama.

Pratyahara (control of the senses) — of what kind?

| sva-vishaya asamprayoge chittasya svarupa-anukarah iva indriyanam pratyaharah |
Withdrawing (asamprayoge) the senses (indriya), mind and consciousness (chitta) from contact with external objects (vishaya), and then drawing them inwards towards the Seer, is pratyahara. [PYS II.54]

It is the kind of pratyahara needed in the ashtanga channel. There are several pratyaharas which I related to you while dealing with pratyahara.[16] Pratyahara, as a yoganga (limb of yoga), as the fifth limb of yoga, is a kind of pranayama.

Dharana, as a sixth limb of ashtanga yoga, is a kind of pranayama. Dhyana, as a seventh limb of ashtanga yoga, is a kind of pranayama. Samadhi, as the eighth limb of yoga, is, again, a kind of pranayama.

Try to… visualize the scope of pranayama [as greater] than merely in-breath and out-breath. How far it can go. Otherwise, our idea is that in-breath and out-breath…, and some retention is pranayama. if we inhale in a particular way, it is pranayama. If we exhale in a particular way, it is pranayama. If we retain the breath in a particular way, you say it is pranayama.

But understand this dimension of it. Pranayama itself transforms into pratyahara. It’s a kind of pranayama. Pranayama itself transforms into dharana, It’s a kind of pranayama. Pranayama itself is also transformed into dhyana, therefore it is a kind of pranayama.

And samadhi also, similarly, is a kind of pranayama. Even in samprajnata samadhi (PYS I.17): There will be one kind of pranayama that is vitarka anugamata (accompanied by analysis). Another pranayama for vichara anugamata (accompanied by insight). Another kind of pranayama for ananda anugamata (accompanied by bliss). Another kind of pranayama for asmita anugamata (accompanied by being one with the Self). Another kind of pranayama for dharma megha samadhi (the raincloud of virtue: PYS IV.29). Another kind of pranayama for asamprajnata samadhi (a-cognitive: VB I.1.6).

Dhyana — Extension of Patanjali’s Pranayama +50.40

That is the extent of pranayama. Just try to visualize what must be pranayama. With that we come to the end of pranayama. From the scope of pranayama, we need to understand the dhyana of Patanjali — the third kind of dhyana which Patanjali has mentioned… is the extended pranayama of Patanjala pranayama.

With that, we come to the end of the delineation on pranayama in this kind of preliminary course. We are dealing with a very preliminary course of classical yoga, with a hint that Patanjali’s dhyana, ashtanga dhyana, is nothing but the extended process of pranayama.

Therefore, there are several stages of pranayama, several levels of pranayama, several hierarchies of pranayama, several grades of pranayama. With that we end the session.

[1]     The last lesson I told you to go through the 335 to 340 sound forms, and see how the nostrils act, respond, participate, and work differently: See “Prana Kriya — 335 Combinations From A to Ksha +22.20,” Lesson 33: Prana Kriya 8-15-20 .

[2]     I made a passing reference in the last session [about] inhaling or exhaling using namas: See “Nama Kriya — Each Mantra Alters Flow of Breath +29.30,” Lesson 33: Prana Kriya 8-15-20 .

[3]     Not orally, not by vaikhari (audible speech), but by madhyama vani (thought behind speech located at the throat): See “Four Speeches of Adhyatma +19.40,” Lesson 17: Vachika Kriya (Part 1).

[4]     Compare both in-breath and out-breath Rama Krishna, Rama Hari, Krishna Hari. You can then assume that the stambhana, or retention, also will be changing: See PYS II.50: Pranayama has three movements (vrttis): prolonged (dirgha) and fine (sukshma) inhalation (abhyantara), exhalation (bahya) and (stable) retention (stambha vrtti); (all) regulated (paridrshta) with precision (samkhya) according to duration (kala) and place (desha; also referring scope and breadth).

[5]     Last time I told you about the prthvi (earth) tattva, ap (water) tattva, tejas (fire) tattva, vayu (air) tattva, akasha (space) tattva: See “Kriya — List of Seventy +38.50,” Lesson 33: Prana Kriya 8-15-20 .

[6]     roga vritti nirodha: Note the play on words from chitta vritti nirodha (cessation of the movements of the chitta) of PYS I.2.

[7]     There is the bahiranga sadhana (external limbs of practice) of yoga, which includes the five from yama to pratyahara, including pranayama. Then, onwards, there is antaranga (internal limbs) sadhana, which is dharana, dhyana, and samadhi: See VB III.1: The five bahiranga sadhana have been discussed….

[8]     dharana, dhyana to samadhi, the three together called samyama: Samyama is found in Vachaspati Misra III.1.

[9]     In some of the previous sessions I told you about pratyahara: See “Pratyahara Means ‘Opposite (Prati-) Food (ahara),” “Pratyahara — The Senses Pursue Jnana, Not Vishayas (External Objects) +14.40,” “Senses Act as Bhogendriyas (Organs of Mundane Experience) +24.50,” Lesson 21: Pratyahara 6-6-20 .

[10]   I had told you that I would not to tell you about the third kind of dhyana which Patanjali has mentioned. I [only spoke of] the two kinds of dhyana, which Patanjali had mentioned: See “Pranayama — Gateway to Dhyana,” Lesson 23: Pranayama (Part 1) .

[11]   That’s the grosser pranayama, which has been explained in an earlier session — desha paridrshtata (regulation by place), kala paridrshtata (regulation by duration), samkhya paridrshtata (regulation by count): See “Pranayama Differs From Shvasayama — Desha Kala Samkhya Paridrshtah +07.50,” Lesson 32: Desha Kala Samkhya Regulation 8-14-20 .

[12]   Many of you might be familiar with that concept of soham sadhana: The so-aham mantra may be translated as “I am that,” referring to purusha (Isha Upanishad 16). When the phrase is inverted, hamsa means “great swan,” a reference to the atman. According to Gheranda Samhita V.84, all living creatures unconsciously chant the soham-hamsa mantra with the breath.

[13]   By means of suitable (yuktasya) pranayama, of repeated (viparatsya) self-restraint (niyatatmah) cause all (sarve) defects (dosha) to disappear (pranashyati), serving (shevayate) firmness in sattva.: BMR transcripton varies from subtitles. BMR translation subject to confirmation by authority.

[14]   Because (yatah) the mountain (parvata) of defects (doshas): BMR transcripton varies from subtitles. BMR translation subject to confirmation by authority. Just as the impurities of mountain-minerals are burnt by the blower, so the stains committed by the organs are burned by checking prana. Through pranayamas should be burnt the stains; through dharana, the sins; through pratyahara, the (bad) associations; and through dhyana, the godless qualities. Accessed 7-13-21 <https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/amritanada-upanishad-of-krishna-yajurveda/d/doc217058.html>

[15]   I went through all these pancha koshas and long delineation of pranayama to merely tell you that pranayama is the source of all dhyana: See “Pranamaya Kosha Infers What Pranayama Is +21.50,” “Pranamaya Kosha Underlies Annamaya Kosha (Nurtured By Food/Blood) +24.55,” “Annamaya Kosha Fosters Perception & Cognition +29.55,” “Pranamaya Kosha — Adhidaivika (Celestial) Aspects +32.45,” “Pranamaya Kosha — Prana Feeds Celestial Forces Within +39.20,” “Pranamaya Kosha Comprised of Five Pranas, Six Chakras +41.35,” Lesson 25: Pranayama (Part 3) ; “Pranayama Manages the Pranamaya Kosha,” Lesson 26: Pranayama Manages Chakras 6-21-20 ; “Pranayama — By, On, For, With, & In Pranamaya Kosha,” Pranamaya Kosha—Five Pranas 6-27-20 .

[16]   There are several pratyaharas which I related to you while dealing with pratyahara: See “Pratyahara Means ‘Opposite (Prati-) Food (ahara),” “Pratyahara — The Senses Pursue Jnana, Not Vishayas (External Objects) +14.40,” “Senses Act as Bhogendriyas (Organs of Mundane Experience) +24.50,” Lesson 21: Pratyahara 6-6-20 .