Śāṇḍilya Upaniṣad 1.3_2

1.3_2

śarīrāntargatāḥ sarve rogā vinaśyanti | viṣāṇi jīryante | yena kenāsanena sukhadhāraṇaṃ bhavatyaśaktastatsamācaret | yenāsanaṃ vijitaṃ jagattrayaṃ tena vijitaṃ bhavati | yamaniyamābhyāṃ saṃyuktaḥ puruṣaḥ prāṇāyāmaṃ caret | tena nāḍyaḥ śuddhā bhavanti ||

1.3_2.p1

atha hainamatharvāṇaṃ śāṇḍilyaḥ papraccha kenopāyena nāḍyaḥ śuddhāḥ syuḥ | nāḍyaḥ katisaṃkhyākāḥ | tāsāmutpattiḥ kīdṛśī | tāsu kati vayavastiṣṭhanti | teṣāṃ kāni sthānāni | tatkarmāṇi kāni | dehe yāni yāni vijñātavyāni tatsarvaṃ me brūhīti | sa hovāca atharvāṇa athedaṃ śarīraṃ ṣaṇṇavatyaṅgulātmakaṃ bhavati | śarīrātprāṇo dvādaśāṅgulādhiko bhavati | śarīrasthaṃ prāṇamagninā saha yogābhyāsena samaṃ nyūnaṃ vā yaḥ karoti sa yogipuṅgavo bhavati | dehamadhye śikhisthānaṃ trikoṇaṃ taptajāmbūnadaprabhaṃ manuṣyāṇām | catuṣpadāṃ caturasram | vihaṅgānāṃ vṛttākāram | tanmadhye śubhā tanvī pāvakī śikhā tiṣṭhati | gudādvyaṅgulādūrdhvaṃ meḍhrādvyaṅgulādadho dehamadhyaṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ bhavati | catuṣpadāṃ hṛnmadhyam | vihaṅgānāṃ tuṅgamadhyam | dehamadhyaṃ navāṅgulaṃ caturaṅgulamutsedhāyatamaṇḍākṛti | tanmadhye nābhiḥ | tatra dvādaśārayutaṃ cakram | taccakramadhye puṇyapāpapracodito jīvo bhramati | tantupañjaramadhyasthalūtikā yathā bhramati tathā cāsau tatra prāṇaścarati | dehe'smiñjīvaḥ prāṇārūḍho bhavet | nābhestiryagadhaūrdhvaṃ kuṇḍalinīsthānam | aṣṭaprakṛtirūpāṣṭadhā kuṇḍalīkṛtā kuṇḍalinī śaktirbhavati | yathāvadvāyusaṃcāraṃ jalānnādīni paritaḥ skandhaḥ pārśveṣu nirudhyainaṃ mukhenaiva samāveṣṭya brahmarandhraṃ yogakāle cāpānenāgninā ca sphurati | hṛdayākāśe mahojjvalā jñānarūpā bhavati | madhyasthakuṇḍalinīmāśritya mukhyā nāḍyaścaturdaśa bhavanti | iḍā piṅgalā suṣumnā sarasvatī vāruṇī pūṣā hastijihvā yaśasvinī viśvodarī kuhūḥ śaṅkhinī payasvinī alambusā gāndhārīti nāḍyacaturdaśa bhavanti | tatra suṣumnā viśvadhāriṇī mokṣamārgeti cācakṣate | gudasya pṛṣṭhabhāge vīṇādaṇḍāśritā mūrdhaparyantaṃ brahmarandhre vijñeyā vyaktā sūkṣmā vaiṣṇavī bhavati | suṣumnāyāḥ savyabhāge iḍā tiṣṭhati | dakṣiṇabhāge piṅgalā iḍāyāṃ candraścarati | piṅgalāyāṃ raviḥ | tamorūpaścandraḥ | rajorūpo raviḥ | viṣabhāgo raviḥ | amṛtabhāgaścandramāḥ | tāveva sarvakālaṃ dhatte | suṣumnā kālabhoktrī bhavati | suṣumnā pṛṣṭhapārśvayoḥ sarasvatīkuhū bhavataḥ | yaśasvinīkuhūmadhye vāruṇī pratiṣṭhitā bhavati | pūṣāsarasvatīmadhye payasvinī bhavati | gāndhārīsarasvatimadhye yaśasvinī bhavati | kandamaye'lambusā bhavati| suṣumnāpūrvabhāge meḍhrāntaṃ kuhūrbhavati | kuṇḍalinyā adhaścordhvaṃ vāruṇī sarvagāminī bhavati | yaśasvinī saumyā ca pādāṅguṣṭhāntamiṣyate | piṅgalā cordhvagā yāmyanāsāntaṃ bhavati | piṅgalāyāḥ pṛṣṭhato yāmyanetrānataṃ pūṣā bhavati | yāmyakarṇāntaṃ yaśasvinī bhavati | jihvāyā ūrdhvānataṃ sarasvatī bhavati | āsavyakarṇāntamūrdhvagā śaṅkhinī bhavati | iḍāpṛṣṭhabhāgātsavyanetrāntagā gāndhārī bhavati | pāyumūlādadhordhvagālambusā bhavati | etāśca caturdaśasu nāḍīṣvanyā nāḍyaḥ saṃbhavanti | tāsvanyāstāsvanyā bhavantīti vijñeyāḥ ||

Then Śāṇdilya questioned Aṭharvan thus: "By what means are the nādis purified? How many are they in number? How do they arise? What vāyus (vital airs) are located in them? What are their seats? What are their functions? Whatever is worthy of being known in the body, please tell me." To that Aṭharvan replied (thus): "This body is ninety-six digits in length. Prāṇa extends twelve digits beyond the body. He who through the practice of yoga reduces his prāṇa within his body to make it equal to or not less than the fire in it becomes the greatest of the yogins. In men, the region of fire which is triangular in form and brilliant as the molten gold is situated in the middle of the body. In four-footed animals, it (fire) is quadrangular. In birds, it is round. In its (the region of fire's) centre, the purifying, beneficial, and subtle flame is situate. Two digits above the anus and two digits below the sexual organ is the centre of the body for men. For four-footed animals, it is the middle of the heart. For birds, it is the middle of the body. Nine digits from (or above) the centre of the body and four digits in length and breadth is situated an oval form. In its midst is the navel. In it, is situated the chakra (viz., wheel) with twelve spokes. In the middle of the chakra, the jīva (Āṭmā) wanders, driven by its good and bad deeds. As a spider flies to and fro within a web of fine threads, so prāṇa moves about here. In this body, the jīva rides upon prāṇa. Lying in the middle of the navel and above it, is the seat of kunḍalinī. The kunḍalinī śakṭi is of the form of eight prakṛṭis (matter) and coils itself eight ways or (times). The movement of vāyus (vital airs) checks duly the food and drink all round by the side of skanḍha. It closes by its head (the opening of) the brahmaranḍhra, and during the time of (the practice of) yoga is awakened by the fire (in the apāna); then it shines with great brilliancy in the ākāś of the heart in the shape of wisdom. Depending upon kunḍalinī which is situated in the centre, there are fourteen principal nādis (viz.,) Idā, Piṅgalā, Sushumnā, Sarasvaṭī, Vāruṇī, Pūshā, Hasṭijihvā, Yaśasvinī, Viśvoḍharī, Kuhūḥ, Śāṅkhinī, Payasvinī, Alambusā, and Gānḍhārī. Of them, Sushumnā is said to be the sustainer of the universe and the path of salvation. Situated at the back of the anus, it is attached to the spinal column and extends to the brahmaranḍhra of the head and is invisible and subtle and is vaishṇavī (or has the śakṭi force of Vishṇu). On the left of Sushumnā is situated Idā, and on the right is Piṅgalā. The moon moves in Idā and the sun in Piṅgalā. The moon is of the nature of ṭamas and the sun of rajas. The poison share is of the sun and the nectar of the moon. They both direct (or indicate) time and Sushumnā is the enjoyer (or consumer) of time. To the back and on the side of Sushumnā are situate Sarasvaṭī and Kuhūḥ respectively. Between Yaśasvinī and Kuhūḥ stands Vāruṇī. Between Pasha and Sarasvaṭī lies Payasvinī. Between Gānḍhārī and Sarasvaṭī is situated Yaśasvinī. In the centre of the navel is Alambusā. In front of Sushumnā there is Kuhūḥ, which proceeds as far as the genital organ. Above and below kunḍalinī is situated Vāruṇī, which proceeds everywhere. Yaśasvinī which is beautiful (or belonging to the moon), proceeds to the great toes. Piṅgalā goes upwards to the right nostril. Payasvinī goes to right ear. Sarasvaṭī goes to the upper part or the tongue and Śāṅkhinī to the left ear, (while) Gānḍhārī goes from the back of Idā to the left eye. Alambusā goes upwards and downwards from the root of the anus. From these fourteen nādis, other (minor) nādis spring; from them springing others, and from them springing others; so it should be known. As the leaf of the aśvaṭṭha tree (ficus religiosa) etc., is covered with minute fibres so also is this body permeated with nādis.