History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c94.256

v7.c94.256

The word 'prāṇāyāma' does not occur in any of the principal Upaniṣads.²³⁵⁷ But it occurs frequently in the Sūtras. For example, the Āp. Dh. S. provides that if a householder²³⁵⁸ is still asleep when the sun rises he should fast and keep silent that day (till night) and observes that, according to some ācāryas, he should continue to perform prāṇāyāma till he feels exhausted (by way of penance). The Gaut. Dh. S. states that if animals other than dogs, snakes, frogs and cats pass between the teacher and the pupil when the latter has sat down before the former for study, he (pupil) should practise three prāṇāyāmas and should partake of some clarified butter (by way of prāyaścitta). Similarly, it provides that if a person smells the odour from the mouth of one that has drunk liquor, he should perform (as penance) three prāṇāyāmas and should partake of clarified butter and that if a Vedic student chances to see an impure person like a Cāṇḍāla, he should, after performing one Prāṇāyāma, look at the sun. Similarly, Baud Dh. S. (IV. 1. 4-11, prose) provides prāṇāyāmas as expiation for several lapses.