Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.986

c4.986

4) Prāṇāyāma. Control of Prāṇa (Prāṇa is the life giving breath and āyāma is the checking of it). Select an airy place and be seated in an ordinary āsana facing north or east after taking your early morning bath. Sit erect with your breast slightly pushed forward and your head slightly drawn back. Then complete one Prāṇāyāma doing Pūraka, Kumbhaka and Recaka. The Rudrayāmala states thus about Prāṇāyāma. Ghrāṇaṃ saṃpīḍya mantravit Iḍayā pūrayedvāyuṃ Mātrā ṣoḍaśabhiḥ kramāt Aṅguṣṭhānāmikābhyāñca Dhṛtvā nāsādvayaṃ tataḥ Tatastu kampayedvāyuṃ Pūrakāṇām caturgaṇaiḥ Anāmayā tathā vāma- Nāsāṃ dhṛtvā tu dakṣiṇe Dvātriṃśadbhistu mātrābhir Vāyurecanamācaret. Closing the right nostril by the thumb of the right hand and inhaling air through the left nostril taking 16 seconds is called Pūraka. Closing the nostrils by the thumb and ring-finger and keeping the breath for 64 seconds is called Kumbhaka. Closing the left nostril well and then exhaling through the right nostril taking 32 seconds is called Recaka. Pūrakas should be done through the same nostril through which you have done Recaka. (You must do at least ten Prāṇāyāmas at a time).
5) Pratyāhāra. Withdrawing the mind from worldly objects and sensuous pleasures.
6) Dhyāna. Keeping your mind fixed on the tip of your nose. Meditation.
7) Dhāraṇa. Steadily thinking of things you should know. Concentration.
8) Samādhi. The union of mind with God. This is a blissful superconscious state in which one perceives the identity of the individualised soul and cosmic spirit. (Yogābhyāsa). AṢṬAPRAMĀṆAS. Eight means of getting correct knowledge. Pratyakṣa, Anumāna, Upamāna, Śabda (Agama), Arthāpatti, Anupalabdhi (Abhāva) Aitihya. AṢṬARĀGĀDIS. Rāga, Dveṣa, Kāma, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada and Mātsarya (Rāga—Desire for sensuous pleasures. Dveṣa—Desire to seek vengeance on those who have offended you. Kāma—Desire for worldly possessions. Krodha—Anger, Lobha—Miserliness. Moha—Delusion. Mada—Pride. Mātsarya—Jealousy. AṢṬATĀRAṆĪ. Eight names of Tāraṇīdevī. They are: Tārā, Ugrā, Mahogrā, Vajrā, Kālī, Sarasvatī, Kāmeśvarī and Cāmuṇḍā. AṢṬĀVAKRA.
1) Birth. The sage Uddālaka had a disciple named Khagodara (Kahodara) and a daughter named Sujātā. Appreciating the devotion and good conduct of his disciple, Uddālaka gave his daughter Sujātā in marriage to him. Sujātā became pregnant. When once Khagodara was reciting from the Vedas the babe in the womb of Sujātā said, “I have learnt the mantra you are chanting but the way you chant it is wrong”. (The vibrations of sound created by the utterance of each word is important). Khagodara was angry and he cursed his babe in the womb thus “Since your mind seems to be crooked let your body also be of that type, with curves all over”. When Sujātā delivered the child it had eight bends and light curves and so the boy was named Aṣṭāvakra, meaning one with eight bends. (Chapter 132, Vana Parva, M.B.).