Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1091

c8.1091

Life, Prāṇa, travels through the nāḍicakra depending on ten different courses, i.e. Saṅkrānti, Viṣuva, Ahar, Rātri, the two ayanas (Dakṣiṇa and Uttara), Adhivāsa Ṛṇa, Ūnarātra and Dhana. Ūnarātra means hiccough, Ṛṇa cough, Dhana breathing and Adhivāsa yawning. Of the two ayanas, Uttara and Dakṣiṇa, the former is the course towards the left and the latter towards the right and Viṣuva is the centre between the two. Saṅkrānti is the change of position of Viṣuva. On he left side of the human body is the nāḍī called Iḍā, on the right side Piṅgalā and between the two Suṣumnā. The prāṇa above these three nāḍīs is Ahar i.e. day and that below is Apāna, i.e. night. Thus every vāyu assumes ten different forms.