SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImath varavaramunayE nama:
SlOkam – Original
apAnE juhvathi prANam prANE ’pAnam thathAparE |
prANApAna gathI rudhvA prANAyAmaparAyaNA: ||
aparE niyathAhArA: prANAn prANEshu juhvathi |
word-by-word meaning
prANAyAma parAyaNA: – Those who are focussed on prANAyAma
niyathAhArA: – with regulated food habits
aparE – some karma yOgis
apAnE prANAm juhvathi – are firmly established in pUraka (inhaling) which works on merging prANa vAyu into apAna vAyu (different types of vital-air)
thathA aparE – other similar karma yOgis
prANE apAnam juhvathi – are firmly established in rEchaka (exhaling) which works on merging apAna vAyu into praNa vAyu
thathA aparE – other similar karma yOgis
prANApAna gathI – the upward flow of prANa and the downward flow of apAna
rudhvA – stopping it
prANEshu prANAn juhvathi – are firmly established in kumbhaka (holding the breath) which works on uniting all prANa within itself.
Simple Translation
karma yOgis who are focussed on prANAyAma with regulated food habits are firmly established in pUraka (inhaling) which works on merging prANa vAyu into apAna vAyu (different types of vital-air); other similar karma yOgis are firmly established in rEchaka (exhaling) which works on merging apAna vAyu into praNa vAyu; other similar karma yOgis are firmly established in kumbhaka (holding the breath – stopping the upward flow of prANa and the downward flow of apAna) which works on uniting all prANa within itself.
Rendering based on ALkoNdavilli gOvindhAchArya swAmy’s English translation of gIthA bhAshyam
‘Others, the practicers of prāṇāyāma[1. The controlling and regulation of breath. See Yoga Sutra I-34, and Haṭha-yoga-pradīpika and other works on Yoga. Prāṇa is not mere breath, but life-breath, or vital energy having intimate relation with mind, nerve-force and all forces which direct organic processes. It is called by various names, animal magnetism, aura, odic force etc.], observing food-restrictions, sacrifice prāṇa in apāna, apāna in prāṇa, and restraining both the currents, prāṇa and apāna, sacrifice prāṇa in prāṇa.’
Other karma-yogis devote themselves to prāṇāyāma[2. The controlling and regulation of breath. See Yoga Sutra I-34, and Haṭha-yoga-pradīpika and other works on Yoga. Prāṇa is not mere breath, but life-breath, or vital energy having intimate relation with mind, nerve-force and all forces which direct organic processes. It is called by various names, animal magnetism, aura, odic force etc.]-practices. They consist of three parts, called Rechaka, Pūraka and Kumbhaka.
‘Sacrificing prāṇa in apāna‘ is Pūraka or breathing in.
‘Apāna in Prāṇa‘ is Rechaka or breathing out.
‘And restraining both the currents, prāṇa and apāna, and sacrificing prāṇa in prāṇā, is Kumbhaka or stopping (or holding) the breath.
The practicers of these require regulated diet[3. Cp. Bh: Gī: VI 16; XVII-7.].
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