Chapter 8 · Verse 12

Path of the Eternal God

सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च। मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम्

sarva-dvārāṇi sanyamya mano hṛidi nirudhya cha mūrdhnyādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām

Word Meanings

sarva-dvārāṇi — all gates; sanyamya — restraining; manaḥ — the mind; hṛidi — in the heart region; nirudhya — confining; cha — and; mūrdhni — in the head; ādhāya — establish; ātmanaḥ — of the self; prāṇam — the life breath; āsthitaḥ — situated (in); yoga-dhāraṇām — the yogic concentration

Language:

Translation

Restraining all the gates of the body, confining the mind in the heart, and fixing the life-breath in the head, one should remain established in yogic concentration.

Commentary

सर्वद्वाराणि all gates? संयम्य having controlled? मनः mind? हृदि in the heart? निरुध्य having confined? ट and? मूर्ध्नि in the head? आधाय having placed? आत्मनः of the self? प्राणम् breath? आस्थितः established (in)? योगधारणाम् practice of concentration.Commentary The gates are the senses of knowledge. Closing the gates means control of all senses by the practice of Pratyahara or withdrawal of the consciousness from them. Even if the senses are controlled? the mind will be dwelling on the sensual objects. Therefore the mind is confined or fixed in the lotus of the heart and thery all the thoughts or mental modifications are also controlled. The whole lifreath is now taken up and fixed at the crown of the head (Brahmarandhra or the hole of Brahman).