Chapter 5 · Verse 27

Path of Renunciation

स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांश्चक्षुश्चैवान्तरे भ्रुवोः। प्राणापानौ समौ कृत्वा नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ

sparśhān kṛitvā bahir bāhyānśh chakṣhuśh chaivāntare bhruvoḥ prāṇāpānau samau kṛitvā nāsābhyantara-chāriṇau yatendriya-mano-buddhir munir mokṣha-parāyaṇaḥ vigatechchhā-bhaya-krodho yaḥ sadā mukta eva saḥ

Word Meanings

sparśhān kṛitvā bahiḥ bāhyān chakṣhuḥ cha eva antare bhruvoḥ prāṇa-apānau samau kṛitvā nāsa-abhyantara chāriṇau yata indriya manaḥ buddhiḥ muniḥ mokṣha parāyaṇaḥ vigata ichchhā bhaya krodhaḥ yaḥ sadā muktaḥ eva saḥ

Translation

Shutting out all external sense contacts, fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, equalizing the inward and outward breaths flowing through the nostrils — the sage whose senses, mind, and intellect are mastered, who is wholly devoted to liberation, and from whom desire, fear, and anger have departed, is forever free.

Commentary

स्पर्शान् contacts? कृत्वा बहिः shutting out? बाह्यान् external? चक्षुः eye (gaze)? च and? एव even? अन्तरे in the middle? भ्रुवोः of the (two) eyrows? प्राणापानौ the outgoing and incoming breaths? समौ eal? कृत्वा having made? नासाभ्यन्तरचारिणौ moving inside the nostrils.Commentary The verses 27 and 28 deal with the Yoga of meditation (Dhyana). External objects or contacts are the sound and the other senseobjects. If the mind does not think of the external objects they are shut out from the mind. The senses are the doors or avenues through which sound and the other senseobjects enter the mind.If you fix the gaze between the eyrows the eyalls remain fixed and steady. Rhythmical breathing is described here. You will have to make the breath rhythmical. The mind becomes steady when the breath becomes rhythmical. When the breath becomes rhythmical there is perfect harmony in the mind and the whole system. (Cf.VI.10?14VIII.10)