Verse 11.248

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

सव्याहृतिप्रणवकाः प्राणायामास्तु षोडश ।
अपि भ्रूणहनं मासात् पुनन्त्यहरहः कृताः ॥ २४८ ॥

savyāhṛtipraṇavakāḥ prāṇāyāmāstu ṣoḍaśa |
api bhrūṇahanaṃ māsāt punantyaharahaḥ kṛtāḥ || 248 ||

Sixteen ‘Breath-Suppressions’ with the Vyāhṛtis and the Praṇava, performed daily, purify, in a month, even the ‘murderer of the embryo’ (Brāhmaṇa).—(248)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Breath’—is air moving along the mouth and the nostrils,—its ‘suppression’ means its suspension and it is known as standing for the control of the air moving outwards, as also that proceeding inward.

‘Vyāhṛtis’—the seven syllables (‘bhūḥ’ and the rest).

‘Praṇava’—the syllable ‘Om.’

What the verse means is that ‘one shall perform the breath-suppressions with the Vyāhṛtis and the Praṇava.’

‘Sixteen’—is the number of repetitions of the act.

“What sort of association is there (between the breath-suspension and the syllables)?”

Some people say that what is meant is that ‘after each suppression of breath, the Vyāhṛtis and the Praṇava should be repeated.’

Others declare that the syllable should be meditated upon during the time that the breath is suppressed.

“What is the time for each breath-suppression?”

It shall be continued so long as the suppression of breath does not begin to be painful.

‘Breath-suppression’ stands for what has been described under the names ‘Kumbhaka,’ ‘Pūraka’ and ‘Rechaka’—and not mere suspension of breathing. And for these there can be no restriction as to time.

‘Even the murderer of the embryo.’—The term ‘even’ is meant to include others also whose sins resemble that of ‘murdering the embryo.’—(248)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (3.302), which adds that this refers to cases where the penetint is unable to give cows;—and in Aparārka (p. 44 and p. 1216), which adds that this is destructive of all heinous offences; and declares that what is here expressly stated implies also such observances as celibacy, truthfulness, sleeping on the ground, eating only haviṣya food and so forth.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana (4.1.29).—‘Sixteen breath-suspensions, accompanied by the Vyāhṛtis and by the syllable Om, repeated daily, purify, after a month, even the slayer of a learned Brāhmaṇa.’

Vaśiṣṭha (26.4).—(Same as above.)

Viṣṇu (55.2).—‘The killer of Brāhmaṇa is purified, if, having approached a river, he suspends his breath sixteen times and takes only one meal of sacrificial food, each day, for a month.’