Chapter LXVII - The science of Pavana Vijaya (conquest of breath)

Suta said:—Now I shall narrate to you the science of divination which the god Hara learned from Hari and disclosed to his consort Gauri, and the data of which can be gathered from one’s own internal system or organism. The Mars, the Fire-God, the Sun, the Earth, the Saturn, the Water-God and the Nodes (Rahu), should be deemed as seated in, or permeating with their respective influences, the air or the vital wind that blows through the right nostril of a man; whereas the Jupiter, the Venus, the Mercury and the Moon should be regarded as the presiding planets of the wind that escapes through his left nostril. Rites or incantations undertaken or practised for the acquisition of territories or a place in the king’s service, as well as acts such as the first starting of a trade or the first interview of a king, and auspicious works in general, should be performed when the breath-wind would blow through one’s left nostril, The Saturn, the Nodes, the Mars, the Sun, and the Planet of Water, should be deemed as ascendant when the process of respiration would be performed through the right nostril, and all baneful principles should be likewise regarded as dominant with them.

The good or evil fate of a man can be divined from the escapage of the breath-wind through the different nostrils as well as from the predominance of the concomitant principles (Svarodaya) in the diviner. Networks of nerves of varied shape and immense extensions run through the body in all directions. From the nerve-bulb or nerve ganglion alone, situated below the umbilicus, there branch out no less than seventy-two thousand nerves, rolled up in the form of a coil or wheel, each carrying away the stream of life in their course. Three out of these innumerable nerves, pre-eminently rank as the most important. These three (occult) nerves run below the spinal column of a man, the left one being called the Ida, and the right one, the Pingala. The central one of this nerve system is called the Sushumna. The Moon is the presiding deity of the Ida or the left nerve, the Pingala or the right nerve is effulgent with the light of the sun, while the Sushumna or the central one owns the Fire-God as its tutelary divinity, and is the destroyer of all phenomenal life. The Ida or the left nerve flows with the stream of divine ambrosia and laves the shores of the organic world with a perpetual flow of life. The Pingala or the right nerve is permeated with the essence of the god of destruction (Rudra) and carries within it the principle of universal dissolution. The concerted work of these two nerves (the left and the right) leads to death and ushers in an absolute breakdown of all undertakings.

Inspiration or taking in of the breath wind is performed by means of the Ida, while respiration or the process of letting it out, is done with the help of the Pingala.

All blissful or auspicious acts, should be undertaken when the vital energy of the doer would remain confined to the Ida, while all fatal, or harmful incantations should be practised when the same would be lodged in the Pingala. Sojourn to a distant land and all processes for the elimination of poison from the human system, should be started under the auspices of the flowing of the vital stream through the Ida, while a predominance of the Pingala (flowing of the life stream through Pingala) in a man, should be deemed as the most auspicious occasion for taking his dinner, or visiting his wife, or fighting his antagonist. Similarly a predominance of the Pingala should be made use of, in practising incantations which are fatal in their effect or can send one’s adversary crazy from his household. A dinner, or a battle, or a sexual intercourse, partaken of, entered into, or commenced during the assendency of the Pingala, is sure to be crowned with success.

Kings and crowned heads, should take advantage of such a state of the Ida, in undertaking all acts which tend to make men happy, as well as in commencing a sojourn to a distant country, or in practising venomous charms or those which bring about the fruition (realisation) of one’s own speech. A simultaneous flowing of the life current through both of these occult nerves (Ida and Pingala) should be interpreted to indicate an occasion when charms of both blissful and fatal virtues, should not be practised, and such a state should be deemed as the equator of life. A predominance of the left occult nerve is the most auspicious occasion for the purposes of a journey and for practising all lucky incantations, as well as for undertaking all works of profit and victory and those that contribute to the preservation of health and life. Similarly an ascendency of the right occult nerve, Pingala, should be deemed as the signal moment for starting on a military expedition, or for visiting the bed of a woman and for undertaking, all minor acts in general.

A battle should be commenced, when the general or the warrior leading the attack, would feel his vital wind blowing through the occult nerves of the Sun and the Moon, and a person with such a state of vital air, enquiring about the probable result of the battle, should be assured of the success of the party on whose behalf he had consulted the diviner. Such a party is sure to conquer the whole country lying at the angle of the compass which the vital wind blows to, even if the lord of the celestials confronts his army as an opposing rival. The ten occult nerves, such as the Aries, etc., and which are arranged in both sides of a human frame, represent the Lagnas such as the Chara (mobile) the Sthira (fixed), etc.

The diviner or prophet should hold up his face, in the shape of a bell after the enquirer had finished putting his query, and he would take in or let out his breath wind simultaneously with the inspiration or respiration of the enquirer. O Shiva, the five fundamental material principles of the universe, are situated in the right and left sides of a human organism. The predominance of the principles of fire in a human system, should be inferred from the escaping of the vital wind along the upper part of the nostril, while the ascendency of the water principle, should be judged from its outflow, touching the bottom line of the nostril. In the same manner the escaping of the breath-wind in a slanting direction, would indicate the predominance of the principle of wind. The predominence of the earth principle would be indicated by the breath-wind keeping a middle path inside the nostril, while the predominance of the principle of sky should be inferred from the outflow of the breath as stuffing the nostril and running in all directions.

Incantations, endued with the mystic virtues of destroying life, should be practised during the ascendency of the principle of fire, rites of pacification during the predominance of the water-principle, charms for distracting human mind during the predominance of the wind, spells for benumbing the faculties of one’s adversary during the ascendency of the earth principle, while penances for the emancipation of one’s own self, should be practised during the predominance of the principle of the sky or ether.