Mulabandha, Mula-bandha, Mulabamdha, Mūlabandha: 9 definitions
Introduction:
Mulabandha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Hinduism
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Source: Wisdom Library: YogaFrom the Haṭha Yogha Pradīpikā (chapter III): “Pressing Yoni (perineum) with the heel, contract up the anus. By drawing the Apāna thus, Mūla Bandha is made.” (śl. 61) and “The Apāna, naturally inclining downward, is made to go up by force. This Mūla Bandha is spoken of by Yogīs as done by contracting the anus.” (śl. 62) and “Pressing the heel well against the anus, draw up the air by force, again and again till it (air) goes up.” (śl. 62)
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Ayurveda (science of life)
Rasashastra (Alchemy and Herbo-Mineral preparations)
Source: Google Books: The Alchemical BodyMūlabandha (मूलबन्ध, “root lock”):—An inner contractyion of the anus which draws the downward-tending apāna breath upward throuh the medial channel.
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: WikiPedia: HinduismMūla Bandha (मूल बंध) is a Sanskrit compound term:
- Mūla denotes "root", "base", "beginning", "foundation", "origin or cause", "basis", "source";
- Bandha denotes "bondage", "fetter", "posture", "joining together", "catching hold of".
Iyengar (1976: p. 525) defines Mūla Bandha as a posture where the body from the anus to the navel is contracted and lifted up and towards the spine.
Mūla Bandha is the principal, key and primary Bandha of the Yogic traditions. Mūla Bandha is endemic to all safe, grounded workings of bodymind disciplines. This Bandha in and of itself conditions the Muladhara Chakra, simultaneously keening, rooting and engaging the systemic plethora of processes that constitute bodymind and with diligence resolving them in discipline and accord. Mūla Bandha should be held as a restraint only after kumbhaka, which in this instance is where the breath is expressed in its entirety and held outside the body. Iyengar (1976: p. 435) likens the functionality of the Bandha and especially Mūla Bandha to "safety-valves which should be kept shut during the practice of kumbhakas".
Iyengar (1976: p. 437) specifies the energetic prāṇas of Vāyu engaged through Mūla Bandha as: "...Apāna Vāyu (the prāṇa in the lower abdomen), whose course is downwards, is made to flow up to unite with Prāna Vāyu, which has its seat within the region of the chest."
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarymūḷabāndha (मूळबांध).—m sometimes mūḷabanda m A mound thrown across fields to confine or sustain water.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryMūlabandha (मूलबन्ध).—a particular position of the fingers.
Derivable forms: mūlabandhaḥ (मूलबन्धः).
Mūlabandha is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mūla and bandha (बन्ध).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Mūlabandha (मूलबन्ध):—[=mūla-bandha] [from mūla > mūl] mfn. deep-rooted (a sin), [Rāmatāpanīya-upaniṣad]
2) [v.s. ...] m. a [particular] position of the fingers, [Catalogue(s)]
[Sanskrit to German]
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusMūlabaṃdha (ಮೂಲಬಂಧ):—[noun] (yoga.) a particular position of fingers.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Mula, Bandha.
Starts with: Mulabandhana, Mulabandhasana.
Full-text: Mulabandhasana, Bandha, Dattatreyayogashastra, Mahabandha, Mushti, Mudra, Simhasana, Padmasana.
Relevant text
Search found 24 books and stories containing Mulabandha, Mula-bandha, Mūla-bandha, Mulabamdha, Mūlabaṃdha, Mūlabandha, Mūḷabāndha, Mūlabāndha; (plurals include: Mulabandhas, bandhas, Mulabamdhas, Mūlabaṃdhas, Mūlabandhas, Mūḷabāndhas, Mūlabāndhas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The body in early Hatha Yoga (by Ruth Westoby)
Appendix 2 - Gorakṣaśataka (select verses)
The Gorakṣaśataka and Haṭha Yoga < [Introduction: Female:body]
Draw upwards and protect: Ȧkuñcana and Rakṣaṇa < [Chapter 4 - ‘I will slay your red dragon’]
The concept of Yoga according to Yoga Upanisads (by Jeong Soo Lee)
2.3. The concept of Bandha (in Yoga) < [Chapter 7 - Hatha, Laya, and Mantra Yoga in the Yogopanisads]
1.6. The concept of Kundalini (according to Yoga) < [Chapter 7 - Hatha, Laya, and Mantra Yoga in the Yogopanisads]
Studies in Indian Literary History (by P. K. Gode)
56. The Uddiyana Bandha of Hatha-yoga I < [Volume 1 (1945)]
Index (of first volume) < [Volume 1 (1945)]
The concept of Yoga in Yoga Upanishads (by Philomina T.L)
17. The Means of Yoga or the Yogāṅgas < [Chapter 4 - The contents of the Yogopaniṣads]
10. Description of Saṃpuṭa-Yoga < [Chapter 4 - The contents of the Yogopaniṣads]
Jnaneshwari (Bhavartha Dipika) (by Ramchandra Keshav Bhagwat)
Verse 18.52 < [Chapter 18 - Moksha-sannyasa-yoga]
Verse 12.3-4 < [Chapter 12 - Bhakti-yoga]
Verse 6.12 < [Chapter 6 - Dhyana-yoga]
The Nervous System in Yoga and Tantra (Study) (by Ashok Majumdar)
4.3. Sthirata (fortitude) and Mudras < [Chapter 2 - The Eight Components of Yoga]