Chapter 214 - The system of veins in the body and their benefits

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Fire-god said:

1-4. I shall describe the system of veins [i.e., nāḍī-cakra] by knowing which one would know lord Hari. Fibre-like things spread out from the bulbous root below the navel. They are seventy-two thousand situated at the centre of the navel. They spread out and occupy everywhere across, above and below. They are situated like a wheel. Among these iḍā, piṅgalā, suṣumnā, gāndhārī, hastijihvā, pṛthā, yaśā, alambuṣā, huhu and śaṅkhinī are the ten principal veins.

5-14. These veins are said to be carrying the ten life forces—prāṇa, apāna, samāna, udāna, vyāna, nāga, kūrma, kṛkara, devadatta and dhanañaya. Prāṇa is the chief wind and is the lord of the ten. The prāṇa makes the life living from exhalation after the inhalation. Remaining in the chest of beings it fills up daily. The prāṇa gets united with life by exhalation, inhalation and coughing. Because it moves out from the life it is said to be prāṇa. Apāna pushes down the food in men. It is said to be apāna because it is the wind that carries the urine and semen. The wind known as samāna equalises the blood, biles, phlegm and wind in the body (caused by) drinking, eating and smelling. The wind known as udāna agitates the vulnerable points and causes the quivering of lips, face and causes change in the complexion of the eye. (The wind) vyāna depresses the body and activates the disease. It is said to be vyāna because it returns from the throat and spreads out. The wind nāga (is known to be) in vomitting and kūrma remains in the opening. (The wind) kṛkara is in eating, devadatta in yawning, dhanañjaya in raising loud sound. They do not abandon even the dead. Thus goes the life cycle with the ten activities. Hence it is the cycle of veins.

15-20. The solstices, the equinoxes, day and night, the sun’s passage north and south of the equator, intercalary month, debt, the incomplete night and wealth (are attributed to the different parts of the body and their functions). The incomplete night would be the hiccough and the intercalary mouth the yawning. The debt would be coughing. The exhalation is said to be wealth. The right side (of the body) is known to be the north and the left side is designated as the south. The equinoctical [equinoctial?] points are said to be in the middle line passing through the two parts while the solstice is that passing from its own nervecentre to another centre. O Brahmin! Suṣumnā is established in the middle of the body, the iḍā on the left and the piṅgalā on the right. The prāṇa above is remembered to be the day. In the same way apāna would be the night. One wind (exists) in ten forms. The expanse in the middle of the body is said to be the lunar eclipse. The expanse between the principles of the body is known to be the solar eclipse.

21. Filling the abdomen with wind as much as one desires is known to be the prāṇāyāma known as the pūraka because it fills up.

22. After covering all the holes, one should remain like a pot after filling (the abdomen with air) without exhalation and inhalation. That is the kumbhaka (variety of) prāṇāyāma.

23-26. One who knows the sacred syllable should push the wind upwards and let out in one breath. He should evacuate it upwards (to the region of the brain). Since (lord) Śiva residing in the body (of beings) himself utters (that) (the letter ha), that is said to be the repetition for those who know the principles. That master of yoga does the repetition twenty-one thousand six hundred times in the course of a day and night. This gāyatrī known as the ajapā is of the form of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. There is no rebirth for one that repeats this ajapā (mantra).

27. The foremost kuṇḍalinī (the energy coiled in one of the psychometric centres) is considered to be associated with the moon, fire and sun. It is known to remain in the heart in the form. of a sprout.

28-32. The location of the creation should be therein because of its suspension from that. The foremost worshipper should contemplate therein the flowing ambrosia. The sakala (endowed with the parts) is known to be remaining in the body and the niṣkala (without the parts) as devoid of the body. That one who repeats haṃsa is the lord Sadāśiva (ever auspicious). That person remains in the body of the man both outside and inside just as oil in the sesamum and fragrance in the flowers. Lord Brahmā has his place in the heart. Lord Viṣṇu remains at the throat. Lord Rudra is situated in the middle of the cheeks. Lord Maheśvara is at the forehead. Lord Śiva should be known as the tip of the vital principle and the higher ^d the lower as its end. The sakala form is said to be of five kinds and niṣkala form as the contrary.

33-41. That person who produces the sound that is prāsāda (propitious) and repeats hundred times would no doubt get accomplished in six months endowed with yoga. There will be destruction of all sins because of the knowledge of the past and future events. One would get virtues such as aṇinā (the power to become minute as an atom) in six months. The prāsāda been described by me as three: gross, subtle and foremost. Prāsāda is of three kinds—short, long and protracted. The short one burns sins. The long one would confer emancipation. The elongated one is in accomplishing things. It is adorned with a dot on its head. The syllable phaṭ is beneficial at the beginning and end of the short sound for the sake of destroying an enemy. The heart (mantra) at the beginning and end is stated to be useful in captivating (others’ minds). One should repeat (the same) five lakhs time (standing facing) the southern face of the deity. After the repetition there should be oblation of ghee ten thousand times. With the sacred syllable having been accomplished thus one should do the repetition for captivating etc. It is void above, void in the middle and void below. It is devoid of blemishes. Whichever brahmin knows the three voids would certainly be released (from the mundane existence). One is said to be not a preceptor if he does not know the prāsāda, made of the five sacred syllables, endowed with thirty-eight parts. So also the preceptor knows the syllable oṃ, the gāyatrī, (lord) Rudra and others.