Sūtra 2.49 [The definition of prāṇāyāma]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of sūtra 2.49:

तस्मिन्सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः ॥ २.४९ ॥

tasminsati śvāsapraśvāsayorgativicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ || 2.49 ||

(49) That (āsana) having been perfected, regulation of the flow of inhalation and exhalation is prāṇāyāma.

Ancient and Modern interpretation:

After āsanas are perfected and one conquers the dualities like happiness–misery, pleasure-pain etc. Sādhaka establishes into āsana and gets control over the mental sheath. After that nāḍis get cleaned by nāḍiśodhana prāṇāyāma and then kumbhaka or prāṇāyāma can be practised as per Haṭhayogapradīpikā.

Osho explains, prāṇāyāma is to breathe with whole, to become breath of eternal and the whole is prāṇāyāma. Then your life energy goes on expanding with trees and mountains and sky and stars and you disappear completely.

Prāṇaśakti needs to be handled with utmost care as otherwise said in Haṭhayogapradīpikā^[1] —

“Just as lions, elephants and tigers are gradually controlled, so the prāṇa is controlled through practice. Otherwise the practitioner is destroyed.”

Hence Patañjali has said—

tasmin sati /

So, one has to be careful before starting prāṇāyāma. Here inhalation and exhalation are called as pūraka and recaka in Yogic language,which is in 1:2 proportion normally.

Here, gatirviccheda means to control the speed of pūraka and recaka and be in kumbhaka stage or reducing the speed of pūraka and recaka.

In Haṭhayogapradīpikā, ^[2] eight types of prāṇāyāmas, is called as kumbhaka.

The eight kumbhakas are:—

1. sūryabheda,
2. ujjāyī,
3. sītkārī,
4. śītalī,
5. bhasrikā,
6. bhrāmarī,
7. mūrcchā and
8. plāvinī.

Hariharānanda Araṇya says, this prāṇāyāma of Patañjaliis different than haṭhayoga which is exhalation (recaka), inhalation (pūraka) and suspension (kumbhaka). Here it is called as suspension of breath.

Vyāsa in his commentary has not given terms as pūraka, recaka and kumbhaka.These terms are used by Vācaspati, Haṭhayogapradīpikā and Gheraṇḍa-Samhitā.

Taimni has given some features of prāṇāyāma as:

1) It is not deep breathing.Deep breathing doesnot affect prāṇic currents;

2) Purification of nāḍis is a preparatory practice. Breathing alternately through the two nostrils affect prāṇic currents;

3) Real prāṇāyāma begins during kumbhaka;

4) Prāṇāyāma has to be practised for a long time.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

H.P. II-15 — [...] ||15||

[2]:

H.P. II-44 — [...] ||44||