4. Harmful Results of Neglecting Rules

[Full title: Harmful Results of Neglecting the Prescribed Rules for Yoga Practice and the Remedies]

The result of neglecting the rules of Yoga practices are also mentioned in this Purāṇa. One may be attacked by some diseases for neglecting the rules prescribed for Yoga practice. He may be cured by yogic processes like prānāyāma and others. There are also various other remedies of cure the bad result. One should eat warm rice-gruel (yavāgā) mixed with ghee during the gastric troubles.^[1] By the proper diet of rice-gruel, one should cure the diseases of rheumatism, flatulence and enlargement of the abdomen, internal circulation or obstructed wind of the body. The Yogins should make his mind as stable as a mountain. At the time of impairing the speech and hearing sound, he must concentrate on the faculty of speech and in deafness on the ear. The Yogins should concentrate on the impaired sense organ just like a thirsty person concentrates on a mango fruit. At the time of suffering of a certain part of the body, the Yogins must concentrate to counter it with the help of maintaining temperature of the body i.e. he must think about heat when it is cold and he must think about cold when it is hot. For gaining heaven and the earth, the Yogin should meditate on wind and fire. The Yogins thus protect themselves from all kinds of natural problems. He protects the soul residing in the body which (body) means to attain righteousness, love, wealth and liberation from existence.^[2] For regaining memory he should place a stake on his head and strike it with another wood piece, or think steadily of the wind and fire which pervade heaven and earth. Thus Purāṇa notes some circumstances under which the Yoga is not to be practiced, such as-difficulty in breathing, free from hunger, nor wearied, calm mind etc