BHAGAVAD-GITA 4:27

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 4:27

 

sarvanindriya-karmani

prana-karmani capare

atma-samyama-yogagnau

juhvati jnana-dipite

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sarvani--of all; indriya--the senses; karmani--functions;

prana-karmani--functions of the life breath; ca--also; apare--others;

atma-samyama--of controlling the mind; yoga--the linking process;

agnau--in the fire of; juhvati--offer; jnana-dipite--because of the

urge for self-realization.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Others, who are interested in achieving self-realization through

control of the mind and senses, offer the functions of all the senses,

and of the life breath, as oblations into the fire of the controlled

mind.

 

PURPORT

 

The yoga system conceived by Patanjali is referred to herein. In the

Yoga-sutra of Patanjali, the soul is called pratyag-atma and

parag-atma. As long as the soul is attached to sense enjoyment it is

called parag-atma, but as soon as the same soul becomes detached from

such sense enjoyment it is called pratyag-atma. The soul is subjected

to the functions of ten kinds of air at work within the body, and this

is perceived through the breathing system. The Patanjali system of

yoga instructs one on how to control the functions of the body's air

in a technical manner so that ultimately all the functions of the air

within become favorable for purifying the soul of material attachment.

According to this yoga system, pratyag-atma is the ultimate goal. This

pratyag-atma is withdrawn from activities in matter. The senses

interact with the sense objects, like the ear for hearing, eyes for

seeing, nose for smelling, tongue for tasting, hand for touching, and

all of them are thus engaged in activities outside the self. They are

called the functions of the prana-vayu. The apana-vayu goes downwards,

vyana-vayu acts to shrink and expand, samana-vayu adjusts equilibrium,

udana-vayu goes upwards--and when one is enlightened, one engages all

these in searching for self-realization.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.