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If you practice Pranayama, you may be curious to know how Patanjali defined this practice and described its effects. This is the subject of this article. You can also listen to the Episode on my Podcast “Talks about the Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali” that deals with this subject.
The Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (an old text about yoga) says (in Shloka II.2):
“Respiration being disturbed, the mind becomes disturbed. By restraining respiration, the Yogî gets steadiness of mind.”
Before reading further, I invite you to the following reflections:
- In your daily life, do you feel the connection between the breath and your state of mind?
- Do you sometimes use the breath to connect to yourself and calm down?
- Do you remember to be aware of your breath even during difficult interactions, or when you are under stress?
- Do you feel that a long, smooth, rhythmic exhalation calms you down?
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, there are six Sutras about Pranayama. One of them appears in Chapter I, and the other five are part of the Ashtanga Yoga described in Chapter 2.
Let’s now dive into these Sutras! For each Sutra, I’ll bring the Sanskrit text, translation of each word, and two translations of the entire Sutra, one of Edwin Bryant and the other of B.K.S Iyengar (I’ll drop the B.K.S. and just write ‘Iyengar’). I’ll also include some commentary by Iyengar. There are, of course, many translations and interpretations of the Sutras; I chose these two because I want to bring a translation of a scholar (like Bryant) and of a practitioner (like Iyengar), who understood the Sutras through his long and devoted practice.
Let’s begin with two definitions.
What is Prana and What is Pranayama?
In Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Iyengar gives the following definitions of these terms:
“All that vibrates in the Universe is Prana: heat, light, gravity, magnetism, vigour, power, vitality, electricity, life and spirit are all forms of Prana. It is the cosmic personality, potent in all beings and non-beings. It is the prime mover of all activity. It is the wealth of life. This self-energizing force is the principle of life and of consciousness.
…
The word Pranayama consists of two components, Prana and Ayama. Prana is energy, when the self-energizing force embraces the body. Ayama means stretch, extension, expansion, length, breadth, regulation, prolongation, restraint and control. When this self-energizing force embraces the body with extension, expansion and control, it is Pranayama.”
Now we are ready to dive into the Sutras.
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The Effect of Passive Exhalation and Retention
After listing the obstacles that we may encounter in our yogic path (the Antarayas) (Sutra I.30), Patanjali gives a few ways to overcome these obstacles. One of them is given in Sutra I.34:
I.34 pracchardana-vidhāraṇābhyām vā prāṇasya
pracchardana, by exhaling; vidhāraṇābhyām, by retention; vā, or; prāṇasya, of the breath
Bryant: Or [stability of mind is gained] by exhaling and retaining the breath.
Iyengar: Another possibility of diffusing consciousness is the attainment of that serene state by retention of the breath after exhalation.
Iyengar continues:
“One should inhale and exhale slowly and pause, maintaining the retention for as long as is comfortable. This practice ensures a state of consciousness which is like a calm lake.”
I have found Patanjali’s guidance in this Sutra to be remarkably effective. In my experience, carefully following the smooth flow of a deep inhalation and then passively remaining after the exhalation before the next inhalation arises naturally is deeply relaxing.
If you haven’t tried it, I strongly recommend practicing it in your Pranayama practice and using it whenever you need to come back to yourself and to relax.
The Definition of Pranayama in the Ashtanga Yoga Section
Sutras 49 to 53 in Chapter 2 give the basic definition of the practice of Pranayama and its effects. These Sutras follow immediately the three Sutras about Asana, as Pranayama is the limb that follows Asana.
II.49 tasmin sati śvāsa-praśvāsayor gati-vicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ
tasmin, that; sati, is attained; śvāsa, inhalation; praśvāsayoḥ, exhalation; gati, movement; vicchedaḥ, regulation; prāṇāyāmaḥ, breath control
Bryant: When that [āsana] is accomplished, prāṇāyāmaḥ, breath control, [follows]. This consists of the regulation of the incoming and outgoing breaths.
Iyengar: Pranayama is the regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath with retention. It is to be practised only after perfection in Asana is attained.
śvāsa-praśvāsa are the in and out flow of the breath; when these are regulated (vicchedaḥ), it becomes Pranayama.
Iyengar adds:
“Pranayama, the fourth constituent of yoga, is what the heart is to the human body. Normally the flow of breath is unrestrained and irregular. Observing these variations, and conditioning the mind to control the inflow, outflow and retention of the breath in a regular, rhythmic pattern, is Pranayama.“
Note that there is a hierarchy between the 3rd and the 4th limbs: Only when one’s asana practice is accomplished, can one continue to Pranayama. This makes sense, as sitting Pranayama requires remaining for an extended period of time in a good sitting asana. Sitting with stability and openness while keeping the body soft and relaxed (Sthira Sukha Asanam). To reach that stage, one needs a mature practice of asana.
Lying-down Pranayama, as introduced by Iyengar, is easier and can probably be attempted after a year or two of asana practice.
The following Sutra gives a bit more technique:
II.50 bāhyābhyantara-stambha-vṛttiḥ deśa-kāla-saṅkhyābhiḥ paridṛṣṭo dīrgha-sūkṣmaḥ
bāhya, external; ābhyantara, internal; stambha, restrained, suppressed; vṛttiḥ, movements; deśa, place; kāla, time; saṅkhyābhiḥ, and number; paridṛṣṭaḥ, is manifest; dīrgha, long; sūkṣmaḥ, subtle
Bryant: [Prāṇāyāmaḥ] manifests as external, internal, and restrained movements [of breath]. These are drawn out and subtle in accordance to place, time, and number.
Iyengar: Pranayama has three movements: prolonged and fine inhalation, exhalation and retention; all regulated with precision according to duration and place.
Bāhya refers to the outward flow; ābhyantara to the inward flow and stambha to the retention of the breath (kumbhaka).
Iyengar explains:
“The first three components of Pranayama are regulated inhalation, exhalation and retention; all are to be performed, prolonged and refined according to the capacity of the aspirant. The components are to be observed with regard to place (desa), here meaning the torso, kala indicating length of breath and samkhya, indicating precision.”
The following Sutra is a bit mysterious; it talks about a fourth type of Pranayama:
II.51 bāhyābhyantara-viṣayākṣepī caturthaḥ
bāhya, external; ābhyantara, internal; viṣaya, the sphere, range; ākṣepī, surpassing; caturthaḥ, the fourth
Bryant: The fourth [type of prāṇāyāma] surpasses the limits of the external and the internal.
Iyengar: The fourth type of Pranayama transcends the external and internal Pranayamas, and appears effortless and non-deliberate.
Iyengar adds:
“The fourth type of Pranayama goes beyond the regulation or modulation of breath flow and retention, transcending the methodology given in the previous Sutra. It is a state similar to kevala kumbhaka, which is mentioned in the Hathayoga texts and in the yoga Upanisads.
When the movement of the breath functions without one’s volition or effort, the fourth stage of Pranayama has been reached. The movements of the mind and consciousness cease. The flows of vital energy, intelligence and consciousness come to a standstill except for subliminal impressions.”
Here is Vyasa’s interpretation of this Sutra:
“When regulated by space, time and number, it becomes long and subtle. After acquiring proficiency in observing space, etc. during inhalation and exhalation, gradual suspension of movement transcending them is the forth Pranayama. This is the difference between third and the fourth Pranayama”.
How can we understand this fourth type?
In my experience, when the body and mind are very relaxed, as it is in a good Shavasana or deep meditation, there is a natural, spontaneous suspension of the breath. You exhale, and then, without any volition, breathing is naturally suspended for some time.
For me, this suspension can last 30-40 seconds, but there are stories about Yogis who were buried in the ground and remained there without breathing for several hours.
In the yoga literature, there is a long tradition of stories about yogis entering a state of bhū-samādhi (“earth samadhi”), in which they are buried underground for hours, days, or even weeks and later revived. These accounts appear in travel literature, colonial reports, yogic hagiographies, and a few scientific investigations.
For example, the yogi Haridas was buried in Lahore in 1837 before the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The burial was said to last forty days. British and French officers reportedly witnessed the event, after which Haridas was revived. See On the Voluntary Trance of Indian Fakirs.
Another example is from T. Krishnamacharya, The Guru of B.K.S. Iyengar. In the 1950s, when Krishnamacharya was about 67 years old, an experiment was conducted before doctors and researchers in which he was asked to demonstrate control over his bodily functions. According to reports:
• The pulse in his wrists became imperceptible.
• Breathing slowed considerably.
• Blood pressure changed abnormally. (PubMed Central (PMC))
It is important to note the wording: The reports say that the pulse was imperceptible, not that the heart had stopped beating.
This is reported in The Heart of Yoga by T. K. V. Desikachar (1995), Krishnamacharya’s son:
“In 1939 and 1940, Krishnamacharya was visited by a French medical team who wanted to verify that an experienced yogi could deliberately stop his heartbeat. For Śrī Krishnamacharya, this much-marvelled-at examination was a rather bothersome demonstration, one that he undertook out of feeling responsible to validate yoga in the eyes of the skeptical scientific world.”
There are also strong reports in the literature about another yogi, Swami Rama, who underwent ECG tests in a laboratory in the United States, where very unusual changes in the heart rhythm were recorded. However, even there, cardiologists did not interpret the findings as a complete cessation of cardiac activity, but rather as specific arrhythmias (e.g., atrial flutter), and not as evidence that the heart had “stopped”. (PubMed Central (PMC))
Although these feats demonstrated by certain yogis are very impressive, it is important to distinguish between traditional accounts and scientifically verified events. No case of a person surviving many days buried without oxygen has been conclusively verified under modern experimental conditions. See Modern scholarly discussion about these phenomena.
The Effects of Pranayama
Before continuing reading, stop for a while and reflect on the effects of Pranayama:
- What do you feel after Pranayama practice?
- Do you feel that a regular ongoing practice of Pranayama has long-standing physiological (like breathing capacity) or mental effects (like a better ability to concentrate)?
Let’s explore what Patanjali had to say about the effects of this practice. These are given in Sutras II.52 and II.53.
II.52 tataḥ kṣīyate prakāśāvaraṇam
tataḥ, then; kṣīyate, is weakened; prakāśa, illumination; āvaraṇam, covering
Bryant: Then, the covering of the illumination [of knowledge] is weakened.
Iyengar: Pranayama removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom.
Iyengar explains:
“Its practice destroys illusion, consisting of ignorance, desire and delusion which obscure the intelligence; and allows the inner light of wisdom to shine. As the breeze disperses the clouds that cover the sun, Pranayama wafts away the clouds that hide the light of the intelligence.”
Bryant adds this comment:
“Prakāśa, illumination, as we know from II.18, is a synonym for sattva. The covering of illumination, prakāśa-āvaraṇa, says Vyāsa, is ultimately karma, and this is destroyed by the practice of prāṇāyāma. He quotes a verse that speaks of karma as the ‘net of great illusion’ that covers sattva and impels one to commit immoral deeds.”
The final Sutra is probably easier to understand:
II.53 dhāraṇāsu ca yogyatā manasaḥ
dhāraṇāsu, for concentration; ca, and; yogyatā, fitness, competency; manasaḥ, mind
Bryant: Additionally, the mind becomes fit for concentration.
Iyengar: Pranayama is not only an instrument to steady the mind, but also the gateway to concentration, dharana.
Iyengar adds:
“The implication here is clear that the sadhaka who had to struggle initially to cultivate a yogic way of life by self-discipline and study, now finds his efforts transformed into a natural zeal to proceed in his sadhana.”
Sadhaka means a spiritual aspirant, or simply, a practitioner.
A personal comment:
If I had to reorder these two Sutras, I would put Sutra 53 before 52. Sutra 53 describes an effect that (I assume) can be experienced by every Pranayama practitioner, while Sutra 52 is somewhat mysterious.
What exactly is the ‘light of knowledge’ (prakāśa) and what is the veil (āvaraṇam) covering it?
For me, it makes sense that developing concentration (dhāraṇā) by practicing Pranayama creates mental clarity, and this may allow for the inner knowledge to shine forth. Therefore, placing Sutra 53 before Sutra 52 would make more sense to me, but I assume Patanjali had his own reasons.
References
- The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary by Edwin F. Bryant | Jul 21, 2009
- The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by T. K. V. Desikacha
- Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B. K. S. Iyengar (
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