### Asana and Pranayama #### Methodology - Sanskrit gathered from… - Gather top 3-5 translations for each Sanskrit term from… - Put together potential translations #### Asana Sutra 2:46-48 2:46 - _sthira-sukham-āsanam_ “Postures to be assumed should be both still and pleasant.” - sthira - firm, hard, solid, compact, strong - fixed, immovable, still, calm - firm, not wavering or tottering, steady - unfluctuating, durable, lasting, permanent, unchanging - sukham - easily, comfortably, pleasantly, joyfully, willingly - āsanam - sitting down - a great stool - a particular posture or mode of sitting - sitting down or halting, stopping, encamping _firm-solid-fixed-still-unwavering-durable, pleasantly-willingly-comfortable-easily, sitting down-great stool-posture-sitting down-halting _ ###### Sitting posture, or any posture, should be fixed-steady-unwavering and comfortable-easy-pleasant. 2:47 - _prayatna-śaithilyānanta-samāpattibhyām_ “Continuous effort and endless relaxation are the twin attainments (of āsana, in particular, or yoga in general).” Translations of this verse diverge a bit from the how of asana, to the results of asana. Davis' translation states that the posture becomes "stable as concentration flows effortlessly and awareness blends with God-consciousness". Bryant translates this as a relaxed and steady posture is attained by relaxation and "absorption in the infinite". And Ranganathan translates that what is attained through asana is "continuous effort and endless relaxation". - prayatna - persevering effort, continued exertion or endeavour, exertion bestowed on (_locative case_ or _compound_), activity, action, act - great care, caution - active efforts - śaithilyānanta - śaithilya - looseness, laxity  - flaccidity - decrease, diminution, smallness, weakness, relaxation, remission, depression (of the mind), unsteadiness, vacancy - negligence in - relaxation of rule or connection - ananta - endless, boundless, eternal, infinite - name of vishnu - samāpattibhyām - samāpatti - coming together, meeting, encountering - accident, chance - falling into any state or condition, getting, becoming - assuming an original form - bhyām - Shyam - by, with, for or to the (two) attainments, the same states or conditions, engrossments - Bryant - the power of thought transformation, engrossment, absorption of the mind - Swami Satchidananda - samāpatti = meditation on, coalescence; bhyām = from both _persevering effort-continued exertion-great care-active efforts, looseness-relaxation-diminution, endless-boundless, coming together-chance-encountering-becoming, engeossment-absorption-from both_ ###### Continuous effort, and care, and boundless relaxation are (maybe should be) brought together 2:48 - _tato dvandvānabhighātaḥ_ “From this follows a freedom from disturbances of opposing characteristics of Nature.” - tato (tatas) - from that place, thence - in that place, there - thither - therupon, then, after that, afterwards - alt dictionary - tataH - therefor - dvandvānabhighātaḥ - dvandva (dvandvam) - duality - fighting - to the pair - Shyam - pairs of opposite in nature - alt dictionary - dilemma - fight - quarrel - contest - anabhighātaḥ (anabhighāta) - non-obstruction - Shyam - safe from, away from disturbances _In that-from that, the opposing dualities, non-obstructions_ ###### From that opposing dualities are no longer obstructions #### Pranayama Sutra 2:49-51 (2:52-53 results or yogi’s state once the limbs to this point have been perfected or practiced) 2:49 - _tasmin-sati śvāsa-praśvāsayor gati-vicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ_ “On the realization of this (the perfection of posture), control of breath should be practiced. It consists in breaking the mal-flow of inhalations and exhalations.” - tasmin - alt dictionary - in that - Shyam - On this, in this - sati - Shyam - existing, real, being - sāti  - gaining, obtaining, acquisition, winning of spoil or property - a gift, oblation - end, destruction - violent pain - śvāsa - hissing, snorting, panting - respiration, breath - inspiration - sighing - affection of the breath, hard breathing, asthma - praśvāsayor  - Shyam (praśvāsayoḥ) - mal-exhalation - praśvas - to breathe in, inhale - gati - going, moving, gait, deportment, motion in general - manner or power of going - going away - procession, march, passage, procedure, progress, movement - arriving at, obtaining - vicchedaḥ (viccheda) - cutting asunder, cleaving, piercing, breaking, division, separation - interruption, discontinuance, cessation - removal, destruction - injury to - distinction, difference - prāṇāyāmaḥ - prāṇa - filled, full - the breath of life, breath, respiration spirit vitality - a vital organ vital air - air inhaled, wind - breath, vigor, energy, power - aya - going - a move toward the right at chess - good luck, favorable fortune - yāma - motion, course, going, progress - a road, way, path - a carriage, chariot - cessation, end - ayāma - not a path not a night watch, any time during daylight - AyAma (alt dictionary) - amplitude - stopping - restraining - prAnAyAma (alt dictionary) - breath of life - breath extension _on this, gaining-acquiring-end-destruction, snorting-inspiration-hard breathing, exhalation difficulties, moving-manner of progress-going away-obtaining, interruption-breaking-removal-distinction, breath of life-engergy-power-motion-restraining_ ###### On acquiring this, breathing difficulties move toward removal through breath extension. 2:50 - _bāhyābhyantara-stambha-vṛttir-deśa-kāla-saṃkhyābhiḥ paridṛṣṭo dīrgh-sūkṣmaḥ_ “It may be interrupted externally or internally, or it may be constrained mid-flow. It may be regulated by taking into account place (of the breath in the body), time (that is, duration of the breath), or in accordance with a fixed number of long or non-extended breaths, as propriety dictates.” - bāhyābhyantara - bāhya - being outside, situated without, outer, exterior - not belonging to the family or country, strange, foreign - excluded from caste or the community, an out-caste - diverging from, conflicting with, opposed to, having nothing to do with - abhyantara - interior, being inside of, included in - initiated in, conversant with  - next, nearly related, intimate - inner part, interior, inside, middle - stambha - a post, pillar, column, stem - support, propping, strengthening - inflation, pretentious, arrogance - fixedness, stiffness, rigidity, torpor, paralysis, stupefication - becoming hard or solid - stoppage, obstruction, suppression - filling up, stuffing - vṛttir - rolling, rolling down (of tears) - mode of life or conduct, course of action, behaviour, (_especially_) moral conduct, kind or respectful behaviour or treatment - general usage, common practice, rule - mode of being, nature, kind, character, disposition - state, condition - deśa - point, region, spot, place, part, portion - province, country, kingdom - kāla - black, of dark color, dark-blue - a fixed or right point of time, a space of time, time (in general) - a proper time or season for - a period or time, time in the world - measure of time, prosody - saṃkhyābhiḥ - saṃkhya - counting up or over, reckoning or summing up - conflict, battle, war - saGkhyA (alt dictionary) - total - sum - abhiḥ (abhi) - fearless - to, towards, into, over, upon - for, for the sake of - paridṛṣṭo (paridṛṣṭa) - seen, beheld, perceived, learnt, known - dīrgha - long, lofty, high, tall - deep - sūkṣmaḥ (sūkṣma) - minute, small, fine, thin, narrow, short, feeble, trifling, insignificant, unimportant - acute, subtle, keen - nice, exact, precise - subtle, atomic, intangible _outside-external-foreign-excluded-diverging-opposed, interior-from within-intimate, pillar-support-inflation-stiff-stopped-filling up, rolling-moral conduct-rule-disposition-state, point-place-location, dark-point in time-proper time-period-measure of time, counting-conflict-total, fearless-toward-for the sake of, seen-perceived-learn, long-high-deep, small-short-subtle-precise-intangible_ ###### Internal or external supported-stopped-filling up, condition, place, period of time, towards a total, is known, length, subtle 2:51 - _bāhyābhyantara-viṣayākṣepī caturthaḥ_ “The fourth (exercise in the control of breath) discards the subject matter of ‘internal’ and ‘external’.” - bāhyābhyantara - bāhya - being outside, situated without, outer, exterior - not belonging to the family or country, strange, foreign - excluded from caste or the community, an out-caste - diverging from, conflicting with, opposed to, having nothing to do with - abhyantara - interior, being inside of, included in - initiated in, conversant with  - next, nearly related, intimate - inner part, interior, inside, middle - viṣayākṣepī - viṣaya - dominion, kingdom, territory, region, district, country, abode - scope, compass, horizon, range, reach - period of duration (of life) - special sphere or department, peculiar province or field of action, peculiar element, concern - space or room (sometimes = fitness) for - an object of sense - ākṣepī - hindering - Shyam - transcending, overcoming - caturthaḥ (caturtha) - the 4th letter in the first 5 classes of consonants - “constituting the 4th part”, a quarter _outside-external-foreign-excluded-diverging-opposed, interior-from within-intimate, dominion-scope-duration of life-department-space for, hindering-transcending, fourth part_ 2:52 - _tataḥ kṣīyate prakāśāvaraṇam_ “Then that which covers the light is destroyed.” - tataḥ (tatas) - from that place, thence - in that place, there - thither - therupon, then, after that, afterwards - alt dictionary - tataH - therefore - kṣīyate - become diminished - is lost - Shyam - destroyed, dissolved, disintegrated - prakāśāvaraṇam - prakāśa  - visible, shining, bright - clear, manifest, open, public - expanded - universally noted, famous, celebrated for - renowned throughout - āvaraṇam (āvaraṇa) - covering, hiding, concealing - the act of covering, concealing, hiding - shutting, enclosing - an obstruction, interruption - a covering, garment, cloth _that-thereupon-therefore, is lost-become-diminished-destroyed, visible-bright-manifest-expanded-celebrated, hidden-covering-enclosing-obstruction _ 2:53 - _dhāraṇāsu ca yogyatā manasaḥ_ “And the mind is rendered fit for concentrating.” - dhāraṇāsu  - dhāraṇa - holding, bearing, keeping (in remembrance), retention, preserving, protecting, maintaining, possessing, having - assuming the shape of (genitive case), resembling - āsu - to press out, to distil - ca - and, both, also, moreover, as well as - yogyatā - suitableness, fitness, propriety, ability - manasaḥ (manasa) - mind, heart _holding-keeping-retaining-possessing-assuming the shape of, to press out, and-also, suitable-fit-ability, mind-heart_ [[Home]]