Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 4, Verse 29-30

अपाने जुह्वति प्राण प्राणेऽपानं तथाऽपरे। प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणाः।।4.29।। अपरे नियताहाराः प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति। सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः।।4.30।।

apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ prāṇe ’pānaṁ tathāpare prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhvā prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇān prāṇeṣhu juhvati sarve ’pyete yajña-vido yajña-kṣhapita-kalmaṣhāḥ apare niyatāhārāḥ prāṇān prāṇeṣu juhvati sarve py 'ete yajña-vido yajña-kṣapita-kalmaṣāḥ

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Word Meanings

apāne—the incoming breath
juhvati—offer
prāṇam—the outgoing breath
prāṇe—in the outgoing breath
apānam—incoming breath
tathā—also
apare—others
prāṇa—of the outgoing breath
apāna—and the incoming breath
gatī—movement
ruddhvā—blocking
prāṇa-āyāma—control of breath
parāyaṇāḥ—wholly devoted apare—others
niyata—having controlled
āhārāḥ—food intake
prāṇān—life-breaths
prāṇeṣhu—life-energy
juhvati—sacrifice
sarve—all
api—also
ete—these
yajña-vidaḥ—knowers of sacrifices
yajña-kṣhapita—being cleansed by performances of sacrifices
kalmaṣhāḥ—of impurities apare—others
niyata—controlled
āhārāḥ—eating
prāṇān—outgoing air
prāṇeṣu—in the outgoing air
sarve—all
api—although apparently different
ete—all these
yajñavidaḥ—conversant with the purpose of performing
yajña—sacrifices
kṣapita—being cleansed of the result of such performances
kalmaṣāḥ—sinful reactions
juhvati—sacrifices.
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Translation

Others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath into the incoming, and the incoming into the outgoing, restraining the flow of the outgoing and the incoming breaths, solely absorbed in the restraint of the breath. Others who regulate their diet offer life-breaths in each life-breath. All these are knowers of sacrifice, whose sins are destroyed through sacrifice.

•••

Commentary

4.29 अपाने in the outgoing breath? जुह्वति sacrifice? प्राणम् incoming breath? प्राणे in the incoming breath? अपानम् outgoing breath? तथा thus? अपरे others? प्राणापानगती courses of the outgoing and incoming breaths? रुद्ध्वा restraining? प्राणायामपरायणाः solely absorbed in the restraint of breath.Commentary Some Yogis practise Puraka (inhalation)? some Yogis practise Rechaka (exhalation)?,and some

Yogis practise Kumbhaka (retention of breath).The five subPranas and the other Pranas are merged in the chief Prana (MukhyaPrana) by the practice of Pranayama. When the Prana is controlled? the mind also stops its wanderings and becomes steady the senses are also thinned out and merged in the Prana. It is through the vibration of Prana that the activities of the mind and the senses are kept up. If

the Prana is controlled? the mind? the intellect and the senses cease to function. 4.30 अपरे other persons? नियताहाराः of regulated food? प्राणान् lifreaths? प्राणेषु in the lifreaths? जुह्वति sacrifice? सर्वे all? अपि also? एते these? यज्ञविदः knowers of sacrifice? यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषाः whose sins are destroyed by sacrifice.Commentary Niyataharah means persons of regulated or limited food. They take

moderate food. By rigid dieting they control the passions and appetites by weakening the functions of the organs of action.Yogis pour the lifreaths as sacrifice in the controlled lifreath. The former becomes merged in the latter.Performance of the above sacrifice leads to the purification of the mind and destruction of sins.

29-30 of 42 verses