Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā / 2.44 The eight kumbhakas
2.44
Haṭha (हठ) Yoga Pradīpikā (प्रदीपिका)
सूर्यभेदनमुज्जायी सीत्कारी शीतली तथा ।
भस्त्रिका भ्रामरी मूर्च्छा प्लाविनीत्यष्टकुम्भकाः sūryabhedanam ujjāyī sītkārī śītalī tathā |
bhastrikā bhrāmarī mūrcchā plāvinīty aṣṭakumbhakāḥ
The line
Sūryabhedana (सूर्यभेदन), ujjāyī (उज्जायी), sītkārī (सीत्कारी), and śītalī (शीतली), and bhastrikā (भस्त्रिका), bhrāmarī (भ्रामरी), mūrcchā (मूर्च्छा), and plāvinī (प्लाविनी): the eight kumbhakas.
नेपालीमा
सूर्यभेदन, उज्जायी, सीत्कारी र शीतली, अनि भस्त्रिका, भ्रामरी, मूर्च्छा र प्लाविनी आठ कुम्भक हुन्।
Where it sits
Yoga Sūtra (सूत्र) 2.49 defines the cutting of the breath and names no hold. 2.50 and 2.51 divide that cutting into external, internal, suspended, and a fourth beyond them. These eight are this book's holds. They are neighbors of that division, and they are a different list. Each hold follows: sūryabhedana (सूर्यभेदन) at 2.48, ujjāyī (उज्जायी) at 2.51, sītkārī (सीत्कारी) at 2.54, śītalī (शीतली) at 2.57, bhastrikā (भस्त्रिका) at 2.59, bhrāmarī (भ्रामरी) at 2.68, mūrcchā (मूर्च्छा) at 2.69, plāvinī (प्लाविनी) at 2.70.
Split: sūrya (सूर्य) + bhedanam (भेदनम्) ujjāyī (उज्जायी) sītkārī (सीत्कारी) śītalī (शीतली) tathā (तथा) / bhastrikā (भस्त्रिका) bhrāmarī (भ्रामरी) mūrcchā (मूर्च्छा) plāvinīty (प्लाविनीत्य्) aṣṭa (अष्ट) + kumbhakāḥ (कुम्भकाः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| sūrya-bhedanam (सूर्य-भेदनम्) | nominative or accusative singular | the sun; a piercing. |
| ujjāyī (उज्जायी) | nominative singular | ujjāyī (उज्जायी). The victorious breath, sounded in the throat. |
| sītkārī (सीत्कारी) | nominative singular | sītkārī (सीत्कारी). The breath that sips with a sīt (सीत्) sound. |
| śītalī (शीतली) | nominative singular | śītalī (शीतली). The cooling breath. |
| tathā (तथा) | indeclinable | so. |
| bhastrikā (भस्त्रिका) | nominative singular | bhastrikā (भस्त्रिका). The bellows breath. |
| bhrāmarī (भ्रामरी) | nominative singular | bhrāmarī (भ्रामरी). The bee breath. |
| mūrcchā (मूर्च्छा) | nominative singular | fainting. |
| plāvinīty (प्लाविनीत्य्) | form in the line | plāvinī (प्लाविनी). The floating hold. |
| aṣṭa-kumbhakāḥ (अष्ट-कुम्भकाः) | nominative plural | eight; kumbhaka. Retention of the breath. |
Sanskrit in this line
The quarters run 16, 16 syllables. A hyphen in the split is a compound joint, a teaching mark, and the voice joins it.
Say it back
Cover the English and say the verse in one sentence. Sūryabhedana (सूर्यभेदन), ujjāyī (उज्जायी), sītkārī (सीत्कारी), and śītalī (शीतली), and bhastrikā (भस्त्रिका), bhrāmarī (भ्रामरी), mūrcchā (मूर्च्छा), and plāvinī (प्लाविनी): the eight kumbhakas.