2.50
बाह्याभ्यन्तरस्तम्भवृत्तिर् देशकालसंख्याभिः परिदृष्टो दीर्घसूक्ष्मः
bāhyābhyantara-stambha-vṛttir deśa-kāla-saṃkhyābhiḥ paridṛṣṭo dīrgha-sūkṣmaḥ
The line
Its activity is external, internal, or suspended; watched by place, time, and count; long and subtle.
नेपालीमा
त्यसको गति बाहिरी, भित्री वा रोकिएको हुन्छ। त्यो ठाउँ, काल र गन्तीले हेरिएको, लामो र सूक्ष्म हुन्छ।
Where it sits
2.49 defined the limb as a cutting. This line says the cutting has three operations and three measures. 2.51 will name a fourth that goes past external and internal.
Split: bāhya (बाह्य) + ābhyantara (आभ्यन्तर) + stambha (स्तम्भ) + vṛttiḥ (वृत्तिः) + deśa (देश) + kāla (काल) + saṃkhyābhiḥ (संख्याभिः) + paridṛṣṭaḥ (परिदृष्टः) + dīrgha (दीर्घ) + sūkṣmaḥ (सूक्ष्मः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| bāhya (बाह्य) | stem | external. The breath held out. |
| ābhyantara (आभ्यन्तर) | stem | internal. The breath held in. |
| stambha (स्तम्भ) | stem | suspension. The stop. |
| vṛttiḥ (वृत्तिः) | nominative singular, feminine | its activity. The regulation operates as one of these three. |
| deśa (देश) | stem | place. Where the breath is felt. |
| kāla (काल) | stem | time. How long. |
| saṃkhyābhiḥ (संख्याभिः) | instrumental plural of saṃkhyā (संख्या) | by counts. The ending covers place, time, and count. |
| paridṛṣṭaḥ (परिदृष्टः) | nominative singular, masculine | watched, observed. Measured by those three. |
| dīrgha (दीर्घ) | stem | long. |
| sūkṣmaḥ (सूक्ष्मः) | nominative singular, masculine | and subtle. The regulation becomes long and subtle. |
The phrases
The activity of breath regulation is external, internal, or suspended. bāhya (बाह्य) + ābhyantara (आभ्यन्तर) is a (अ) + ā (आ) = ā (आ). It is watched by place, time, and number. Watched thus, it is long and subtle.
vṛttiḥ (वृत्तिः) is feminine, the activity. paridṛṣṭaḥ (परिदृष्टः) and sūkṣmaḥ (सूक्ष्मः) are masculine, agreeing with prāṇāyāmaḥ (प्राणायामः) from 2.49. Both nouns are in play. The activity is threefold. The regulation, so watched, is long and subtle.
Sanskrit in this line
Instrumental plural -bhiḥ (भिः) is “by,” the form used with feminine ā (आ)-stems: saṃkhyā (संख्या) becomes saṃkhyābhiḥ (संख्याभिः). You have had -aiḥ (ऐः) for a (अ)-stems. -bhiḥ (भिः) is the other plural instrumental. One ending, three measures.
Say it back
Name the three operations, then the three measures. Do not collapse them into “just breathe.”
Next
2.51. The fourth goes beyond the range of external and internal.