Tatva- Kumbhaka

Description

Various Types of Pranayamas

Pramana

Āpta Pramāṇa - आप्त प्रमाण

Apta Pramana Source

Kumbhaka Paddadhi 122-125

Original Verse

"तत्वादौ पूरयेद्-वायुं तत्-तत्वान्ते विरेचयेत् |

तत्व-कुम्भः स गदितः पञ्चधा तत्व-भेदतः ॥ १२२ ॥

तत्-तत्-तत्व-गुणं योगी शितोष्ण-कठिनादिकम् |

लभते तत्व-कुम्भेन कुण्डली-बोधनाद्यपि ॥ १२३ ॥

तत्-तत्वोदये चापूर्य पञ्च-तत्वेषु कुम्भयेत् |

तत्-तत्वोदयने तत्व-जयः श्वसन-रेचनात् ॥ १२४ ॥

तत्-तत्-तत्व-जयं कुर्याच्-छरीरं दिव्यम्-अद्भूतम् |

कुम्भकस्-तत्व-जयनो मोक्ष-मार्गं प्रदर्शयेत् ॥ १२५ ॥"

Transliteration

"tatvādau pūrayed-vāyuṃ tat-tatvānte virecayet |

tatva-kumbhaḥ sa gaditaḥ pañcadhā tatva-bhedataḥ ॥ 122 ॥

tat-tat-tatva-guṇaṃ yogī śitoṣṇa-kaṭhinādikam |

labhate tatva-kumbhena kuṇḍalī-bodhanādyapi ॥ 123 ॥

tat-tatvodaye cāpūrya pañca-tatveṣu kumbhayet |

tat-tatvodayane tatva-jayaḥ śvasana-recanāt ॥ 124 ॥

tat-tat-tatva-jayaṃ kuryāc-charīraṃ divyam-adbhūtam |

Kumbhakas-tatva-jayano mokṣa-mārgaṃ pradarśayet ॥ 125 ॥"

Translation

One should inhale before the rise of a particular tatva (element) and exhale at the end of that tatva. This is called Tatva-Kumbhaka which is five-fold according to the five tatvas. Through the practice of Tatva-Kumbhaka, kuṇḍalinī is aroused and a Yogī is able to attain the qualities of a particular tatva like cold, heat, hardness, etc. On the rise of a particular tatva, one should inhale, retain and exhale. This is practised during (the rise of) all the five tatvas (elements). This leads to control over the tatvas. With the control of the elements, one attains divine body. Kumbhaka practised during the control of the elements leads to moksha (liberation).