Verse 1
हेतुद्वयं हि चित्तस्य वासना च समीरणः । तयोर्विनष्ट एकस्मिस्तद्वावपि विनश्यतः ॥
hetudvayaṃ hi cittasya vāsanā ca samīraṇaḥ । tayorvinaṣṭa ekasmistadvāvapi vinaśyataḥ ॥
Indeed, the mind has two causes: latent impressions (vāsanā) and vital air (samīraṇa). When one of these two is destroyed, then both of them also perish.
Verse 2
तयोरादौ समीरस्य जयं कुर्यान्नरः सदा। मिताहारश्चासनं च शक्तिचालस्तृतीयकः ॥
tayorādau samīrasya jayaṃ kuryānnaraḥ sadā। mitāhāraścāsanaṃ ca śakticālastṛtīyakaḥ ॥
Of those two (Prāṇa and semen), a person should always first achieve mastery over the breath. Moderate diet, posture, and Śakticāla are the third (practice).
Verse 3
एतेषां लक्षणं वक्ष्ये शृणु गौतम सादरम् । सुस्निग्धमधुराहारश्चतुर्थांशविवर्जितः ॥
eteṣāṃ lakṣaṇaṃ vakṣye śṛṇu gautama sādaram । susnigdhamadhurāhāraścaturthāṃśavivarjitaḥ ॥
I will explain their characteristics; listen, Gautama, with reverence. (One should partake of) food that is very unctuous and sweet, leaving one-fourth (of the stomach) empty.
Verse 4
भुज्यते शिवसंप्रीत्यै मिताहारः स उच्यते। आसनं द्विविधं प्रोक्तं पद्म वज्रासनं तथा॥
bhujyate śivasaṃprītyai mitāhāraḥ sa ucyate। āsanaṃ dvividhaṃ proktaṃ padma vajrāsanaṃ tathā॥
That which is partaken of for the satisfaction of Shiva is called a moderate diet (Mitahara). Asana (posture) is declared to be of two kinds: Padmasana (Lotus Posture) and Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Posture).
Verse 5
ऊर्वोपरि चेद्धत्ते उभे पादतले यथा । पद्मासनं भवेदेतत्सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्॥
ūrvopari ceddhatte ubhe pādatale yathā । padmāsanaṃ bhavedetatsarvapāpapraṇāśanam॥
If one places both soles of the feet upon the thighs, this becomes Padmasana (the Lotus Posture), which destroys all sins.
Verse 6
वामाङिघ्रमूलकन्दाधो ह्यन्यं तदुपरि क्षिपेत् । समग्रीवशिर:कायो वज्रासनमितीरितम्॥
vāmāṅighramūlakandādho hyanyaṃ tadupari kṣipet । samagrīvaśira:kāyo vajrāsanamitīritam॥
Place the heel of the left foot below the perineum, and indeed place the other (right) foot upon it. With the neck, head, and body held straight, this is declared to be Vajrasana.
Verse 7
कुण्डल्येव भवेच्छक्तिस्तां तु संचालयेद्बुधः । स्वस्थानादाभ्रुवोर्मध्यं शक्तिचालनमुच्यते ॥
kuṇḍalyeva bhavecchaktistāṃ tu saṃcālayedbudhaḥ । svasthānādābhruvormadhyaṃ śakticālanamucyate ॥
Kundalini itself is Śakti (power). A wise person should move that (Śakti). The movement of Śakti from its own place up to the center between the eyebrows is called Śakticālana.
Verse 8
तत्साधने द्वयं मुख्यं सरस्वत्यास्तु चालनम्। प्राणरोधमथाभ्यासादृज्वी कुण्डलिनी भवेत्।।
tatsādhane dvayaṃ mukhyaṃ sarasvatyāstu cālanam। prāṇarodhamathābhyāsādṛjvī kuṇḍalinī bhavet।।
In its practice, two are principal: the activation of Sarasvatī, and then, through the practice of breath retention, Kuṇḍalinī becomes straight.
Verse 9
तयोरादौ सरस्वत्याश्चालनं कथयामि ते। अरुन्धत्येव कथिता पुराविद्भिः सरस्वती ॥
tayorādau sarasvatyāścālanaṃ kathayāmi te। arundhatyeva kathitā purāvidbhiḥ sarasvatī ॥
First, I will describe to you the activation of Sarasvatī. This Sarasvatī is indeed called Arundhatī by the ancient sages.
Verse 10
यस्याः संचालनेनैव स्वयं चलति कुण्डली। इडायां वहति प्राणे बद्ध्वा पद्मासनं दृढम्॥
yasyāḥ saṃcālanenaiva svayaṃ calati kuṇḍalī। iḍāyāṃ vahati prāṇe baddhvā padmāsanaṃ dṛḍham॥
Having firmly assumed the Padmasana (lotus posture), when Prana flows in the Ida [nadi], by the very movement of which (i.e., this flow of Prana), Kundalini itself moves.
Verse 11
द्वादशाङ्गुलदैयं च अम्बरं चतुरङ्गुलम्। विस्तीर्य तेन तन्नाडी वेष्टयित्वा ततः सुधीः ॥
dvādaśāṅguladaiyaṃ ca ambaraṃ caturaṅgulam। vistīrya tena tannāḍī veṣṭayitvā tataḥ sudhīḥ ॥
Having spread out a strip of cloth, twelve fingers long and four fingers wide, the wise one should then wrap that nāḍī with it.
Verse 12
अङ्गुष्ठतर्जनीभ्यां तु हस्ताभ्यां धारयेद्दढम्। स्वशक्त्या चालयेद्वामे दक्षिणेन पुनःपुनः ॥
aṅguṣṭhatarjanībhyāṃ tu hastābhyāṃ dhārayeddaḍham। svaśaktyā cālayedvāme dakṣiṇena punaḥpunaḥ ॥
One should hold firmly with the thumb and index finger of the hands. Then, with one's own strength, one should move (it) to the left and to the right repeatedly.
Verse 13
मुहूर्तद्वयपर्यन्तं निर्भयाच्यालयेत्सुधीः । ऊर्ध्वमाकर्षयेत्किंचित्सुषुम्नां कुण्डलीगताम्॥
muhūrtadvayaparyantaṃ nirbhayācyālayetsudhīḥ । ūrdhvamākarṣayetkiṃcitsuṣumnāṃ kuṇḍalīgatām॥
The wise one should fearlessly move [it] for two muhurtas (approximately 96 minutes). One should slightly draw upwards the Suṣumnā (channel) which has been entered by Kuṇḍalinī.
Verse 14
तेन कुण्डलिनी तस्याः सुषुम्नाया मुखं व्रजेत्। जहाति तस्मात्प्राणोऽयं सुषुम्नां व्रजति स्वतः ॥
tena kuṇḍalinī tasyāḥ suṣumnāyā mukhaṃ vrajet। jahāti tasmātprāṇo'yaṃ suṣumnāṃ vrajati svataḥ ॥
By means of that, Kundalini should enter the opening of that Suṣumnā. Consequently, this Prana abandons [its other channels] and spontaneously enters the Suṣumnā.
Verse 15
तुन्दे तु ताणं कुर्याच्च कण्ठसंकोचने कृते । सरस्वत्याश्चालनेन वक्षससचोर्ध्वगो मरुत् ॥
tunde tu tāṇaṃ kuryācca kaṇṭhasaṃkocane kṛte । sarasvatyāścālanena vakṣasasacordhvago marut ॥
When the throat is constricted, one should indeed create tension in the abdomen. And by the agitation of Sarasvati (nāḍī), the vital air (marut) moves upward from the chest.
Verse 16
सूर्येण रेचयेद्वायु सरस्वत्यास्तु चालने। कण्ठसंकोचनं कृत्वा वक्षसश्चोर्ध्वगो मरुत्॥
sūryeṇa recayedvāyu sarasvatyāstu cālane। kaṇṭhasaṃkocanaṃ kṛtvā vakṣasaścordhvago marut॥
One should exhale the breath through Sūrya (the right nostril), and with the movement of Sarasvatī. Having performed throat contraction, the breath moves upwards from the chest.
Verse 17
तस्मात्संचालयेन्नित्यं शब्दगर्भां सरस्वतीम्। यस्याः संचालनेनैव योगी रोगैः प्रमुच्यते ॥
tasmātsaṃcālayennityaṃ śabdagarbhāṃ sarasvatīm। yasyāḥ saṃcālanenaiva yogī rogaiḥ pramucyate ॥
Therefore, one should always activate the Sarasvatī (nāḍī), which is imbued with sound. For by its activation alone, a Yogi is freed from diseases.
Verse 18
गुल्मं जलोदरः प्लीहा ये चान्ये तुन्दमध्यगा: सर्वे तु शक्तिचालेन रोगा नश्यन्ति निश्चयम्॥
gulmaṃ jalodaraḥ plīhā ye cānye tundamadhyagā: sarve tu śakticālena rogā naśyanti niścayam॥
Abdominal tumors, dropsy, splenic diseases, and other ailments located in the middle of the abdomen—all these diseases are certainly destroyed by the movement of Shakti.
Verse 19
प्राणरोधमथेदानीं प्रवक्ष्यामि समासतः। प्राणश्च देहगो वायुरायामः कुम्भकः स्मृतः ॥
prāṇarodhamathedānīṃ pravakṣyāmi samāsataḥ। prāṇaśca dehago vāyurāyāmaḥ kumbhakaḥ smṛtaḥ ॥
Now I will concisely explain Prāṇarodha (breath retention). Prāṇa is the vital air dwelling in the body, and its control (āyāma) is known as Kumbhaka.
Verse 20
स एव द्विविध: प्रोक्तः सहितः केवलस्तथा। यावत्केवलसिद्धिः स्यात्तावत्सहितमभ्यसेत् ॥
sa eva dvividha: proktaḥ sahitaḥ kevalastathā। yāvatkevalasiddhiḥ syāttāvatsahitamabhyaset ॥
That (retention) is declared to be of two kinds: Sahita (with [effort]) and Kevala (spontaneous). One should practice Sahita (retention) as long as the perfection of Kevala (retention) is not attained.