12.178
भरद्वाज उवाच॥
Bharadvāja said.
पार्थिवं धातुमाश्रित्य शारीरोऽग्निः कथं भवेत्। अवकाशविशेषेण कथं वर्तयतेऽनिलः ॥१२-१७८-१॥
How does the bodily fire exist by resorting to the earthly element? How does the wind act according to particular spaces?
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
वायोर्गतिमहं ब्रह्मन्कीर्तयिष्यामि तेऽनघ। प्राणिनामनिलो देहान्यथा चेष्टयते बली ॥१२-१७८-२॥
O Brahman, I shall describe to you the movement of the wind, O sinless one. The powerful wind moves the bodies of living beings.
श्रितो मूर्धानमग्निस्तु शरीरं परिपालयन्। प्राणो मूर्धनि चाग्नौ च वर्तमानो विचेष्टते ॥१२-१७८-३॥
The fire, having resorted to the head, protects the body; the life-breath, existing on the head and in the fire, moves about.
स जन्तुः सर्वभूतात्मा पुरुषः स सनातनः। मनो बुद्धिरहङ्कारो भूतानि विषयाश्च सः ॥१२-१७८-४॥
He is the creature, the self of all beings, the eternal person. He is mind, intellect, ego, the elements, and the objects.
एवं त्विह स सर्वत्र प्राणेन परिपाल्यते। पृष्ठतश्च समानेन स्वां स्वां गतिमुपाश्रितः ॥१२-१७८-५॥
Thus, here, he is protected everywhere by prāṇa; from behind, having resorted to his own movement by samāna.
वस्तिमूलं गुदं चैव पावकं च समाश्रितः। वहन्मूत्रं पुरीषं चाप्यपानः परिवर्तते ॥१२-१७८-६॥
Apāna, having its seat at the base of the bladder, anus, and digestive fire, carries urine and feces and moves accordingly.
प्रयत्ने कर्मणि बले य एकस्त्रिषु वर्तते। उदान इति तं प्राहुरध्यात्मविदुषो जनाः ॥१२-१७८-७॥
The knowers of the self call him who abides as one in the three—effort, action, and strength—as 'udāna'.
सन्धिष्वपि च सर्वेषु संनिविष्टस्तथानिलः। शरीरेषु मनुष्याणां व्यान इत्युपदिश्यते ॥१२-१७८-८॥
It is taught that the wind called Vyāna, having entered all the joints and the entire body, is present in the bodies of men.
धातुष्वग्निस्तु विततः समानेन समीरितः। रसान्धातूंश्च दोषांश्च वर्तयन्नवतिष्ठति ॥१२-१७८-९॥
The fire present in the elements, being spread and stimulated by samāna, remains while causing the movement of essences, elements, and doṣas.
अपानप्राणयोर्मध्ये प्राणापानसमाहितः। समन्वितः स्वधिष्ठानः सम्यक्पचति पावकः ॥१२-१७८-१०॥
The fire, situated between apāna and prāṇa, united with both and established in its own seat, properly digests (food).
आस्यं हि पायुसंयुक्तमन्ते स्याद्गुदसञ्ज्ञितम्। स्रोतस्तस्मात्प्रजायन्ते सर्वस्रोतांसि देहिनाम् ॥१२-१७८-११॥
The mouth, indeed, when joined with the anus at the end, is called 'guda'; from that channel arise all the bodily channels of living beings.
प्राणानां संनिपाताच्च संनिपातः प्रजायते। ऊष्मा चाग्निरिति ज्ञेयो योऽन्नं पचति देहिनाम् ॥१२-१७८-१२॥
Conjunction arises from the union of the vital energies. The heat, known as fire, is that which cooks the food for embodied beings.
अग्निवेगवहः प्राणो गुदान्ते प्रतिहन्यते। स ऊर्ध्वमागम्य पुनः समुत्क्षिपति पावकम् ॥१२-१७८-१३॥
The breath, which carries the force of fire, is checked at the end of the rectum; then, rising upwards again, it lifts the fire.
पक्वाशयस्त्वधो नाभेरूर्ध्वमामाशयः स्थितः। नाभिमध्ये शरीरस्य सर्वे प्राणाः समाहिताः ॥१२-१७८-१४॥
The large intestine is located below the navel, while the stomach is situated above it. All the vital energies of the body are gathered in the center of the navel.
प्रसृता हृदयात्सर्वे तिर्यगूर्ध्वमधस्तथा। वहन्त्यन्नरसान्नाड्यो दश प्राणप्रचोदिताः ॥१२-१७८-१५॥
All the ten channels, extended from the heart and impelled by prāṇa, carry the food-essences in all directions—across, upwards, and downwards.
एष मार्गोऽथ योगानां येन गच्छन्ति तत्पदम्। जितक्लमासना धीरा मूर्धन्यात्मानमादधुः ॥१२-१७८-१६॥
This is the path of yogas, by which they reach that state. The steadfast, who have conquered fatigue and seat, placed the self at the crown of the head.
एवं सर्वेषु विहितः प्राणापानेषु देहिनाम्। तस्मिन्स्थितो नित्यमग्निः स्थाल्यामिव समाहितः ॥१२-१७८-१७॥
Thus, in all embodied beings, the fire is always established in the prāṇa and apāna, situated there just as fire is contained in a vessel.
