12.178
bharadvāja uvāca॥
Bharadvāja said.
pārthivaṃ dhātumāśritya śārīro'gnḥ kathaṃ bhavet। avakāśaviśeṣeṇa kathaṃ vartayate'nilaḥ ॥12-178-1॥
How does the bodily fire exist by resorting to the earthly element? How does the wind act according to particular spaces?
bhṛguruvāca॥
Bhṛgu said.
vāyorgatimahaṃ brahmankīrtayiṣyāmi te'nagha। prāṇināmanilo dehānyathā ceṣṭayate balī ॥12-178-2॥
O Brahman, I shall describe to you the movement of the wind, O sinless one. The powerful wind moves the bodies of living beings.
śrito mūrdhānam agnis tu śarīraṃ paripālayan। prāṇo mūrdhani ca agnau ca vartamāno viceṣṭate ॥12-178-3॥
The fire, having resorted to the head, protects the body; the life-breath, existing on the head and in the fire, moves about.
sa jantuḥ sarvabhūtātmā puruṣaḥ sa sanātanaḥ। mano buddhirahaṅkāro bhūtāni viṣayāśca saḥ ॥12-178-4॥
He is the creature, the self of all beings, the eternal person. He is mind, intellect, ego, the elements, and the objects.
evaṃ tv iha sa sarvatra prāṇena paripālyate। pṛṣṭhataś ca samānena svāṃ svāṃ gatim upāśritaḥ ॥12-178-5॥
Thus, here, he is protected everywhere by prāṇa; from behind, having resorted to his own movement by samāna.
vastimūlaṃ gudaṃ caiva pāvakaṃ ca samāśritaḥ। vahanmūtraṃ purīṣaṃ cāpyapānaḥ parivartate ॥12-178-6॥
Apāna, having its seat at the base of the bladder, anus, and digestive fire, carries urine and feces and moves accordingly.
prayatne karmaṇi bale ya ekastriṣu vartate। udāna iti taṃ prāhuradhyātmaviduṣo janāḥ ॥12-178-7॥
The knowers of the self call him who abides as one in the three—effort, action, and strength—as 'udāna'.
sandhiṣv api ca sarveṣu saṃniviṣṭas tathānilaḥ। śarīreṣu manuṣyāṇāṃ vyāna ity upadiśyate ॥12-178-8॥
It is taught that the wind called Vyāna, having entered all the joints and the entire body, is present in the bodies of men.
dhātuṣv agnis tu vitataḥ samānena samīritaḥ। rasān dhātūṃś ca doṣāṃś ca vartayan navatiṣṭhati ॥12-178-9॥
The fire present in the elements, being spread and stimulated by samāna, remains while causing the movement of essences, elements, and doṣas.
apānaprāṇayor madhye prāṇāpānasamāhitaḥ। samanvitaḥ svadhiṣṭhānaḥ samyak pacati pāvakaḥ ॥12-178-10॥
The fire, situated between apāna and prāṇa, united with both and established in its own seat, properly digests (food).
āsyaṃ hi pāyusaṃyuktamante syādgudasañjñitam। srotastasmātprajāyante sarvasrotāṃsi dehinām ॥12-178-11॥
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.
prāṇānāṃ saṃnipātācca saṃnipātaḥ prajāyate। ūṣmā cāgniriti jñeyo yo'nnaṃ pacati dehinām ॥12-178-12॥
Conjunction arises from the union of the vital energies. The heat, known as fire, is that which cooks the food for embodied beings.
agnivegavahaḥ prāṇo gudānte pratihanyate। sa ūrdhvamāgamya punaḥ samutkṣipati pāvakam ॥12-178-13॥
The breath, which carries the force of fire, is checked at the end of the rectum; then, rising upwards again, it lifts the fire.
pakvāśayas tv adho nābher ūrdhvam āmāśayaḥ sthitaḥ। nābhimadhye śarīrasya sarve prāṇāḥ samāhitāḥ॥12-178-14॥
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.
prasṛtā hṛdayātsarve tiryagūrdhvamadhastathā। vahantyannarasānnāḍyo daśa prāṇapracoditāḥ ॥12-178-15॥
All the ten channels, extended from the heart and impelled by prāṇa, carry the food-essences in all directions—across, upwards, and downwards.
eṣa mārgo'tha yogānāṃ yena gacchanti tatpadam। jitaklamāsanā dhīrā mūrdhanyātmānamādadhuḥ ॥12-178-16॥
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.
evaṃ sarveṣu vihitaḥ prāṇāpāneṣu dehinām। tasminsthito nityamagniḥ sthālyāmiva samāhitaḥ ॥12-178-17॥
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.
