p. 189
त्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रहः ॥’ कथं तर्हि योगानुष्ठानम् ? शृणु—समे देशे शर्करावह्निबालुकाशब्दजलाशयादिवर्जिते मनोनुकूले शुचौ नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चेलाजिनकुशोत्तरं स्थिरमासनं प्रतिष्ठाप्य, तत्रोपविश्यासनं स्वस्तिकं पद्मासनं वा लब्ध्वा, समं कायशिरोग्रीवं धारयन्, विश्वादीन् क्रमेण कार्यकारणविनिर्मुक्ते पूर्णात्मनि उपसंहृत्य, पूर्णात्मना स्थित्वा, ध्यायेत्पुरिशयं देवं पूर्णानन्दं निरञ्जनम् अपूर्वमनपरं ब्रह्म नेति नेत्यादिलक्षणम् अशनायाद्यसंस्पृष्टमनुदितानस्तमितज्ञानात्मनावस्थितं परमात्मानमोमिति ।तथा चोक्तं ब्रह्माण्डपुराणे कावषेयगीतासु—‘तस्माद्विमोक्षाय कुरु प्रयत्नं दुःखाद्विमुक्तो भवितासि येन ।ॐ ब्रह्म शून्यं परमं प्रधानमानन्दमात्रं प्रणवं जुषस्व’ इति ।एवं युञ्जन् सदात्मानं परमात्मत्वेन यदा साक्षाज्जानाति, तदा निरस्ताज्ञानतत्कार्यो वीतशोकः कृतकृत्यो भवति ।तथा च बृहदारण्यके—‘आत्मानं चेद्विजानीयादयमस्मीति पूरुषः ।किमिच्छन्कस्य कामाय शरीरमनुसञ्ज्वरेत्’ इति ।तथा च ईशावास्ये—‘यस्मिन्सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मैवाभूद्विजानतः ।तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः’ इति ।तथा च कठवल्लीषु—‘तं दुर्दर्शं गूढमनुप्रविष्टं गुहाहितं गह्वरेष्ठं पुराणम् ।अध्या
In plain words
How then is yoga to be practiced? Listen: In a clean, level place free from pebbles, fire, sand, disturbing sounds, and water, in a spot pleasing to the mind—neither too high nor too low—having arranged a firm seat covered with kuśa grass, a deerskin, and a cloth; sitting there in the svastika or lotus posture, keeping the body, head, and neck erect; withdrawing the states of consciousness step by step into the infinite Self which transcends cause and effect; resting as that full Self, one should contemplate the Supreme Lord who dwells within the heart. He is full of bliss, spotless, without beginning or end, described by scripture as 'not this, not this,' untouched by hunger or thirst, existing forever as pure consciousness—meditating upon Him as the sacred syllable OṂ. As the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa declares in the Kavaṣeya Gītā: 'Therefore strive earnestly for liberation, whereby you shall be freed from all sorrow. Worship OṂ, the subtle, supreme, and primary Brahman, whose very essence is bliss, the Pranava.' When one constantly practices meditation in this way and directly realizes the Self, all ignorance and its effects are destroyed. He becomes free from sorrow, and his life's purpose is completely fulfilled. As the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad declares: 'If a man realizes the Self as
Close to the Sanskrit
How then is the performance of yoga? Hear: In an even place, free from pebbles, fire, sand, noise, bodies of water, and the like, favorable to the mind, pure, neither too high nor too low, having a seat made of cloth, deerskin, and kuśa grass placed firmly, sitting there, having assumed the svastika or padmasana posture, keeping the body, head, and neck straight, withdrawing the states of consciousness step by step into the full Self which is free from cause and effect, remaining as the full Self, one should meditate on the Supreme Self—who dwells in the city of the heart, who is full bliss, stainless, without prior cause or subsequent limit, characterized by descriptions such as 'not this, not this,' untouched by hunger and other frailties, existing as the eternal knowledge-self—using the syllable 'Om.' And so it is said in the Brahmanda Purana, in the Kavaṣeya Gītā: 'Therefore make an effort for liberation, by which you will become freed from sorrow; worship Om, the subtle, supreme, primary Brahman, consisting solely of bliss, the syllable Pranava.' Thus engaging the mind continually as the Supreme Self, when one directly knows [the Self], then he becomes one whose ignorance and its effects are cast away, free from grief, having fulfilled his duties. And similarly in the Brihadaranyaka: 'If a person should know the Self as