SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 5 Text 27-28
sparsan krtva bahir bahyams
caksus caivantare bhruvoh
pranapanau samau krtva
nasabhyantara- carinau

yatendriya-mano- buddhir
munir moksa-parayanah
vigateccha-bhaya- krodho
yah sada mukta eva sah

sparsan--sense objects, such as sound; krtva--keeping; bahih--external; bahyan--unnecessary ; caksuh--eyes; ca--also; eva--certainly; antare--between; bhruvoh--the eyebrows; prana-apanau- -up-and down-moving air; samau--in suspension; krtva--keeping; nasa-abhyantara- -within the nostrils; carinau--blowing; yata--controlled; indriya--senses; manah--mind; buddhih--intelligen ce; munih--the transcendentalist; moksa--for liberation; parayanah--being so destined; vigata--having discarded; iccha--wishes; bhaya--fear; krodhah--anger; yah--one who; sada--always; muktah--liberated; eva--certainly; sah--he is.

TRANSLATION

Shutting out all external sense objects, keeping the eyes and vision concentrated between the two eyebrows, suspending the inward and outward breaths within the nostrils, and thus controlling the mind, senses and intelligence, the transcendentalist aiming at liberation becomes free from desire, fear and anger. One who is always in this state is certainly liberated.

JOURNAL:

Here a brief description of astanga-yoga is given. In his purport Srila Prabhupada writes; One has to drive out the sense objects such as sound, touch, form, taste and smell by the pratyahara process in yoga, and then keep the vision of the eyes between the two eyebrows and concentrate on the tip of the nose with half-closed lids. There is no benefit in closing the eyes altogether, because then there is every chance of falling asleep. Nor is there benefit in opening the eyes completely, because then there is the hazard of being attracted by sense objects. The breathing movement is restrained within the nostrils by neutralizing the up-moving and down-moving air within the body.

Every time I read of a type of yoga other than Bhakti I realize how merciful Lord Chaitanya has been by giving us the Maha-Mantra to chant. If it is hard for me to find the time to do my rounds how much harder would it be if I had to practice this kind of yoga?